Author's Note: Why hello! Merry Christmas to those who celebrate it, and welcome to this Holiday-themed one-shot!

Terminal and I first had the idea for a holiday-themed one-shot last year, but never got around to it. Fast forward a year, I stumbled upon the idea doc again while working on our other fic, One Last Chance, and to make a long story short, I didn't want the ideas to go to waste. We made a lot of changes (it's basically a different fic altogether), and here we are! It also ended up being way longer than we originally thought, so we made the decision to split it into 2 parts.

Anywho, hope you all enjoy!

Yang knew this day would come, but... she was not prepared for it to come so soon.

As the casket was slowly lowered into the grave, Yang bit her lip to stop it from quivering. Ghira Belladonna had been like a second father to her... and now he was gone, just like that. But now was not the time to cry, no matter how desperately she wished to break down, to collapse, to bawl her eyes out. She had to fight back the urge, to be strong. Not for herself, nor her sister, nor her father, but the people this funeral hit hardest, two of her closest friends; Blake and Kali Belladonna. They needed her. They needed all of them.

The past few months... had been difficult to say the least, for everyone. The news devastated them, but Ghira tried not to show it. Pancreatic cancer, inoperable. It put a damper on their lives, but between his constant cheer and Yang and Ruby's resolve, they were able to keep spirits high for a time. But it did not last forever. Reactions varied. Kali crumbled, just a little, but enough to be felt by everyone. Ruby became clingy, with the distant memory of her mother's passing echoing painfully. Tai made more of an effort to drop by, and Blake... Blake grew just a little more silent. She had never handled emotions well. Though it was a testament to how close the families had grown, how quickly they came together to support one another. A simple high school friendship between Yang and Blake steadily grew, birthdays, family barbeques, holidays spent together. Kali became a mother figure to the sisters, Ghira, a second father, and Blake, a sister. Her relationship with Ruby soon blossoming into a romance. And it did not stop with them. Weiss Schnee; Ruby's former tutor, and Pyrrha Nikos; Yang's long-time training partner, had both found a place within the two families as well. Weiss in particular meeting her girlfriend in the process, Ilia Amitola; the foster child of Menagerie's high priestess, Sienna Khan.

The same priestess who now presided over the funeral.

While it was a beautiful ceremony, filled with kind words and offerings, Yang only wished it did not have to happen in the first place. They all did. Everyone gave their heartfelt speeches, attempting to focus on celebrating Ghira's life, but no one was even able to finish. The only ones who were even able to get through more than half of theirs before breaking down in tears were Tai and Weiss. They were always better at keeping themselves composed in difficult situations. The only ones who did not end up speaking were Kali and Blake, but it was understandable. Neither of them had said a single word since arriving, only idly staring straight ahead and going through the motions. Blake was... unfocused, blank, and pale, the only external signs of her grief were silent tears and her tight grip on her girlfriend's hand. Kali's expression was mostly hidden by her veil, but the shaking said enough. Yang and Ruby did their best to comfort them, but they both knew that there was only so much either of them could do. It was not until after the main ceremony and proceeding lunch - which Kali and Blake hardly touched - that the two women muttered their first words, requesting for the sisters to take them back home. So they gathered their things, informed Sienna that they were leaving, and quietly departed.

Upon reaching Kali's hatchback, the older woman wordlessly chose the passenger seat, leaving Ruby and Blake to take the rear seating. Yang steadied herself with a deep breath, before taking the wheel. It was a short, silent drive to the Belladonna house, with no music, nor idle chatting. Kali merely gazed out the window, watching the world pass by, while Blake just clung to Ruby, like she was afraid to lose her too.

Even as the group arrived at the house, they remained silent, not a single word uttered as they exited the car and headed inside. Blake murmured that she was going to take a nap, her voice barely above a whisper, so Ruby escorted her upstairs, leaving Yang and Kali alone in the front foyer. The blonde looked to the older woman, wondering if she wanted to do anything herself, but found that she was merely staring at some of the family photos hung up on the nearby wall, eyes beginning to water, her lip starting to quiver. It tore Yang's heart asunder to watch.

"Kali?" Yang murmured, disturbing the elder from her reverie, who's teary gaze turned unto her.

"Thank you, Yang." Kali uttered, barely more than a whisper, a sad smile echoed on her lips. "Will you help me up the stairs?"

Yang quickly nodded, stepping close to wrap an arm around her friend's waist, almost surprised as Kali put her own arm around her shoulders in response. As the two began ascending the stairs, Yang could not help but focus on how slow and unsteady the older woman had been up until now. A huge departure from her usual spry confidence. Kali was an incredibly strong figure to Yang, but the toll that Ghira's death had taken was... shocking. It was as if she was a completely different person altogether. Even as they arrived at her bedroom, Kali simply lifted her arm from Yang's shoulder, quietly thanking her for the assistance, and headed inside, softly closing the door behind her.

"I'll uh, I'll be out here if you need anything..." Yang offered after a moment alone, leaning against the nearby wall to face away from the door. She hoped to receive some kind of response, but the only sounds that emanated from within the room were those of drawers quietly opening and closing, and the shuffling of clothes. Without that, all Yang could really do was... wait. Though perhaps she should take a few steps away from the door, as the act of merely standing there listening to her friend change was a tad creepy in her mind. But before she could even stand up from leaning against the wall, a yelp, followed by a loud thump was heard from inside the bedroom. Practically whipping around, Yang approached the door and provided a few swift knocks upon it.

"Kali?"

No answer.

"Kali, are you alright?"

Still no answer.

Quickly putting her ear to the door, Yang found that there was sniffling coming from the other side, which caused her eyes to widen. Her first instinct was to throw the door open to find out if Kali was alright, but her hand froze just before grabbing the knob. Part of her was unsure whether or not she should just barge into a possibly-undressed woman's room, but in the end, she decided it was worth the risk. Grabbing the door handle and gently pushing, Yang walked into the dimly lit bedroom... and immediately froze upon seeing what lied within, the mere sight sending a pang through her heart. Laying upon the floor in nothing but her underwear, curled up in a ball and quietly sobbing, was Kali, looking like she had tripped while stepping out of her dress, as it was bunched up around her ankles. But instead of getting back up, she just... remained there.

After a moment, Yang was able to snap out of her shock, wasting no time rushing to Kali's side and kneeling down behind her. Quickly scanning her body, it thankfully did not seem like the older woman was seriously injured, which was a huge relief, so she hesitantly reached out to gently place a hand on her shoulder. Kali only shrunk in response, causing the blonde to recoil her hand. "Kali... are you... hurt?" Yang carefully asked, cringing at the helpless tone in her voice. Of course she was hurt, if not physically than mentally. "Kali, can I please help you?"

Kali did not respond, merely shuddering, causing Yang let out a small sigh. It was hard to handle heavy emotions, let alone emotional individuals, but Kali above many, deserved her utmost care.

Slowly, Yang lowered herself to the ground, laying on her side. "I know there's nothing I can ever say to really help, I was pretty young when I lost Summer, and you know how much it affected me." She slowly reached over, gently laying her hand on Kali's shoulder again. She did not flinch as badly this time. "But you helped me, you helped grow past it, when no one else even knew I could, and I'll carry that with me for the rest of my life." Yang gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze, Kali had stopped shaking. "I love you Kali, we all do, and I wanna help you too, but only if you'll let me, only when you're comfortable letting me in."

Kali coughed, uttering what could almost pass for a laugh. "It sounds so inspiring, when you put it like that."

"Well, they are your words, silly." Yang snickered. "'Course it's inspiring."

The elder woman turned onto her back, bleary eyes meeting Yang's, downcast, yet still beautiful. Kali had aged gracefully. If Blake looked anything like her mother in the future, her sister was a very lucky woman. "I welcome your help, Yang, without question."

Reaching to take Kali's hand instead, Yang smiled as brightly as she could muster. "Then let's get to it."

A little while later, as the now pyjama clad Faunus slept soundly, wrapped in the blonde's arms, she made up her mind.

She was there to stay.

Following a morning of tiring yard work, it was a wonderful feeling to take a nice, hot shower.

Stepping out of the steamy glass box, Yang grabbed her towel and began drying herself off. While she would have liked to stay in there for a little while longer... Okay maybe a lot longer, she knew it would be wasting water. Plus - even from inside the closed bathroom - there had been an absolutely delicious scent filling her nose while she was showering, so she was quite excited to see just what was being cooked downstairs. After she was finished drying her body, Yang folded the towel around her torso, and grabbed her hair towel. As she began wrapping said towel around her hair in that signature beehive thing, she sighed, wishing that the simple act of drying her hair was a much less... time-consuming process. Maybe I should actually think about getting it cut. Once the towel was snugly fitting around her head, she was finally ready to learn what exactly she had been smelling for the past fifteen minutes. I hope it's lunch, 'cause I'm starving.

Grabbing her brush - might as well multitask - Yang headed across the small hallway into what she was still getting used to as her bedroom, where she found a little surprise waiting for her on the bed, her bed. It caused her to smile. Likely in the middle of cooking something amazing, and she's still got time for this. Sitting upon her comforter was a folded set of comfy clothes - consisting of a pair of pink sweatpants and an RvB branded while long shirt - as well as matching underwear and socks. The latter might have been a tad embarrassing - as it meant that Kali had not only gone through her underwear drawer, but also touched and handled said undergarments - but it was also quite sweet. After all, who else would actually take the time to pick and lay out clothes for her? While in the middle of cooking food? Kali Belladonna, that was who. That woman was too nice for her own good.

Quickly changing into the clothes that the older woman had laid out for her, Yang made her way downstairs and into the kitchen, where she found Kali preparing... something. She could not actually tell what was being made, as practically everything around the counters and stove had been covered. Was it supposed to be a surprise? Or maybe just because of the type of food being cooked? She had no idea. Upon noticing her standing there, the lounge-wear and apron-clad older woman offered a smile that was as bright as the sun. Yang could not help but stare, a stupid grin beginning to spread across her face. I will never get used to this view.

Lightly padding over to the blonde, Kali wrapped the blonde in a loving hug, which of course she reciprocated. "Thank you for the assistance with the yard, Yang. I'm still getting used to... well, this whole house, so it's nice to have someone around to help." Kali smiled as she released the younger woman. She then took gentle hold of the sides of her head before turning it down slightly. Standing up on tips of her toes, she planted a kiss upon her forehead. It caused a slight blush to tint Yang's cheeks. Never gonna get used to that either.

"Don't worry about it." Yang assured with a smile of her own. "Doin' the yard work was pretty much my job at home anyway." Then she looked over at all the covered food on the counters and stove. "So uh, what have you been cookin' down here?"

Taking a quick glance behind her, Kali grinned slightly, gesturing to the kitchen table as she turned back. "Why don't you take a seat at the table, and I'll show you."

Yang quirked a brow at the answer. "Ooh, I like a good surprise." Making her way around the compact kitchen, she sat down at the table, where she proceeded to place her hairbrush onto the wood surface and excitedly wait for what her friend had made for her. While she did, her gaze began to idly shift around the attached living area. Can't believe we've been here for a week already...

After the day of Ghira's funeral, it did not take long for Kali to want to get out of that large house, so Yang did her best to help her look for a new one. Surprisingly, it was a fairly quick process, as a few weeks later, they were already moving into a smaller bungalow. It was a strange feeling, honestly. Just over a month ago, she viewed Kali as a mother figure, just like she had Summer. Now, after her husband's passing, the blonde became a sort of pseudo caretaker, due to how deep her grief ran. So Yang moved to Kuo Kuana, all so the older woman would not have to leave her homeland to be closer to her daughter.

The sudden sound of porcelain hitting wood pulled Yang from her thoughts. Looking down, she found that Kali had placed a rather large plate in front of her, and she immediately grinned, understanding why the previously-unknown food had smelled so good. Sitting upon the table before her, was one of her favourite lunches - a BLT burger with what appeared to be homemade fries, topped with various spices - paired with a glass of orange juice. Just looking at it made her mouth begin to water.

"Bon Appétit!" Kali hummed.

Yang merely stared at the meal in front of her for a moment. "This looks amazing... Did you make these fries from scratch?"

Kali nodded with a smile. "With my mother's recipe, but with an added kick, just for you."

"That's... really nice, Kali, thanks... but you didn't have to actually make these for me." Yang attempted to assure, dumbfounded that her friend had done something like that for her. "Store-bought would've been fine."

"Yang, you just did two hours of yard work that would have likely taken me all day to do on my own." Kali countered. "Stop being being humble and let me thank you for it."

A moment passed in silence, with the two just staring at one another with smiles on their faces. "Aw, fine. You're welcome." Yang conceded, picking up a small french fry and popping it into her mouth. "Holy shit, these are delicious!"

Kali's smile quickly shifted to a sterner expression as she crossed her arms at the younger woman's outburst. "I appreciate the compliment, but what did I say about foul language in this house?"

Bringing a hand up to rub the back of her head, Yang let out a nervous chuckle. "Yeah... sorry about that. Force of habit."

"A habit that I'm certain you will be able to shake." Kali added. "This may be a new house, but the rules of the prior one still apply."

Yang quickly nodded in response. "Of course." She agreed. While it was true that she was essentially a caretaker, Kali was still perfectly capable of reprimanding her when appropriate. Hell, that woman could be downright scary when she wanted to be. There was even one time when Blake described almost pissing herself after she was caught looking at some... questionable internet content as she put it. And Blake was already a fairly strong-willed individual, so scaring her was impressive on its own. Out of all her years of knowing each other, the blonde had never once been able to scare her - unless she counted the time when she suggested to Ruby to fake being pregnant for one April Fools day, which of course proceeded to scare the absolute shit out of her, though that was mostly due to the perceived reaction from her mother.

Turning back toward the plate of food, Yang began to eat her meal, and gods damn was it good. She might be a good cook herself, but Kali? That woman was a master chef, and if she ever wanted to open up a restaurant, the blonde would be one-hundred-percent on board, as long as she could choose the name of course. She would call it... Mama Belladonna's. Perfect.

With the partially-eaten burger in one hand, Yang began to unravel the towel that was still wrapped around her drying hair. Honestly, she would love to be able to use a hairdryer, but doing so always ended with her hair becoming all frizzy. What a pain in the ass. Once it was off and draped across her shoulders, she grabbed her hairbrush from the table with her free hand and began brushing the damp blonde locks. It was a bit of a hassle, attempting to brush and eat at the same time, but it was still working, albeit slow. Though not for long, as she soon found the brush taken from her hand.

"Would you like some assistance?" Came Kali's voice from behind her.

Turning around in her chair, Yang found the older woman dangling the hairbrush with a slight smirk on her face. "You're offering to... brush my hair for me?"

Kali just smiled. "Well, it has been quite some time since I last brushed my daughter's hair... Plus, I imagine that it would be easier for you to eat with both hands."

Yang blinked at the offer. "I... sure, I mean if you're offering." She agreed, to which Kali quickly took her position behind the chair before beginning to run the brush through the blonde locks. Man this feels weird... but also pretty nice... like gentle head scratches... Though at the same time, it reminded her of how much of a pain it was to manage her hair. Which actually brought her mind back to a thought she had earlier in the day. Maybe it's about time to really get it cut... But I guess that'd mean having to find a new stylist...

"Hey uh, you know any good places for getting haircuts?" Yang wondered after a brief silence.

As she continued working on Yang's hair, Kali let out a hum. "Are we talking grooming or tending?"

"I dunno... I don't like cutting it, since I don't really trust most people with it, but I gotta get it trimmed every now and again to prevent it from becoming insufferable." Yang admitted before taking one of the final bites of her burger. "And I've been thinking... maybe I should get a little bit more done this time..."

Kali ceased her brushing for a moment, seemingly to think. "Hmm, the local barber is Fiona. She's nice enough, but quite the chatterbox, and Sienna does ritual shavings for devotees."

Ritual shavings? Not sure I wanna know what that means... "Well, as nice as Sienna is, I don't think I'll ever want my hair that short, so I think I'll go check out this Fiona lady." Yang answered.

"I can also cut hair." Kali offered. "Between Blake and... Ghira... I've become quite accomplished."

Yang blinked, realizing what that meant. "Is that why Blake's hair was always so nice? Damn I should've come to you years ago."

Kali let out a soft chuckle at Yang's enthusiasm. It was adorable. "Sadly, she never expressed much in the way of appreciation, I swear if I didn't remind her she'd forget it existed."

"Maybe you should call her then..." Yang suggested with a shrug. "Just hope you don't interrupt anything... I've had some bad timing before."

After a moment, Kali nodded, though it was unseen by the blonde. "I think I will, thank you, Yang. I'll give her a call a little later."

Yang immediately grinned. "That's the spirit. Oh! make sure to say hi for me!"

"You could always do that yourself, as you do live here." Kali reminded.

Yang paused for a second, noticing that she could indeed simply ask to speak with Blake while Kali was on a call with her - or just call the girl herself. They were still best friends after all, though the whole living on separate continents thing had not exactly helped. "Oh yeah."

Kali chuckled again. "Take care not to neglect your friends in favor of me, there's more to life than keeping an old woman company."

"Hey, you're not old at all, Kali." Yang promised, glancing back to flash a smile at the other woman. "Ruby can only hope that Blake looks like you when she's your age."

Kali just rolled her eyes, even though a smiled graced her features. "Flatterer."

Yang just grinned. "It's what I do best."

"Indeed, less flattering more eating, before it goes cold." Kali requested, pointing down at the mostly-finished burger and fries on the table.

Yang chuckled in response. "Yes mom." She agreed, getting back to eating her meal, which caused Kali to smirk down at the younger woman.

"Now there's a good girl."

Ngh, where am I?

Well, this doesn't feel like my pillow... must've fallen asleep on the couch again...

Eh, whatever... it's comfy, so I don't care.

Turning onto her side, Yang reached up to adjust the pillow under her head, wanting to savor the solace it offered, but her fingers sunk into something that was definitely not what she expected. Pillows did not have the same texture as jeans, nor were they this firm - They were fluffy, not squishy. Wait a second. Yang gave the foreign object another couple squeezes, which unfortunately caused her to realize what exactly she was currently touching, as well as what her head was lying upon. Oh boy... I really hope it's not that...

Slowly retracting her hand from the soft surface, Yang turned her head to face upward and hesitantly opened her eyes, hoping that she did not find anything aside from a ceiling. Sadly her hopes were all for naught, as when her eyes were open, she was met with the smiling face a certain feline Faunus, staring down at her.

"Good morning." Kali greeted, a clear blush tinting her cheeks, likely from the unintentional rear-groping. "Happy birthday, Yang." She wished, brushing the blonde bangs aside before leaning down to plant a slow and gentle kiss upon her forehead.

Even thought Yang was unable to keep a blush from tinting her own cheeks, that did not stop her lips from curling into a grin. For one, she loved being able to live with this woman. Second, she was right. It was her birthday. Yang was officially twenty-four years old now! Though before she could even open her mouth to thank her friend, she continued.

"Now, why don't you go take a nice, hot shower while I prepare your extra special breakfast?" Kali suggested as she ran her finger through the younger woman's shoulder-length hair - Hair she had began styling several months prior. What had once been a wild mane of blonde curls was now a wavy nest that framed her shoulders nicely. So smooth to the touch, and as Kali discovered, prime for head scratches. Her sharp nails trailed softly across Yang's scalp, turning the blonde limp and helpless to her ministrations.

As hard as Yang tried to respond, all that ended up coming out was "Nnnnnghmph..." Eventually she was able to pull herself up from Kali's thighs - even though she would have much rather lied there all day - and raise her arms to stretch. "You sure? 'Cause I don't mind helping. You don't always have to make all the food around here, Kal."

Kali just softly chuckled in response. "Nonsense, today is your day. The only thing I want you to do is relax, I'll take care of everything."

As she finished stretching, Yang smiled. "You are such a mom." she teased, getting up off the couch and making her way towards the stairs. Though as she ascended said stairs, a blush tinted her cheeks - hopefully not seen by the older woman. While Yang knew for a fact that her friend did not at all mean what she said in that way, she herself could not resist thinking about it as such. One part of her wanted Kali to realize just how sexual her answer sounded, but the other... partially wanted to hear her talk like that again, as... it was kind of hot.

Heading into the upstairs bathroom - which was technically hers, since no one else really used it - Yang stripped off her clothes from the prior night and hopped in the shower with a sigh of relief. She hated it when she fell asleep with a bra on, since it always meant her breasts were sore in the morning. Though at the same time, taking it off after nearly twenty-four hours was one of the best feelings in the world - Plus, the soreness was nothing that a little massage could not help. At first Yang went through cleaning herself fairly quickly, quite excited at what Kali was planning to make her for breakfast, but after rinsing the shampoo out of her hair, she found herself staring at her right hand as she reached for the soap - the very same hand that had squeezed her friend's rear several times barely ten minutes ago... As well as the same hand that she... pleasured herself with. She attempted to resume cleaning herself, but a single sentence kept running through her mind.

I'll take care of everything.

It almost made Yang shudder. The older woman's tone, combined with her golden eyes and her beautiful smile, was just... Ah damnit, not even ten in the morning... Well, it is my birthday... eh, fuck it. She had lived with Kali for a number of months now, and throughout that time, she had been fairly good at keeping herself quiet during her private time - at least as far as she knew - so quickly taking care of business under the cover of the shower, while the older woman was cooking, would be no problem... So long as Kali did not walk past the bathroom. She had very good hearing after all.

Though of course, Yang just could not help herself.

A squeak here, a gasp there, hitting the right spot for a moment only to suddenly find herself chasing it once again, all in the name of simple euphoria. It was one of her simplest joys in life, and the only indulgence she experienced anymore, considering she had not had any kind of partner in years. Every orgasm was a gift from Spring, or so Pyrrha preached - someone who she should definitely call more often - and this one certainly fit that description. Even with the running water and the bathroom fan, Yang was lucky that she had decided to move a hand from her breast to cover her mouth, or else she would have... alerted the house's other occupant to her activities, so to speak. Damn, magic fingers strike again. With weakened legs and a hazy mind, she eventually shut off the water, and stepped out of the shower. After drying herself off and donning the clothes that Kali had once again graciously left out for her - a nice set of black sweatpants and one of her favourite orange T-shirts - and headed downstairs.

And thus, her special day was off to an exciting start.

As Yang would soon find out, making her breakfast was not the only thing that Kali had in store. No, not by a long shot. It turned out that the older woman had a whole day planned, where she would proceed to spend every moment spoiling the absolute hell out of Yang. Kali made her feel like she was the only person on the entire planet that mattered - and she could not have been happier. This day would turn out to be best birthday ever.

Similar to most other days, it began with breakfast - Well, after a long, blush-inducing hug and a forehead kiss. While Yang was in the shower... taking care of business, Kali had made one of her all-time favourite meals: pancakes with hot fudge and powdered sugar. Of course she did not get to partake very often, lest she gain any weight in the wrong places, but when she did, there was never enough to satisfy her - which was always due to her downright monstrous appetite - at least until now. When Yang came down the stairs, the sheer number of pancakes that were stacked upon the table alone made her mouth actually drop open - and that was not even counting the ones that Kali was still in the process of making! To say that the two would have leftovers for days was likely a huge understatement, even with how much she ended up eating.

Just like everything else that Kali cooked, the pancakes were absolutely divine, but on this particular day, there was an added... bonus, so to speak. While Yang practically inhaled her food, her friend decided to give her what was likely the most relaxing neck massage she had ever gotten. It almost made her repeat the noise she made while Kali scratched her head earlier that morning. And here I thought I had magic fingers... Though unfortunately... or maybe fortunately, the massage caused the consumption of pancakes much slower, but certainly more enjoyable. Yang could honestly not believe it was happening, while it was happening.

Once breakfast was finished - and Kali had cleaned up alone, insisting that Yang simply relax - the pair began their day of relaxation. While washing the dishes, the older woman asked what the blonde wanted to do, but since the two had spent the previous day entirely out and about, she decided that she wanted to have a leisurely day inside. So that was what they did. The next few hours were spent watching a movie - of course, one of Yang's favourites; Geistbusters - then just... chatting in the living area until it was time for lunch. Once again, the younger woman attempted to help, but Kali was not having it, speaking the same words that resulted in Yang using her magic fingers in the shower earlier that morning, but this time with a much less accidentally-arousing tone. Though perhaps that was a good thing, as she did not really want to be horny twice in one day. So she just sat around and waited, watching her friend prepare the meal - and boy did it smell good.

After waiting for what felt like an eternity - mostly due to the fact that she merely stared at Kali the whole time while she cooked - it was finally time to eat. The older woman then sat her down at the table, and revealed her next meal: a certainly-larger-than-average bacon grilled cheese - once again, one of her favourites - paired with a glass of homemade lemonade. It looked - and as she soon found out, tasted - delicious. Kali actually let out a chuckle once Yang was finished eating, telling her how she was surprised that she did not choke at all, considering how quickly she had devoured the meal. Yang then assured her that it was not the first time she had shoved something that big into her mouth, which soon resulted in the pair bursting into laughter once they realized what the blonde said.

Man, I love living here.

Once lunch was completely finished and the dishes had been cleaned - the one thing that she was actually allowed to help with, but only after she begged - it was back to relaxing. They watched another one of her favourite movies; The Huntsman Rises, even though Kali did not particularly care for it, much like Geistbusters. It was honestly really sweet, the way she payed attention, listened to the younger woman gush about various parts of the film, and just... enjoyed it as best she could. The only other thing Yang could have possibly asked for was to be able to cuddle with her, but sadly there was no good excuse for it. Perhaps if they watched a scary movie later...

Though before she knew it, it was already dinner time. Oh, how time flies. For the third time that day, Kali had prepared for her one of her absolute favourite meals: fish and chips, with homemade hot sauce - And what a meal it was. Yang was so thankful that her friend made enough for seconds... and thirds... and maybe fourths... They were really good...

After Yang had finally finished all of her food, she sat back with a satisfied sigh. It had been a while since she ate that much and loved every single bite of it. But unfortunately, due to being so full, when Kali mentioned the possibility of cake, she had to decline for a while, no matter how much she wanted it. So the pair decided to sit together in the living area and just chat for a while. Though that chatting ended up mostly boiling down to Yang prodding the older woman into telling her what kind of cake it was - which she never did of course. Instead she merely told her that you will have to wait and see, with the sliest smirk on her face.

That woman was such a tease sometimes.

Thankfully it did not take too long for Yang to be ready to eat again, so Kali sat her down at the table one final time for the day, but instead of simply bringing her the cake, she turned off the lights - which only made the blonde more excited. A brief silence followed, with barely a sound to be heard. She considered turning around to find out what exactly was happening in the kitchen, but also knew that her friend would not want her spoiling the surprise. Luckily she did not have to wait long, with Kali's angelic voice soon filling the room as she began to sing happy birthday. Words could not express the idiotic grin that spread across Yang's face as she watched the older woman carry over a strawberry-covered cheesecake and place it in front of her. Once it was settled on the table, she continued her singing, but instead looked her straight in the eyes.

"Happy birthday dear Yang..." Kali sung, raising a hand to lightly cup Yang's cheek - which immediately caused her to blush - her voice lowering as she slowly closed the distance between their faces. "Happy birthday... to... you..." She finished - barely above a whisper - before planting a slow, gentle kiss on the blonde's cheek, her lips lingering upon the flesh for just a moment.

As her friend stood back up with a smile, Yang could only stare up at her, her mind unable to come up with a response. If there was ever a moment where she wanted to kiss that woman, it was right now.

"Happy birthday, Yang." Kali wished.

Another grin quickly spread across Yang's face in response. "Thanks, Kal."

A little while later, after a fair share of the delicious cheesecake had been consumed, Yang thought the day was over, that her friend had gone through all of the surprises that she had planned. Well, it turned out that there was one more - as if she had not done enough for her already - and it required something rather... unexpected: a blindfold. Don't think about it sexually, don't think about it sexually, don't think about it sexually, don't think about... Damnit! Stupid gutter mind.

Once Yang's eyes had been completely covered - which embarrassingly excited the hell out of her - Kali gently grasped her hand, intertwining their fingers, and carefully led her through the house and down the stairs toward the basement. Which was an area of the house that she had admittedly not gone to in... well, a few days in fact, so that would actually be an excellent place to hide some kind of surprise. The floor itself was pretty much only used as a storage area anyway, with the only things down there being random furniture, some decorations that did not work or fit with this new house, and of course... a number of boxes filled with Ghira's wardrobe. But even still, now Yang was really excited, her mind beginning to fill with possibilities. Well, if Kali had to store it in the basement in the first place, it had to be something large... Perhaps it was a TV for her room, or a fancy bicycle, since she had to leave her motorcycle, Bumblebee, back on Patch, or a pretty dress - she actually liked dresses, and... Kali liked seeing her wear them - or maybe even a shark tank! No, that was stupid...

Thankfully Yang would not have to wait for very long, as after the pair arrived at the bottom of the stairs, Kali brought them to a stop. Here we go. Feeling a pair of hands on the back of her head, the blindfold slowly came loose, and was finally pulled away, revealing... a pitch-black room. Not exactly exciting. Furrowing her brow, she turned to the older woman, who merely smiled before reaching over to the wall and flicking the lights on, which exposed what was really before them - and Yang could not believe her eyes. Ever since moving to Kuo Kuana, she had been going to the local gym for her workouts, but now... there was a full home gym right in front of her. There was a treadmill, weights, dumbbells, a bike, a balance ball, even a yoga mat... Holy moly, this has everything...

Giving the blonde's hand a gentle squeeze, Kali prompted her to meet her gaze as she offered a smile. "While I know you always say that you don't need any kind of repayment for what you do, I wanted to show how much I love and appreciate you, and I cannot express how thankful I am to have you in my life."

Yang could only look back into the older woman's golden eyes for a moment as she attempted to formulate a response. "You... You really had this all installed just for me?"

"Well, most of it." Kali shrugged, a smug smile on her face. "I have been meaning to get a treadmill..."

She... actually bought it for me... "Even then... Kal, you bought me a gym..." Yang stressed. "How could I ever pay you back for this?"

"Take more time for yourself." Kali answered, giving her friend's hand another squeeze. "You spend far too much on me. You have your own life to lead after all."

Yang managed a chuckle. "You're always sayin' that. Just 'cause I spend a lot of time with you, doesn't mean I don't have a life of my own." To which Kali raised a brow. "It's true! Like uh... oh! The other day, Fiona and I went out for brunch, and it was fun!"

Kali just smiled. "Oh yes, she told me all about it."

"See? I have friends here too!" Yang attempted to assure. Kali giggled at her enthusiasm. "Spends too much time with you, psh, I don't spend enough time with you!"

Raising her free hand and gently cupping the younger woman's cheek, she gave it a couple light taps. "Yang, sweetie, I love you, but Fiona is the only friend you've made here since Ilia."

"What do you mean? I've got more!" Yang defended, causing Kali to immediately raise a brow again. "I uh... I've got Trifa!"

Kali smirked at her friend's attempts. "Are you perhaps referring to the woman we purchase our clothes from?"

A slight blush crept its way onto Yang's face as she struggled to meet Kali's gaze "Yes..."

"Well then, what is her last name?" Kali inquired, her lips curled into a smirk.

Yang paused for a moment. And I don't know that. "Um... can I get back to you?"

Kali then rolled her eyes, her smug smirk shifting into a gentler smile. "Go play with your present, Yang."

Without even thinking, Yang shot a smirk of her own at the older woman. "Only if you come play with me." Oh my gods I can't believe I just said that.

For the third time in five minutes, Kali raised a brow. "Do I have to get the spray bottle?"

Yang proceed to faux-pout, though unlike her sister, she was not able to keep up the act very well. "But Yang doesn't like the spray bottle."

A moment of silence passed, before both women burst into laughter.

Best birthday ever.

Menagerie's climate had grown on Yang quite fast. The sun shone bright and hot, even in the coldest months, but the nights grew cold and frigid all the greater. Though it made assembling a comfortable wardrobe an interesting challenge. A mix of warm and cool garments, that could be mixed and matched freely, depending on the day.

Today she was wearing her nicest jean shorts, a loose orange tank top, and a purple short sleeved cardigan. Kali had trimmed her hair level again, and helped apply a tasteful amount of lilac eye-shadow, complimenting the pink lip gloss she reserved for her dates before moving to Menagerie. Because she had gone on a date, for the first time in years, with the local hairdresser, Fiona Thyme. The cute, kind Ovine Faunus, who had smiled prettily when Yang asked her out, complimented her hair, and outfit, and eyes, and blushed when paid compliments in kind. Unfortunately she had felt no spark a few short hours into their date, and sadly parted ways with a short, but warm hug.

Fiona was an interesting individual. An activist, with dreams and aspirations that Yang respected, and often found herself discussing in depth during their odd times out. But there was no romance there, and to force it would be cruel to herself and the lovely girl who had given her the time of day.

Now she found herself wandering the main street of Menagerie, ducking into stores at random to browse. It was a pleasant day for a stroll, and she had told Kali she would not be home for another two hours. She did not want to worry her, and the older woman deserved some time to herself. She had come so far from the soft spoken woman that Yang had dedicated herself to caring for. Some days she wondered if her friend ever really needed her help. If she was ever of real use. Kali would never have admitted it, were it the truth.

"Yang?" A voice snapped the blonde from her thoughts. Looking to its source, she found none other than Sienna Khan, taller than her by a head, in a loose, casual black dress. She looked regal, even now with hardly more than her regular jewelry, and tattooed skin to decorate her.

"High Priestess, good afternoon." Yang bowed in greeting, only for the other woman to chuckle.

"No need to be so formal Yang, I am more than my title." Sienna assured. "Or have you taken so little notice of me over the years?"

Yang blanched, almost stuttering an apology before noting the toothy grin taking over the Faunus' face. "You're evil." She groused, turning back to whatever she had settled in front of. A glass storefront... to a lingerie store.

"Many humans have claimed as much, shortly before their untimely demise." Sienna purred. Yang refused to rise to her bait. Again. "I'd recommend commissioning Trifa for lingerie, you'll hardly pay more, and her craft is much finer. She makes her own silk you see."

"I know, I wasn't really looking, just..." Yang sighed, shrugging.

Sienna tilted her head in question. "Something on your mind?"

Yang opened her mouth to answer, but just ended up sighing again. "You could say that."

"Well, should you feel the need to confess, it would be fitting." Sienna offered.

Yang managed a slight chuckle. "Yeah, it would... I just uh... dunno how I really... feel right now."

Placing a hand on the younger woman's shoulder, Sienna offered a smile. "Emotional turmoil is natural Yang. Indecision, conflict, insecurity, they are signs of important change."

"So you've mentioned before. What uh... what would you recommend for dealing with it?" Yang wondered.

"Honesty, is always a virtue, even if it may cause harm." Sienna answered. "Secrets fester within our souls. Be honest with yourself, and others, and you will find your conflict easier to bear."

"As nice as that'd be, it's a lot harder than you'd think." Yang sighed, her gaze falling to the ground.

"Honesty is never hard Yang, it's the fear of what comes that hinders us." Sienna informed, stepping in front of the blonde to ensure that she looked at her.

"Yeah... that sounds about right." Yang mumbled, still staring at what was now the older woman's sandal-clad feet. "Worst part is I literally can't get away from it."

"Then perhaps embrace it." Sienna suggested.

Embrace my feelings? "Wouldn't that be nice..." Yang murmured.

Gently taking hold of the blonde's chin, Sienna raised her head until their eyes met, brilliant orange staring into soft lilac. "But?"

"But... I can't." Yang sadly answered, almost trying to look away. "I couldn't... I couldn't do that to her..." She did not exactly want to let slip who she was talking about, but at the same time, it would be nice to have someone to talk to about this.

"Would it truly be so bad?" Sienna inquired.

Yang just sighed again. "She's been through so much, Sienna... Doesn't need my baggage along with it..."

Keeping steady, but gentle hold of Yang's chin, Sienna smiled. "An important part of a relationship is sharing your burdens, equality in all places."

Yang had not even said Kali's name yet, but Sienna already knew who she was talking about. Not surprising, they had been friends for practically as long as she had been alive. "I know, but... I don't wanna take advantage of her..."

"You could never take advantage of Kali, Yang." Sienna assured. "She does as she pleases, and will put you in your place if you step a toe out of line."

Yang managed a slight smile, knowing just how true those words were. Especially after living with her for over half a year. "Ain't that the truth..."

"Take your time Yang." Sienna instructed, releasing the blonde's chin to place the hand on her shoulder. "Don't force yourself, but don't give in to fear. Kali will take care of you, as you took care of her, no matter what it entails."

"But... what about Ghira?" Yang asked, hesitant on speaking his name. It had been a long time since he died, but the wound almost felt fresh upon bringing him up. "I don't wanna... take his place or anything like that... Makes me feel like a homewrecker..."

Leading the younger woman over to a nearby bench, Sienna sat them both down, lest they continue to practically stand in the middle of the road. "Yang, home is where the heart is. Kali gave her heart to Ghira for twenty seven years, and now he has passed on. Her heart will always love him, but it is not bound to him. She will move on, when she feels ready."

When she's ready... "So then.. what do I do?"

Sienna shrugged slightly - A bit of an odd gesture for a priestess. "I cannot tell you Yang, the decision should be yours alone, but I can advise. Trust in Kali, she is older, and wiser than you, and she cares for you deeply."

Yang could not help but smile at the statement, a blush quickly tinting her cheeks. "I care about her too..." But then her smile faded. "But I dunno how much longer I can take this... Sienna, I think about her every day, about how things would be if I could hold her in my arms, if I could kiss her goodnight... practically since the day I met her..."

"Young love is rarely any less passionate." Sienna informed. "Why I still remember when Kali and I were in such a state."

Yang merely blinked upon realizing what the older woman had said. "You and Kali... dated?"

Sienna nodded. "We did, for two years in high school."

Yang really did just hear that. "Wow, I uh... can't say I expected that. Why'd you break up? I-If you don't mind of course!"

"Nonsense, it's quite alright." Sienna assured with a smile. "I dedicated myself to the Faith, a long and arduous commitment that would leave me little time for recreation, let alone a relationship. It would not have been fair on dear Kali, so I ended it."

Yang then let out a sad chuckle. "Sucks that we can't have everything we want, huh?"

"I wouldn't say that." Sienna disagreed. "After all, Kali began dating Ghira then next year. They brought each other happiness, and love, and a beautiful daughter, whom I delivered with my own two hands. These things may very well not have happened had I maintained our relationship." She then sighed slightly. "Kali would never have been so happy with me, and for that I am thankful I did not persist."

Yang tried to take that as a positive, but soon found her gaze falling once again. "If you think she wouldn't have been as happy with you of all people... how could she ever be happy with me?"

Sienna offered a smile. "Because you are everything Kali loves in this world, and you have given her your all."

Yang opened her mouth to respond, but found herself at a loss for words. "But... You really think so?"

Sienna nodded. "I believe so Yang."

"But what if I'm not good enough?" Yang questioned, looking down at her hands. "Or she doesn't even like me like that? Or she thinks I'm too young for her? I just... I've never felt this way about anyone before, and I'm just scared I'm gonna screw it up..."

Sienna let out a laugh, reaching up to cup Yang's cheeks, turning her head so she would meet her gaze. "Look at you, all flustered and worried, just like Ghira when he came to me. I'll tell you the same thing I told him; You can't be a larger screw-up than I was, you're going to make a fine partner for her."

Yang smiled in response, but it quickly faded. "If she even feels the same way... I can't even compare to either of you..."

"True, you are young and inexperienced, but comparing yourself now to us decades later will do you no favors." Sienna comforted, gently caressing the blonde's cheek. "There was once a time when Kali would trip over her own feet, Ghira could barely grow a mustache, and I was a wallflower." Then she smiled. "People grow, they learn, and they change. In twenty years time I will remind you of this moment, and you will see the truth of my words."

As down as she was feeling, Yang could not help but chuckle. "Hard to imagine any of that, especially Ghira. Dude had the biggest beard for as long as I can remember."

Sienna let out a chuckle of her own. "Yes, it truly was a glorious entity to behold. He babied it so much, Kali and I named it Jimothy, which bothered him to no end."

Yang's chuckle quickly evolved into a laugh. "You two named his beard?" To which Sienna nodded. "That's like naming your bush..." The older woman immediately quirked a brow in response. "Uh, I mean... forget I said that."

A moment passed by in silence before Sienna smirked, quite slyly. "Perhaps one day you will have the honor of meeting Kayla."

Yang furrowed her brow. "Kayla? Who's Kay... Oh. Oh..."

Sienna just laughed.

Having lived in Kuo Kuana for nearly ten months now, Yang had experienced quite a few surprises, but one thing she had never expected, was for Kali to ask to join in on her morning runs.

It had been a long time since the older woman was a morning person, so even hearing that she was interested in exercising with the blonde was a shock. After all, ever since her husband's passing, there had not been a single day that she could recall where Kali had left her room before nine or ten in the morning - sometimes as late as eleven - long after Yang had returned from her morning jog. Though at the same time, it made her happy that her friend was looking to get in shape, even if she may not necessarily need it - at least in terms of weight loss - as that woman had the body of a damn goddess... Not that she had been staring of course... Okay, perhaps she may had, once or twice.

And so the day came.

Awoken by her usual seven AM alarm, Yang changed into her workout wear - which consisted of a pair of black running shorts and a yellow sports bra - and headed downstairs to meet Kali. Though unfortunately when she arrived in the kitchen, where they agreed to meet the night before, her friend was nowhere to be seen. She waited for a few minutes, but still, found herself without her new running partner. So she decided to try her room, which was where she ended up finding the older woman, though not exactly as ready as she would have hoped. No, instead Kali was sitting upon her bed, still in her pyjamas, staring downcast at the floor. Yang tried to find out what was keeping her, but all she got was I don't think I can do it. So naturally, she pressed further, since she knew that that was the only way to get her to open up sometimes. Kali did not answer immediately, but thankfully it was one of those times, as the feline Faunus hesitantly explained how she always felt terrible when she woke up, how she hated having no one next to her, especially when her schedule began to slip while mourning. While it broke Yang's heart to hear, she knew that simply allowing her friend to sulk would not help at all. So she did one of the only things that she was good at: motivation.

It took some time, but eventually Yang was able to get Kali out of bed and into a set of exercise-appropriate clothes - leaving the room as she changed of course. Then they each filled up a water bottle and headed out. At first it went rather well, with the older woman keeping up with the blonde's pace - though she was going a bit slower to ease her into the routine - but as time went on, she slowed, more and more until she could barely continue. By the time the pair returned to their home, it appeared as if she was ready to collapse. Yang tried to help, but Kali just silently retreated to her bathroom for a shower, leaving the younger woman to wonder if she was alright. It was not until they had lunch where she explained herself. The run, while enjoyable at first, took a lot out of her, and only ended up serving to make her feel worse about herself. She then apologized, and promised to do better next time.

And so the next day came.

Similar to every other day, Yang woke up bright and early, changed into her workout wear, and headed downstairs. She once again left some time for Kali to join her, but just like the prior day, she did never showed up. So Yang made her way to her friend's bedroom, softly knocking on the door, but receiving no answer. Gently opening the door, she expected to find a similar sight to the previous day, but instead, she only found Kali still curled up in bed.

Yang let out a sigh at the sight. "It's time to get up, Kal." Receiving no response, she approached the side of the bed, finding that not only was her friend still in bed, but she was hiding under the covers, like a child who did not want to go to school. It actually reminded her of when Ruby used to fake being sick in so she could avoid taking tests. "Come on, it wasn't that bad yesterday." Still no response, causing her to sigh again. "I know it was hard, and it's gonna be for the first little while, but you gotta get through it if you wanna improve. I'm only tryin' to help you." Yang encouraged. While she did not receive a verbal response, she did notice the covers pull inward, the form beneath shrinking in composure. "Okay, if you don't come outta there, I'm gonna have to drag you out." Still nothing, so she decided to try something that always seemed to work with her sister. "Or I could always just tickle you until you come out." She threatened, to which the covers were only pulled farther inward. "Alright, but don't say I didn't warn ya."

Slowly crawling onto the older woman's bed, Yang quickly scanned the lump beneath the sheets, attempting to make sure that she was not about to touch anything that she was not supposed to. After all, as nice as Kali's rear felt when she accidentally groped it, she would rather not repeat such an incident, especially during the current situation. Once Yang was sure of her friend's position, she raised her arms to begin her tickling assault, but stopped before laying a hand on her. Letting her arms fall back onto her lap, she sighed once more. I can't do this. Shifting into a seated position, she laid a hand on what she believed was Kali's shoulder.

"Look, I'm not gonna drag you outta your bed to force you to go running with me. I just... I just wanted to help." Yang mumbled, briefly rubbing the other woman's shoulder with her thumb from atop the covers, before moving to get up off the bed. Though before she could fully stand back up, she felt a hand grasp her wrist.

"I'm sorry..." Kali murmured from beneath the covers, her hand shaking slightly as she gripped the younger woman's arm.

Looking down at her friend's hand for a moment, Yang sat back down onto the bed. "I know, Kal."

A shaky breath could be heard from under the sheets. "After your kind words yesterday... I thought I could do it... but I can't..."

Moving closer to the curled-up form before her, Yang adjusted her own hand to take gentle hold of Kali's. She would have offered a smile, but also knew that the older woman could not see it. "Don't be silly, 'course you can." She encouraged, giving Kali's hand a reassuring squeeze. "You just need a little push is all."

"I fear that if you pushed me over... I would shatter..." Kali quietly admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

"If you fell, I'd be there to catch you." Yang promised.

"I think I'm a tad heavy for that..."

"Then I'd cushion your fall." Yang added.

Kali was actually able to manage the slightest chuckle, which was a good sign. "Such a noble sacrifice."

Using her free hand to grip the sheets that covered the other woman, Yang pulled them down the bed, revealing a pyjama-clad Kali, practically curled up in a ball. She looked up with with teary eyes as the blanket was pulled back. "If it's for you, I'd do anything."

This time Kali managed a smile. Another good sign. "You're too sweet for your own good, Yang."

Yang just grinned. "I know."

Kali attempted to keep her smile, but her gaze soon fell, and she let out a sigh. "Every morning, I feel slower, sometimes I can barely stand to leave at all."

Yang's grin quickly faded, so she took a breath. "I felt the same way when my mom died... Like... Like I'd never smile again... But I was also surrounded by my family. I had my sister, my dad, my uncle, I had you, Kal." She stressed, giving her friend's another squeeze. "You and Ghira helped me more than you could ever know, just by spending time with me when Ruby and Blake were busy. And now Ghira's gone and Blake's moved to Vale... You don't deserve to be alone."

Looking back up at the blonde, Kali attempted to smile. "You never let me feel alone, Yang."

"It's why I'm here, Kal." Yang agreed.

Kali let out another sigh, shrinking in on herself. "I used to be so much... stronger than this... I'd run marathons with Ghira and Sienna, to raise money for the cause... Now look at me... A woman who can barely get out of bed in the morning..."

Yang furrowed her brow, hating how the older woman could be so hard on herself. "Stop it. You still are strong, Kali, you just need some help gettin' back on your feet."

Kali just sighed once again. "I'm not getting any younger, Yang."

"Doesn't mean you're useless, or weak in any way." Yang encouraged.

"Tell that to my left ankle."

Yang then grinned, seeing an opportunity for cheering up. "Okay!" Throwing the other half of the covers off of Kali, eliciting a slight gasp, she looked down at her left foot. "You're not useless or weak, ankle." Her friend began to snicker in response - a great sign - before soon dissolving into laughter. "There's that beautiful smile."

"Oh stop it you." Kali continued to snicker. "You're awful."

Yang grinned, happy to see her friend smiling again. "Yup! And you're stuck with me."

Kali rolled her eyes as she began to calm down. "Oh woe is me."

Yang let out a laugh. "Feelin' a little better?"

Kali nodded slightly, slowly sitting up to meet the blonde. "Just a little. I'm still tired, and my ankle still hurts... I need to make a doctor's appointment, it has been some time since my last checkup."

"Then how about we sleep in for today?" Yang offered. "Get back to morning runs another time. Since I may have forgotten to adjust my usual route when I brought you along yesterday."

Kali managed a soft smile. Absolutely gorgeous. "I'd like that Yang."

A few moments passed in silence, with the two women merely staring at each other, until Yang decided to speak up. "Alright, I'll uh, I'll leave you to it." She offered, beginning to get up off the bed.

"Yang."

As she stood up, Yang turned back to face the other woman. "Yeah?"

"Will you join me?" Kali wondered, patting the sheets next to her.

Yang just blinked. "You want me to sleep in your bed... with you?"

Kali nodded in response. "There's plenty of room." Then she smirked slightly. "And I know you enjoy snuggling."

"I mean yeah, but are you sure you want me... in your bed?" Yang inquired, hesitant on giving her answer. If she was being honest, sleeping in Kali's bed with her would be like a dream come true, but at the same time... she did not want to give her friend the wrong impression... Even if that impression would partially be the truth.

"I want a hug." Kali requested, opening her arms and waiting.

Yang quickly nodded after a moment. "Of course..." Sitting back on the bed, she shifted closer to wrap the older woman in a gentle hug. The pair remained there for a time, with Kali resting her head upon Yang's shoulder, her soft breathing able to be felt on the blonde's neck. She had to resist the urge to shudder. While she had hugged that woman hundreds of times, practically every time was better than the last. So warm, so soft, so... loving. Gods I wish I could stay here forever. Though sadly the pair eventually separated, though certainly not quickly, as if her friend wanted to remain there as well.

After a moment of merely staring at one another, Kali moved backwards toward the other side of the bed, before pointing to the spot she had previously been curled up in, instructing the younger woman to lie down. So she did, hesitantly shifting her position until she was on her back, head upon the older woman's pillow. Oh it smells so good... A moment later, Kali shifted her own position, lying down on top of Yang, arms wrapping around her torso, head nestling safely into her neck as she wrapped her arms around the Faunus' back. The feline ears that sat atop her head flicked slightly at her exhaling breath, tickling her cheek. There had been quite a few times where they cuddled on the living area couch, but this... this was something else entirely, and as hard as she tried, she could not stop the hard blush that tinted her cheeks. She could not even believe that they in their current position - and she was in heaven. Her hair smells so good too... Like lavender...

Instinctively pulling her friend closer, Yang gazed downward, her eyes landing upon Kali's lips, appearing as soft as pillows. They were so close... Stop it. You shouldn't be thinking about that. You're just friends! That's all you'll ever be... Unfortunately that thought could not stop her inner desires. Yang attempted to look away, or to just close her eyes and go to sleep, but found her gaze almost being drawn back to the older woman's lips. There had been a few other occasions where Yang wanted to kiss that woman, but this time that craving was... overwhelming... And she could not take it. As hard as she tried to focus on something else, anything else, all she could think about was the pair of lips that was a mere five inches away from her own. Think about something else, think about something else, think about something else, think about something else!

As if on cue, she heard a familiar voice in her head.

An important part of a relationship is sharing your burdens, equality in all places.

The words of the local Priestess, Sienna Khan, ran through her mind, over and over again, like a broken record. It had been a while since they discussed her feelings about the woman who was currently cuddled up to her, but those words were still fresh in her mind. Like they had just spoken about it the previous day...

Secrets fester within our souls. Be honest with yourself, and others, and you will find your conflict easier to bear.

Perhaps Sienna was right. Maybe Yang should just be honest. After all, if... or when, Kali rejected her, at least she would know. That way, she could just... focus on being her caretaker, nothing more. Sure, it would hurt like hell, but not forever. Then she could move on. There's plenty of fish in the sea. As her father used to tell her.

Reaching up with one hand, Yang gently caressed her friend's cheek. "Hey... Kal? Can I tell you something?" She wondered, heartbeat already beginning to increase. Gods I hope she can't feel that.

"Hmm?" Came a quiet hum from below her chin, feline ears flicking her cheek.

Okay, I'm gonna do this. "I... um..." Yang began, but found herself unable to continue, suddenly hyper-aware of the their positions. Arms wrapped around her torso, head nuzzled into her neck, warm body pressed up against her own... If... If she does end up rejecting me... we won't be able to do this anymore...

Tilting her head up, Kali looked into the younger woman's lilac eyes. "What is it, Yang?"

No more cuddling, no more forehead kisses, just... normal friends...

"Yang?"

Suddenly snapping out of her less-than-pleasant thoughts, Yang gazed downward, finding two beautiful golden eyes staring back at her. She wanted to be honest with her friend, she really did... but she also did not want to lose what they currently had. Yang knew what it was like for two people after a rejection, and... she could not bear to be in that situation with Kali. After all, she had already gone years without spilling the beans, as it were, so... staying quiet would not be so bad...

Kali furrowed her brow after a few moments without a response. "Are you alright?"

Snapping out of her thoughts again, Yang attempted to put on a smile, hoping it did not look artificial. "Yep! I just wanted to say... I-I'm gonna make us breakfast later!"

Kali remained silent for a moment, merely staring into Yang's eyes, before softly smiling. "That sounds wonderful." She hummed, nestling her head back into her friend's neck.

As Yang let out a sigh of relief, she finally closed her eyes, ready to take a nap. It had been quite some time since she last slept in. Though unseen by her, Kali's eyes remained open, her smile fading. In truth, she knew exactly what the blonde was going to say, as she could feel just how fast her heart was beating - It was hard not to notice. She loved Yang, like she was one of her own, but was somewhat... relieved that a confession was not what came out.

Kali was not ready for that... Not yet.

She needed more time.

Yang could not believe that it had been a year already. It felt like only yesterday that they had all attended Ghira's funeral... Today was going to be a tough day.

Decided to forgo her morning run - as she wanted to be there when Kali woke up - Yang got to work making one of her favourite breakfasts: blueberry pancakes with a berry smoothie. It was rarely easy, pulling someone out of their funk. She knew it better than most. But for Kali, she would try her utmost. Cooking all the meals, handling any cleaning that needed to be done, driving if she wanted to go anywhere, just... taking care of anything. After all, that was why she moved to Kuo Kuana in the first place.

Once Kali was awake, she was... quiet, silently coming out of her bedroom and into the kitchen, not speaking a single word. Instead she merely approached Yang and gently hugged her midsection, head resting against her shoulder, feline ears folded down. The blonde immediately reciprocated, wrapping her arms around the older woman's shoulders, one of them reaching up to softly pat her head. The pair remained there for a time, simply holding one another, the only sounds present being those of their soft breathing.

After they eventually separated - with the older woman offering a sad smile as they did - Yang guided Kali over to the kitchen table, where she sat her down at the head before retrieving breakfast for her. As expected, she ate rather slowly. Small bites, small sips... like she had no appetite at all, despite almost always practically devouring the meal every other time Yang made it for her. Once Kali was finished, she gave a quiet thanks and headed back to her room, likely for a shower. It was heartbreaking to see her friend in such a state, but she also knew that this day was an inevitability. The only thing she could really do was... make the day as easy as possible for her. Unfortunately, that task would not be an easy one, especially with their plans for the afternoon, as they would be visiting Ghira's grave.

Yang hated graveyards, more so than she did hospitals, and visiting the burial site of someone who she once thought of as a seconds father... was difficult to say the least. Thankfully they did not have to go alone, as Sienna Khan offered to go with them. It was nice to see her again, since the schedule of the island's priestess was fairly busy, but the circumstances... could have been better to say the least. Perhaps they could all go out for dinner sometime, Kali would certainly appreciate it. Plus, it would be good for her to be able to spend more time with someone other than Yang herself, which was almost all she ever did.

Much like the majority of the day before it, the visit to the graveyard was rather quiet. When Sienna arrived, they merely exchanged hugs and departed. The only time where any of them actually spoke for more than a few seconds was when they each recited a prayer for Ghira in front of his grave. After that... Yang held Kali briefly while she cried, simultaneously shedding tears of her own, while Sienna gently rubbed her friend's back... and then they headed home, hardly a word said between the three of them.

When they arrived at the Belladonna household, Yang helped bring her friend to the front door, but before they could enter their home, Sienna requested to speak to Kali alone. Respecting their privacy, the blonde made her way inside, but that did not stop her from wondering what it could be about. Though in all honesty, it was likely something to do with their faith, so she decided to just hang around in the front foyer until they were finished talking. Unfortunately, that took a little longer than she expected. Nearly ten minutes passed, and still nothing. Yang took a peak out the window, finding the pair still conversing, until she made eye contact with Sienna - who smirked slightly before motioning that they may still be a little while.

Guess I'll just lie down or somethin'. Letting out a small sigh, Yang made her way upstairs and into her room, where she promptly flopped down onto her bed. She then reached over to her night table, grabbing her scroll and headphones, placing the latter atop her head as she turned onto her back. Once she was comfortable, Yang put on a random song from her music library and just... stared at the ceiling, not really feel like going on social media, or playing any scroll games, she only wanted to be with Kali. Especially on this particular day.

As if on cue, Yang felt the bed dip beside her, causing her to shift her gaze downward to the source, which coincidentally was Kali herself. Upon seeing the blonde notice her, the older woman smiled. "What are you listening to?" She wondered.

Looking down at her scroll, Yang found that the song that was currently playing was actually one that Blake showed her years ago; BMBLB. They jokingly used to call it their song, even though it was a love song... and she was already dating her sister by that point. It was a little weird, but due to it being kind of a big pun on bumblebees, it was fitting, since that was what Ruby used to call their best-friendship. "Just a song that Blake showed me a while ago." She answered, pausing the song and taking off her headphones as she looked back up at her friend. Though as she did, she found herself staring at her feline set of ears, which caused her crack a smile. "Heh, I never really thought about it, but what ears do you listen to music with?"

Kali let out a small chuckle in response, which was a good sign, as this was the first time she had genuinely smiled today. "My human set, as my feline ears tend to be a tad... sensitive with such direct noise."

"Honestly, I thought you were gonna say both." Yang admitted, setting her scroll and headphones aside as she lifted herself up into a sitting position and crossed her legs.

"Only from a distance dear." Kali clarified.

Yang furrowed her brow slightly. "I mean, if it's from a distance, is it even possible to use only one set?"

"If I plug one with cotton balls, yes." Kali answered.

"Cotton balls..." Yang echoed, tapping herself on the head. "Duh."

"The more you know." Kali chuckled, reaching over to gently tug Yang's ear lobe.

Yang let out a chuckle of her own, lightly swatting at her friend's hand. "Hey! I've only got one set of ears ya know!"

"Hmm, you sure do." Kali hummed, ceasing her tugging to instead admire the appendages. "And not pierced, a rarity in women your age."

Reaching up to the unoccupied ear, Yang took gentle hold of the lobe. "Yeah, I was kinda interested when I was in high school, but I never really got around to doin' it. Tried to see if Rubes wanted to go with me, but by that point she'd already gotten hers done with Blake."

"Sienna did mine, and I did hers, as gifts to one another when we were young." Kali informed, reaching up to lightly touched her own ear, which held a small gold stud, much like the ones that pierced her feline ears.

"Was this during your uh, time together?" Yang hesitantly wondered, curious to know more about that relationship.

Kal nodded. "It was. Did Blake tell you?"

Yang shook her head. "Nah, Sienna did a little while ago. Ran into her after my... date, with Fiona."

Kali furrowed her brow upon hearing that answer. "I see. She did not mention that, nor did you."

Yang ran a hand through her hair, unable to look the older woman in the eyes. "Yeah... Sorry about that, Kal. The date actually... didn't go too well, I didn't wanna worry you..."

"Yang..." Kali sighed, gently gripping the blonde's chin, turning her head to force her to meet her gaze. "I always worry for you."

"I know, I just... You were so excited for me to be going out with her..." Yang mumbled, almost ashamed to talk about it. "I didn't wanna make it seem like all that hard work went to waste..."

Kali offered a soft smile, keeping steady hold of her friend's chin. "No work is wasted on you Yang. I'm proud of you, I want you to he happy."

"And it means the world to me." Yang added, attempting a smile. "I can't imagine my life without you..."

Kali did her best to keep her own smile strong, but found it quickly fading, her own gaze falling as she released Yang's chin. "I won't be around forever Yang."

Yang's gaze immediately snapped to the older woman. "Don't say that, Kal. You've got plenty of life ahead of you." She tried to assure.

Kali merely shrugged slightly. "Maybe, but we both know how quickly that could change."

Yang could only stare at Kali in response, unable to believe what she had just said. "If it does... then I'll be there for you, right 'till the end."

Kali laughed thickly, tears beginning to fill her eyes. "You could do so much more with your life."

Yang chuckled a bit. "Kal, I have a life because of you."

"Babysitting a lonely widow isn't much of a life, Yang." Kali mumbled, still unable to meet the blonde's gaze.

Unable to take it any longer, Yang reached up to gently grip Kali's chin, tilting her head up so she would look at her. Once golden eyes met lilac, she released her. "It is to me."

Kali could not help but smile. "You're too kind for your own good."

Yang just grinned. "I know. Aren't you glad you've got me around?"

Kali's lips curled into a grin of her own, reaching up to stroke Yang's cheek. "Nothing makes me happier."

While she tried to fight it, Yang could not stop a blush from tinting her cheeks. "Aw, you're too sweet, makin' me blush."

"Not nearly so sweet as you." Kali countered.

Yang quirked a brow at her friend's answer. "Oh you don't wanna get into a who's sweeter battle with me, Kal."

"Yang Xiao Long." Kali burst in her sternest, most chastising voice she could muster. "You are among the sweetest things to ever be, and that will be the end of it."

A moment of silence followed, before Yang slumped a bit. "Darn it. You win."

"Good girl." Kali leaned in, tilting the younger woman's head down slightly to plant a kiss upon her forehead. "Good girl." She purred, planting another on her nose.

Yang giggled at the sudden sensation. "That tickles, Kal."

Kali merely continued to grin. "Hmm... Maybe I'm being too gentle."

"Pretty sure it's 'cause you're kissing my nose in general." Yang commented.

"You do have a rather adorable nose." Kali added, placing another peck on the tip.

Yang only giggled more. "Oh stop it! My nose is weirdly shaped. Yours though..." She then held up a hand, touching her index finger to her thumb and sticking out her other three fingers - the OK sign, as it were. "Perfect."

Kali let out a soft chuckle, reaching over to take Yang's hand in her own. "You're perfect."

Yang's blush only grew at the compliment. "Aww, you flatter me."

Kali smiled for a moment, before it faded a bit. "I have a lot of catching up to do." She mumbled, giving the blonde's hand a gentle squeeze.

Yang furrowed her brow. "What do you mean, catching up?"

Kali sighed slightly. "I've neglected you for too long, Yang. You who have given me so much, and asked for nothing in return."

"Kali, out of the year that I've lived here- hell, in the whole time that I've known you, you've never once neglected me." Yang assured. "You make me feel like I really matter, and that's... something I could never pay back."

Placing her other hand atop the younger woman's, Kali squeeze again. "I just want you to be happy, that's all I've ever wanted from you."

"I am happy. Being here, with you, it makes me happy." Yang promised.

"Being with you makes me happy too." Kali agreed.

"Explains why you haven't kicked me out yet." Yang joked.

"If I kicked you out, the lawns would never get done." Kali countered.

Yang let out a chuckle. "Then you'd have to actually do 'em yourself, or hire someone."

"Hmm, but then I wouldn't have an excuse to make you a nice lunch." Kali added.

"Very true. Guess we're both lucky I'm around." Yang grinned.

Kali smiled. "That we are. Though I believe I'm luckier."

Yang curiously raised a brow. "Oh yeah? How so? 'Cause I've got a lotta reasons why I'm the luckier one."

Kali giggled a bit in response. "Because I have a beautiful girl to dote on, for the rest of my life... if she'll stay."

"Well I..." Yang began, before quickly trailing off, realizing what the older woman had just said. "Wait, what'd you just say?"

Kali took a shaky breath. "I want... to ask more of you, Yang."

Yang furrowed her brow, confused as to what her friend meant. "More... of me?" Does she want me to... do more for her or something?

Kali took another deep, shaky breath. "I... have grown fond of your company, more so than I really should, but..." She paused briefly, then swallowed nervously as she slightly tightened her grip on the blonde's hands. "I cannot help it any longer. Yang, you make me so happy, when I would have been... so very alone. I spoke to Sienna earlier, and she... gave me the courage to finally say it."

Yang's mouth immediately dropped open, eyes widening as she only stared in absolute disbelief. "Are you... saying what I think you're saying?"

Kali attempted a smile, nodding slightly. "I... hope I have not misread your feelings for me, I don't wish to take advantage."

Yang quickly shook her head. "No no! Not at all! I..." She began, taking a deep breath to quell her beating heart, unable to believe that she was about to admit this. "I-I've... actually felt the same way... for a long time... I-I really like you, Kali..." Though as she said it, like was a bit of an understatement. In truth, she had been head-over-heels in love with the older woman since high school. Ever since Ruby and Blake had started dating and spending the majority of their time alone together - several years ago at this point - Yang was left with a lot of time to herself, as she had little in terms of out-of-school friends. At least... until one afternoon, where she was invited over to the Belladonna's for tea and cookies. Yes... one fateful afternoon spent with her friend's parents that quickly blossomed into what would come to be the most real friendships she ever had, and whenever Ghira was away for work, Yang would end up getting to spend that time alone with Kali. Which was part how Yang came to fall so hard for her. Having a mother figure who loved and cared for her, built her up and pushed her forward, it was the one thing she craved.

Kali let out a breathy laugh, blushing and grinning uncontrollably. "I had my suspicions. At first I simply ignored them, you're young, and... active, I figured it was natural you would be... amorous at times."

"Yeah... I'm not exactly subtle when it comes to this stuff." Yang admitted with a nervous chuckle, bringing a hand up to run through her hair. "And uh, sorry if you... heard anything while I've been living here..."

Kali merely shook her head, though her smile and blush remained strong. Which actually made the blonde wonder something. Had the older woman ever... thought about her during her own alone time? "Yang, sweetie, I raised Blake..."

Yang was silent for a moment. "Was she a little noisy too?"

Kali shrugged slightly. "Well, her partners were."

Yang just blinked. "Oh." While she had no experience with her friend's other girlfriends or boy... wait, had Blake ever had any boyfriends? Perhaps not, due to her never mentioning any, as well as her... equipment, so to speak, but not impossible. She could always ask her the next time they saw or spoke to one another. "Well uh, sorry about Rubes. She doesn't know how to cover her mouth."

"Actually, she does..." Kali corrected after a moment, seeming like she was about to shudder.

"Not from what I've heard..." Yang cringed. "But that's a topic I'd rather not get into." A brief silence followed, with both women simply looking at one another. "So... you really do... like me... like that? I'm not misunderstanding or anything? Or dreaming?"

Kali just softly smiled. "Oh Yang..." Bringing one of the younger woman's hands up to her mouth, she planted a gentle kiss upon her knuckles. "If only my dreams were like this more often."

Yang immediately felt a dumb grin spread across her face, her cheeks heating up, her heart beginning to pound in her chest. "I c-can't believe this is happening..."

"You're so beautiful when you're flustered." Kali purred, sliding her hand up to run through Yang's hair. "So very beautiful..."

Oh my gods, oh my gods, oh my gods, on my gods! Yang could barely think. Her mind was racing, heart beating incredibly fast, palms beginning to sweat... She's staring at you, say something! "Y-You're beautiful too..."

Kali chuckled a bit. "I'm glad you believe so Yang." She smiled, leaning forward to place another kiss on Yang's nose, only for the blonde to unintentionally lean in first, catching her lips in a nervous, shaky kiss. Upon separating, the pair proceeded to merely stare at one another for several moments, stunned at what just accidentally happened.

Yang then audibly swallowed, barely able to comprehend the fact that she actually kissed the woman of her dreams - quite literally sometimes. "Y-You're the most gorgeous woman I've ever met..."

Kali let out a shuddering breath, as fresh tears began to fill her eyes. "So are you."

After a few more moments spent in silence, Yang took another deep breath, attempting to calm herself down. "C-Can... we try that... again?"

Kali laughed again, beginning to lean forward toward the younger woman. "We can do this all you like Yang, I'm yours."

If there was one thing that Yang never believed she would ever hear in her lifetime, it was the words I'm yours coming out of Kali Belladonna's mouth, directed at her. It was like a dream come true. Ever since that afternoon spent having tea and cookies with her and Ghira, she had thought about that woman every day for years, what it would be like to hold her... to kiss her... to... to make love to her... And now... to hear that her friend actually shared those romantic feelings? It was... unimaginable.

When asked what were the greatest moments in her life, Yang would forever remember this moment, the time she took a leap, leaning in to capture Kali's lips with her own, drawing the equally-flustered woman into a deep and searing kiss.

The elder woman squeaked upon first contact, her eyes bulging, before sliding shut, giving in. She slid forward, as far as she could, wrapping her arms around Yang's waist and returning the embrace with fervor. It had been a long time since she had been kissed like that, and... it was amazing.

To Yang the experience was equally gratifying. There were others she had kissed where it felt like a... battle. There was force, teeth, both of them seemingly fighting for control... Kali however... she practically melted into her, soft and gentle, almost yielding control. The feeling of her arms, of her body, of her lips... set alight a flame within her, and it burned bright.

Finally they broke off, panting softly, their breath mingling with one another. As they slowly came down from their high, Kali's eyes lidded as she stared down at Yang. The blonde did not even notice that they were now in a new position, with her laying back, and Kali sitting atop her hips.

That was... incredible.

"Well, it seems we may have done a tad more than kiss." Kali giggled.

Yang could not help but grin like an idiot at the sight before her, beginning to shake with chuckles as her cheeks burned.

Among other places.

Author's Note: Stay tuned for "Part 2: Love"! Coming sometime in the next few weeks!

And as always, your feedback fuels us!