Thanks for all the support on the White Rose chapter! As promised, chapter 2 is all about the Bumblebee! Sorry in advance for OOC-ness and drama, but please enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.

Chapter 2. A Warm Embrace

Yang and Blake watched as Ruby tore off down the hallway, hellbent on getting back to Weiss' side as quickly as possible.

As she watched her sister, Yang mused how she had not seen Ruby so passionate about something since she had first finished designing Crescent Rose.

Blake noticed her partner's little smirk and peered at her curiously. "What's so funny?" she wondered, even though she already had a fairly good idea of where Yang was getting her kicks.

"Oh, nothing~" Yang sighed happily. "It's just nice to see more evidence of my baby sister growing up. She's being so responsible now that Weiss is sick. I just kinda wish I could see how they react to one another in this situation..." She trailed off a bit with a mischievous look on her face. "But I guess I'll just have to leave it to my imagination," she decided.

"I'm sure they're just being awkward with one another," Blake assumed, able to imagine Weiss blushing upon Ruby's return for her. "They are really cute, though. But we should never let them know how we see them flirting sometimes," she reminded Yang; she found her leader's and the heiress' relationship absolutely adorable, and it was a daily source of amusement for Yang to tease them about it.

"Yeah. Nothing's cuter than awkwardness," she sang as the two of them took their seats. "Well, maaaaybe one thing..." she murmured in somewhat of a husky, suggestive tone as she shot Blake a devilish glance.

"Not now..." Blake hissed, her face immediately turning red as she slid her seat away from Yang's, just barely managing to avoid having her thigh brushed over by the blonde's straying fingers.

"Aw, boo. You're no fun," Yang pouted, crossing her arms.

"Class is about to start," Blake defended. "At least save that stuff for when we're alone..." she muttered under her breath.

"What was that?" Yang asked with a knowing grin.

"Nothing..." Her partner turned her face away, and Yang knew that behind the screen of onyx tresses, Blake's face was flushed.

Yang knew their relationship was just as awkward as her sister's, in a way. While Weiss would be a tough nut for Ruby to crack, Yang had faith in her sister's caring nature and tendency to make people like her no matter how hard they tried not to. There was just something about Ruby that drew people to her, and it was quite obvious that Weiss was no exception to this condition.

But Yang was also in a bit of a tough spot with her own girlfriend.

Although not as detached as Weiss, Blake was significantly less social than either of the sisters, soft-spoken and more cautious concerning just about everything. She was thoughtful and highly perceptive, but it was evident she was still not used to other people, not even her partner.

Yet Yang knew things about Blake that no one else could ever hope to understand, and the blonde girl took great pride in this fact.

Still, she debated methods of getting closer to Blake on a daily basis, but her ideas rarely ever surpassed the occasional tight hug or calling of a pet name.

But if there was anything to be said about Yang, it was that there was nothing she loved more than tackling a new challenge, except perhaps in this case, the challenge herself.

Her current goal in life was to make Blake fall for her even harder than Yang herself had fallen for Blake.

Of course they were dating, and therefore there was a substantial amount of affection between them, but there was still plenty to be desired, in Yang's opinion.

She would often daydream about ways to tease Blake during class, but today she remembered that rather than slack off, she actually had to take notes for once, if not for Ruby then for Weiss. She heaved a heavy sigh as she dug out a notebook and pencil, earning a shocked look from Blake.

"What?" Yang cocked her head sideways.

"It's just... I didn't really expect you to have actually brought a notebook to class. I don't think I've ever seen you write notes in class before. It's kind of amazing," she said, her voice void of any sarcasm.

"Hm? Oh I see, so you like the smart, studious type, huh?" Yang grinned briefly before slapping a palm to her face. "Hahaha I'm so screwed..."

"Stop it." Blake took Yang's hand and pulled it away from her face. "You know how I feel about you." Her golden eyes shimmered seriously, and even though Yang had been teasing her, she felt as though she might have actually hurt Blake's feelings.

"I know, I know, sorry," Yang sighed, sticking her tongue out playfully. She had had this conversation with Blake before, and was aware that Blake was very serious about her. She liked Yang enough to kiss her cheek before bed every night, and her greatest fear was losing her. Blake's heart was extremely delicate, and Yang knew she had to treasure it and treat her girlfriend well. Therefore, she had adjusted her attitude to keep her taunting to a minimum.

Blake sighed in relief as she let go of Yang's hand.

"And who was it again who was against PDAs?" Yang asked as she leaned sideways. Blake visibly stiffened as her gaze darted around the room, only to find no one was actually watching. Yang laughed again. "Gosh you are just too cute!"

"Yang!" Blake said her name in a voice that begged her to stop, and Yang managed to restrain herself from making any further comments.

The professor then called for attention and began the lecture, Blake occasionally casting Yang an impressed glance as she religiously continued to take notes.

But not long after the lecture had begun, Yang caught glimpses of her partner's posture sagging.

While not as strictly poised as Weiss, Blake was still levels above Ruby or Yang in the attentiveness field, so to witness her slouching was a bit of a surprise to Yang.

"Psst, Blake!" Yang hissed. "Don't fall asleep! Class only just started! At least wait until the mathematics lecture!"

Upon hearing Yang's voice, Blake seemed to snap back into her senses a bit. Her eyes blinked several times, as though pained by a bright light, and she quickly inhaled before replying in a whisper.

"Right. Thanks, Yang." She offered a tiny smile, but there was something about her expression that sent a foreboding prickle through Yang's chest. She sensed something was off, but before she could ask, the professor gave a purposeful grunt, causing Yang to clam up.

Throughout the entirety of their first class, Yang kept noticing Blake shifting uncomfortably in her seat, which was very unusual for the girl who was normally so patient and still. It took every ounce of Yang's self-control to keep her mouth shut and prevent herself from asking what was wrong, and she was forced to bite her tongue and try to ignore her partner's obvious discomfort.

When the lecture had finally gone on break, she immediately let out a huge sigh.

"Geez, finally!" Yang blurted as she turned to her girlfriend. "Blake, are you okay?" She got directly to the point. "You look... kind of pale."

"It's just a slight stomachache," Blake muttered in a manner that suggested she was trying to brush it off. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" Yang's eyebrows furrowed in concern. "If you don't feel well, you should say something."

"I just told you I'm fine," Blake sighed. "Did you get the notes for Ruby?" She changed the subject, presenting her own copy of neat notes that she had jotted down for Weiss.

"Yeah..." Yang nodded, still fixated on the way Blake was holding her torso with one hand. "Blake, let's-"

"Our lecture is about to resume." Blake cut her off, directing her attention back to the front of the room.

Yang let her jaw shut, keeping one eye on her partner as the professor began to speak once more. It was clear as day that Blake was feeling ill, but Yang knew she could not act unless there was a substantial change in her condition.

Therefore, throughout the next half of the lecture, she was absentmindedly writing notes for her sister, but it was so unorganized and distracted that Yang knew it would be better if she wrote nothing at all.

Blake was obviously trying her hardest to both be attentive in class and hide her ailments at the same time.

Yang was about to start pulling her hair out in frustration until a slight whimper slipped past her girlfriend's lips. Jumping up instantly at her cue, Yang raised her hand meaninglessly as she called out to the professor.

"Sir! I'm taking Blake to the infirmary! She's not feeling well."

"Yang!" Blake hissed. "You don't have to-"

"Very well, Miss Long."

Yang was granted permission and was no longer willing to hold back.

"Come on. He said it was okay," she urged her partner. "It's obviously not just me who thinks you don't look well," she added as Blake tried to protest. But the quieter girl just let out a long sigh, now that all attention had been drawn to her and there was nothing she could do about it.

Despite her best efforts to appear fine as she stood, Blake ended up having to lean against her partner, her usually erect posture now slouched as her hands clutched at her stomach. Yang wrapped an arm around her girlfriend's shoulders and slowly led her out of the classroom.

Now that Blake had lost the tough-girl act, it was evident just how much pain she was in. Her forehead was covered in a cold sweat, her eyes squeezed shut as she stumbled beside Yang on wobbling legs, and the blonde had to stop walking for a moment to allow her to catch her breath. "Gosh, what's up with you?" Her voice rose a pitch out of concern. "I've never seen you like this before."

"I think it was just... something I ate this morning was spoiled..." Blake huffed, and Yang bent her knees in order to support more of her weight.

"Oh... is that it?" When she heard Blake's explanation, Yang's memory briefly flashed back to several days before:

"Yang," Ruby was saying to her. "Don't forget it's your turn to go food shopping tomorrow."

To which Yang had airily replied. "I got it, I got it," with a dismissive wave of her hand.

"Oh, man..." With her free hand, Yang presently smacked her forehead hard enough to make a sound that echoed through the hallway. "Blake, I am so sorry. This is all my fault-"

"Nngh..." Blake's agonized groan cut off her girlfriend's guilty apology.

"Woah! Hey, Blake? Blake!" Yang raised her voice in alarm when she felt the other girl slump, her knees buckling. Yang only just barely managed to hold her up on her feet, pulling Blake's arm across her shoulders and wrapping her other arm around the Faunus girl's waist.

"Yang... I'm sorry..." Blake panted, her shoulders shaking now. "I don't know... if I'll make it to the infirmary..." Her golden eyes were clouded over and her breathing was irregular.

"Oh geez, oh man. Um..." Yang's lavender eyes flashed around quickly until she located one of the ladies' restrooms. "Hang in there! Just a bit further..." She coaxed Blake gently until they reached the door and Yang kicked it in.

The two girls limped over to the sinks, which was as far as Blake could manage before Yang let go of her arm. Blake's hands clutched the edge of the marble sink, tightly enough that her knuckles turned white, somehow managing to keep herself on her feet even as her entire body began to tremble uncontrollably. Beneath her bow her ears were flat against her scalp.

Yang felt her chest tighten as she was forced to watch the girl she cared so deeply for suffering pain that Yang's own carelessness had caused. She had had to take care of Ruby when she was sick, but even when she was younger, it was not that often. Yang had always hated that helpless feeling of being forced to watch her loved ones in pain without the ability to make it better, but her present predicament was even worse than any previous ones specifically because it was her own fault.

"I'm sorry, Blake. I'm so sorry..." Yang rubbed her partner's back as Blake's shoulders continued to shudder, her chest heaving as small tears clung to the corners of her eyes that were still closed tightly.

Yang wetted a paper towel and wiped the sweat off of Blake's forehead, continuing to rub her back as she was forced to listen to the painful sounds of her partner's labored breathing.

Yang prayed the bad feeling would simply die away and leave Blake, but even after five torturous minutes, her condition had not improved. God what have I done? I'm such an idiot! Yang shouted at herself.

She then realized she was enraged enough for her eyes to start turning crimson, and the temperature in the restroom began to rise significantly. Noticing the extra strain it was putting on Blake, Yang immediately calmed herself down as best she could. Geez, I just can't do anything right! she screamed internally.

Blake's whimpering only worsened as time went on, tears now falling freely down her face as the knot in her chest continued to twist tightly. Yang, unable to bear the sight any longer, could also feel tears slipping down her cheeks. Why am I so helpless at a time like this...? All she could do was pat her partner's back soothingly.

Finally, Blake's breath hitched in a way that was all too familiar to Yang, as she had heard it whenever Ruby had been in the same condition when she was little. Yang quickly gathered her girlfriend's long, onyx hair and held it back behind her shoulders, murmuring one last apology.

Yang closed her eyes as Blake retched into the sink, the blonde girl trying to drown out the sounds of the choking sobs that came with it all.

"Damn it..." Yang cursed as she waited for it to end, until at last Blake was rendered silent aside from her exhausted gasping. Yang only continued to pat her back, supporting her partner as Blake got her bearings back. Yang ripped off more paper towels and wiped her girlfriend's face off, cleaning her sweat and drying her tears.

"Thanks, Yang..." Blake gave a weak, sideways smile.

"I'm sorry, Blake," Yang growled, still angry at herself. "It was my fault this happened."

"It's okay-"

"No, it's not." Yang bit her lip until she tasted the tang of blood. "This shouldn't have happened."

"Well, it's over now." Blake shrugged as though nothing had happened at all. "And if it bothers you that much, you'll just have to make it up to me later." Blake knew that Yang would only continue to beat herself up over the mishap unless she had some way to compensate for it, and while Blake saw no real need for Yang to make it up to her, she knew it was the only way her partner would forgive herself.

"You got it. Anything you want, you hear me? Whatever it is, I'll do it." Yang's lavender eyes sparked with determination.

"Okay? So don't worry about it." Blake placed her hand over Yang's and offered her a gentle smile. Yang still looked unhappy for a minute, but eventually she sighed and nodded back.

"Alright. Thanks, Blakey." Yang smiled and embraced her for a moment, but not in her usual, rib-crushing fashion. When Yang pulled away she then went to cleaning the sink area with a grimace, making a mental note to tell the staff about it later.

Both girls washed their hands before exiting the restroom quietly, and Yang let out a long sigh. "Well then, I guess we should- hey wait!" She quickly reached out to grab Blake's wrist to stop her from heading off. "And just where do you think you're going?"

"Um... back to class?" Blake said as if it was the most obvious answer.

"Oh no you're not. You're going back to the room to rest," Yang decided.

"Yang, that's not necessary," Blake reasoned. "I'm seriously all better now. Let's go back to the lecture."

"No way! Not after that..." Yang shuddered as she recalled the horrible sight of having to watch Blake be sick. "You're going to rest," she stated firmly.

"Yang-"

"Blake, please," she was begging now, her grasp tightening on Blake's wrist. "Just do it for me? You still look pale." Yang gazed up at her with beseeching eyes that hid true worry.

Once again, Blake sighed hopelessly as she complied to Yang's wishes.

"Fine. I'll go back to the room," she agreed.

"Good. Let's go." Yang took Blake's hand as they began walking.

"You're coming, too huh?"

"Of course I am! I can't just let my sick girlfriend go back all alone!"

"You know the others are there too, right?"

"Oh, right! I wonder how Ruby's fairing with the sick princess?" she mused.

"Ah." Blake suddenly stopped walking, tugging Yang back.

"What is it?"

"The notes..."

"...Oooooohh." Yang flinched slightly as she remembered their duty was to take notes for their teammates.

"Weiss is going to kill us..." Blake groaned.

"W-Well, we're going back now and that's that," Yang declared, although she did not manage to keep the stammer from her voice. "Let's just hope that by tomorrow she'll have... forgotten about it?" Yang suggested hopefully.

But her eyes met Blake's and not a second later they both sighed.

"Yeah right..."

"Well, we'll deal with that blizzard when we get there." Yang shrugged. "For now, let's just get you back."

She tugged Blake along across the campus until they reached the dorms.

When they finally arrived outside their room, Yang pressed a finger to her lips, indicating for Blake to be silent. "I just want to make sure we're not... interrupting those two." She gave a suggesting wink and Blake playfully rolled her eyes.

Yang crouched slightly before pressing her ear to the door and Blake gave her a look that said "come on, you know there's an easier way to do that". She pointed up to her head as her bow twitched once.

At Blake's silent suggestion, Yang shook her head. "This is way more fun!" she said in a low voice as she grinned.

Blake could in fact tell that there were no immediate sounds coming from the other side of the door. No words were being spoken and there were no sudden movements, but upon honing in her sense of hearing, she could hear the sounds of soft breathing.

"I think they're sleeping," both girls announced at the same time.

"Alright then," Yang straightened up again. "Guess there's to worry about!"

"As long as we don't wake them..." Blake cautioned.

Digging out her key, Yang slowly opened the door, knowing she would never forgive herself if she woke up the other couple before she could gather enough embarrassing blackmail to use against them later. She and Blake peered into Weiss' bed as they entered the room, finding the heiress and the younger huntress curled up together in a peaceful slumber.

"Oh my gosh, they are so cute!" Yang squealed. Thankfully, Blake was wise enough to cover the blonde's big mouth with her hand.

"Well, don't wake them up," Blake muttered, smiling fondly at her sleeping teammates.

"I am so never gonna let them live this down," Yang smirked. "I mean they're always doing little flirty things, but I've never seen them full-on cuddling in bed like that!"

"They really are adorable," Blake mused. "But we should keep quiet."

"You're right," Yang agreed.

She then directed her attention back to her girlfriend, causing Blake to blush.

"What is it?" the Faunus girl asked, avoiding Yang's piercing gaze.

"You look exhausted. Why don't you go change into something comfortable? If we're going to skip the rest of classes, we might as well enjoy it."

Blake was not sure if she was meant to hear the slightly suggestive tone in Yang's voice, but she could bring herself to do nothing more than nod.

Blake went into the bathroom to wash up and brush her teeth, soon emerging wearing her black, long-sleeved nightgown, which was her warmest sleepwear. Yang changed as well, but unlike the rest of her team, she did not have sleepwear specifically for the colder weather. Yang wore the same orange tank-top and black shorts year-round and never got cold at night, considering she had quite the useful ability to keep herself warm.

"You should get some rest for now." She ruffled Blake's bow, a gesture Blake initially felt startled about due to her hidden ears, but she had very quickly come to find it more endearing than anything as Yang continued to make it a normal gesture.

Blake saw no use in arguing now that she had already been dragged all the way back here and even changed clothes. She nodded to Yang before ducking down into her bed as Yang climbed up onto her own. She plopped down onto her top bunk, causing it to rattle significantly; at first, Blake would recoil whenever the bed above hers shook, but she had long-since gotten used to Yang quite literally throwing her weight around.

It was still light outside, as it was only slightly past noontime, therefore Blake sat back as she reached for a book. But before she could even open the cover, she heard more rummaging from above her.

"And just what do you think you're doing?" Yang hung her torso over the edge of her bed as she glared at Blake.

"Um... reading?"

"Oh no you're not. You're supposed to go to sleep," Yang scolded her.

"But I'm not tired."

"You-!" Yang's voice unintentionally rose and she cut off as she heard a small moan from Weiss' bed. Ruby was mumbling something to herself in her sleep and pulled Weiss closer to her, but neither of them woke. Yang breathed a sigh of relief before continuing to hound Blake in a softer voice. "You were sick all morning!" Yang reminded her. "And I know it was really bad for you... but it's not like it was easy for me to watch, either!" Her eyes flashed with discomfort as she recalled the unbearable scene.

Blake saw the hurt in her gaze, feeling a soft flutter within her chest in knowing how distraught it made Yang to see her in pain. Blake offered a tiny smile before she sighed, closing her book.

"Okay. You win." She placed the book on her bedside table. "I'll sleep."

"Good." Yang, still upside down over the side of her bed, watched as Blake laid down on her side and rested her head on her pillow.

"Good night, Yang," Blake smiled.

That seemed to bring Yang back to her usual, playful self.

"Night, Blakey!" And with that, she retreated to her own bed.

Blake closed her eyes, letting out the shudder she had been suppressing under Yang's watchful eye. Her pillow and sheets were cold against her face and bare legs, and Blake willed the feeling away.

However, she could not find the warmth she sought, reopening her eyes to look over at Weiss' bed where the heiress and her girlfriend slept cuddled together snugly.

Feeling a bit envious, a sudden idea that promised to kill two birds with one stone sparked in Blake's mind.

"Hey, Yang?" she called softly. "Are you still awa-"

"Of course I am!" Blake jumped in surprise as Yang's upside-down face reappeared, her long, frazzled hair hanging down in a curtain behind her head. "Whatcha need?"

"Well... Remember before when you said you'd do anything to make it up to me for... what happened?" She absolutely hated using the incident as an excuse for what she was asking now, but she knew it would put Yang at ease if Blake had her do something for her.

Sure enough, Yang's playful gaze immediately turned serious.

"Of course. Anything you want, just ask."

"Well..." Blake meaningfully flicked her gaze over to their other teammates. "It's a little... cold here..." she muttered, feeling her face grow hot in contrast.

Yang blinked, her expression changing from confusion, to disbelief, to overly-excited contentment as she comprehended Blake's words.

Not a second later, she had jumped down onto the floor and crawled beneath Blake's covers, embracing the unsuspecting girl from behind. "Wow! I was just going to wait till you'd fallen asleep to come down here, but you inviting me yourself? That's a first!" She sounded so content it made Blake smile to herself.

Yang wrapped her arms around Blake's stomach as the quieter girl shivered again, yet this time it was not in discomfort, but rather her lower body temperature was adjusting to Yang's higher one. Yang squeezed her girlfriend tightly to her chest as Blake gave a fake cough.

"Oh, sorry!" Yang gasped as she loosened her embrace, remembering Blake's stomachache from earlier.

As her arms left Blake's torso, the onyx-haired girl pouted slightly, not liking this placement; of course she preferred Yang next to her rather than anywhere else, but a loose hug was not Yang's hug.

Blake turned to glance back at her partner over her shoulder. "I'm fine," she reassured her.

Yang's grin returned as she tightened her embrace on her girlfriend yet again, rewarding Blake with the desired rib-crushing hug she had grown so accustomed to.

Blake rested her hands atop Yang's as they hugged her waist beneath the covers, closing her eyes as she relished the familiar warmth that spread throughout her body, zealous and passionate, just like Yang herself.

This was Yang's favorite sleeping position, as Blake often found herself waking up in her girlfriend's arms even when she had gone to sleep alone. Therefore, their bodies had naturally molded to fit together nicely, pressing a perfect amount of warmth between them.

Yang made sure to pull Blake as close to her chest as possible before resting her chin on the other girl's shoulder, breathing in her mysterious scent as soft, onyx hair caressed her cheek.

She still remembered the very first time she had crawled into Blake's bed; her partner's reaction had been to stiffen up and curl into a ball, like a startled animal. Her heart had been thundering against her ribcage as though she were trapped, hunted by some predator, and it had taken Yang many nights' worth of soothing words and calming motions before Blake finally began to relax.

Now, in Yang's arms was the only place Blake could ever truly feel safe, and the blonde girl took great pride in that fact.

For a moment, she listened to Blake's heart as it beat slowly and softly, a much more relaxed rhythm than several weeks ago. Blake even let out a light sigh, feeling a bit smug as she looked over at the sleeping forms of Ruby and Weiss, knowing she was now twice as warm as they were.

"Hey, Blake?" Yang whispered into her ear. Blake glanced back at her with curious, golden irises. "I'm sorry again... about what happened-"

But Yang's apology was cut off when a pair of soft lips covered her own.

Yang was rendered utterly speechless as Blake took the initiative for a kiss, and only just managed to kiss her back before she pulled away.

"Stop worrying about it," Blake scolded gently, amused when she saw the red tint on Yang's cheeks; it was then she decided she rather enjoyed the sight of her girlfriend being baffled and flustered for once. "Goodnight, Yang," Blake said with a slight chuckle in her voice as she turned away again, pressing her back closer to Yang's chest.

"Y... Yeah..." Yang stuttered before she returned to her original position, lightly resting her head on Blake's shoulder. "Night, Blakey," she giggled, nuzzling into her neck.

It was not long before the two girls joined their teammates in warm, content slumber, in the embraces of the lives that completed their own, and in the presence of the ones they held dearest of all.

A/N: Well, that's really all I have planned for this story! I'm sure we can all imagine the morning after of Weiss throwing a tantrum about her notes, right? Again, sorry for drama.

I'll be writing more RWBY stories though, so be sure to look around for them!

Please review!