Solace

Silence. Stillness. Solitude. All have a common end. You might say peace, but there are some who would say pain. This is simply how time works. If you wait long enough, anything can hurt, no matter how nice it seems at first or how badly you might think you can take a beating.

Yang Xiao Long was born with a shield and acted in kind. For her sister, she was many things: a mother figure, a sibling, a lone friend when else there were naught. For her team, she was the rallying energy who sparked their motivation, enervated their indifference, and occasionally got them into trouble with her admittedly brazen reactions. But for Blake Belladonna, she would be everything her Faunus partner desired and as well the inverse. They were together and, at this point in time, inseparable.

A summer's breeze and a songbird's trill atop the echoing cheers and giggles of faraway youths in playful delight set the stage for our loving duet. It was a city park on the outskirts of metropolitan Vale, where the sky and the grass glowed their respective healthy hues and so too did the smiles of heroines both raven and blonde. It was a local pond, visited regularly by the latter in her former years and an old oak grown strong on the edge of the water. It was an in-joke, a laugh, a kiss, and an embrace as these two held dear to one another while the Faunus read and our focus watched.

"I can see you staring at me," Blake eventually said.

There was no blush on Yang's part because in this instance she was not at all embarrassed. She had been enthralled by the golden orbs of mirthful knowledge and smiled goofily at the girl wrapped in her arms. Perhaps this was why Blake caught on to her distraction, but Yang didn't mind. "Of course you can," teased the blonde. "You can read a book, hold a conversation, and see me out of your peripheral all at the same time. What can't you do?"

Blake made a noise that was equal parts sigh and laugh before she closed her book and nestled back against her teammate. "Apparently, I can't find the appropriate quiet to read."

"Well, I think you chose the wrong girlfriend if you were looking for peace and quiet."

"I wasn't complaining, Yang."

"And neither was I." The blonde hummed and moved a hand down her partner's arm, removing the pesky novel and making sure Blake's attention was hers alone.

The two sat against this tree, Blake with her human ear pressed to her partner's chest while her unbound Faunus traits tickled Yang's chin. The form which held Blake close placed one arm around her back while the other completed the loop to form a soft hug that was augmented with prideful aura. It seemed as though they were to nap on this mid-summer's day, but their intent was instead to enjoy it and rejoice in each other's company. And it was Yang's cheerily accepted duty to keep her girlfriend warm and snug in opposition to the cooling breeze and splashing waves from the nearby pond.

Neither White Fang affiliations nor deep-rooted misgivings toward humanity would waver the blonde's affection. Blake was her reason for fighting now after Ruby proved herself confident and independent. Both referenced were not the types to rely on help or even welcome it without objections of self-sufficiency, but Yang had lived with Ruby all her life and knew that despite the denials for assistance, a person could always use a helping hand.

Blake was no different. In fact, she was the epitome of this truism and needed a friend probably more than anybody. She had been burned many times before and Yang would ensure that this never happened again. But once more, the inverse was equally true and Yang had met her share of loss and abandonment. If anyone knew the destructive power which time could inflict, Yang knew that it would be her partner. As such, the two were drawn to each other, partly out of necessity, but mostly out of happiness. They were together and that was that, and as Yang beamed down upon the uncharacteristically smiling Faunus in her arms, she knew that lifelong reprieve had been found.

Again, Blake would be the initiator of the conversation, being that her partner was simply awestruck by the serenity of the moment. "Yang, is everything all right? You seem distracted and…not yourself. You're less talkative than you usually are."

Yang gave a happy sigh and shook off her daze. "Yeah, sorry. I was just thinking about some stuff."

"Would you care to share?"

There would be no consideration as to if Blake's intrigue was genuine, for at this point in their relationship, Yang knew it was so. As such, she pulled her partner somehow closer and laughed a low, short chuckle. "I was just thinking about how lucky I am. I know it sounds cheesy, but there are still days that I have to remind myself that this isn't a dream—you, I mean."

"I know what you mean," Blake said. "It's still strange, but not in any bad way, I don't think. I'm still lacking in the number of friends I have, but I managed to find you without having to look far. Statistically, that's a little absurd, but I'm not going to argue with the results."

"I remember a time when you'd never act this way. You used to not talk to anybody unless one of the professors called on you. And even then, you were a girl of few words."

"Yang, that was only a few months ago. I'm still like that, to an extent."

"Yeah, but you've gotten better about it. Now you'll actually talk to me instead of rolling your eyes." Yang shook her head, doing her best to suppress another laugh. "You know, I'm struggling to remember if you even spoke an entire sentence to me during initiation that wasn't 'Yes' or 'No.' There was actually a point during our game of twenty questions where I thought you wanted nothing to do with me. I'm glad that's not the case, though."

"Me too." The blonde could not help but smile as her partner adjusted her posture to find a more comfortable position for both parties. "Although, you weren't without fault, yourself. I distinctly remember a very talkative blonde dragging her sister over and trying to find something to talk about when there really wasn't anything."

"Well, it was worth a shot, right?"

"I suppose." Blake smirked. "Though, you did come off more awkward than Ruby ever could."

"I resent that!"

"Your opener was complimenting my sleepwear. I did appreciate it, but it was obvious you were grasping at straws."

Yang hesitated, having no reply at the ready and knowing not where to go from here. "Okay, well, you weren't exactly the most approachable of people."

"It sounds like someone was intimidated by me." Though the assumption was true, Yang looked to object. However, Blake cut her off with a happy sigh. "But it's all right," the Faunus assured. "I was intimidated by you, too. At least we don't have to feel that way any longer."

This was Blake, ever the enigma. One day, she could be stoic and silent, the next, openly affectionate at Yang's expense. Though it is not to say that there were hostilities held between the two, merely familiarity like that of a playful kitten. Yang mused that for every biting remark her reserved girlfriend doled out, there was progress on the front of breaking her out of her shell. As such, Yang hummed in agreement before leaning down to kiss briefly the Faunus ears which flitted in reaction.

"You can say that again," sighed Yang. "I'm lucky I found you, Blake—well, lucky you found me if we're going to be historically accurate and stuff." In reply, Blake hummed and nuzzled her head up into the blonde's chin, incenting Yang to run a hand up her partner's arm and into her hair. "If you didn't run away to Beacon, I don't think last year would have been as fun as it was."

"But then I ran away again."

"You did, but I don't think any less of you for it. That took a lot of guts to stand up for what you believed in and to knock the princess down a notch. And if I'm gonna be honest, I think that was when I first started crushing on you."

Blake moved so that she could look to her partner, eyebrow raised. However, confusion was not the only sentiment apparent on the Faunus' features. Something akin to curiosity glimmered behind her eyes in a similar way to how Ruby often became silently excited about stories read to her when she was younger. Blake did not know what was being expressed, but she hoped to hear the favorable explanation, and this hopefulness where there used to be none spurred the blonde into continuance.

"When you chose me to be your partner, I didn't really think much about it. I thought you were just another pretty face I'd have to work with who knew how to fight and read. But after you ran away, I knew you were like me. We were both afraid and were unable to admit it, and after you came back, I thought that you were the strongest person I'd ever seen. Yeah, you didn't want to talk about the White Fang and I wasn't much better with talking about myself. I still can't believe it took until the second semester for you to find out what my semblance is. I'm still sorry about that."

"It definitely would have made the Paladin fight easier if I knew that beforehand. I thought I lost you."

Yang smirked. "It's gonna take a lot more than a big, indestructible death machine for you to get rid of me." The Faunus smiled. "Anyways, after we found you at the pier, I didn't want to see you go again. Maybe it was just the crush, but I wanted to do everything in my power to keep you happy and make sure there weren't any more reasons for you to leave. I didn't really care about dating or anything at the time, I just wanted to see you smile. I still can't imagine what all those years with the White Fang must have been like, but I didn't want you to feel stressed in the same way at Beacon."

"Is that the reason why you tried to offer me backrubs?"

"Well…" Not exactly. "Okay, I'll admit that that was me trying to tell you how I felt." Among other things. "All the other stuff, though, was me trying to make you feel welcome."

"In that case, you succeeded spectacularly." The Faunus then let out a contented yawn that instantly lifted the blonde's expression. "Since we seem to be in the storytelling mood, would you mind if I told my side of the story?"

"Not at all. Fire away, kitten."

Yang felt the even rise and fall of her partner's form as Blake took a deep, composing breath before she began. "When I saw you below the trees, fighting the Ursai, I almost passed you by in search of another. But then I saw your expression. You weren't happy that you were slaying Grimm nor were you eager to destroy them, you just seemed to be having fun with fighting. I'd never seen anything like that before. I'd grown accustomed to the idea that anyone who fought was doing so to push their own agenda on the world and to dominate a lesser force. But you were doing it because it was right, because it felt right. You did get a little carried away in the end, but you proved yourself. You weren't like the White Fang and weren't like the humans they vilified. You were different, and that's why I chose you.

"Sure, you could be a bit excessive with your enthusiasm, but it was a nice change of pace after the organization. And it was especially helpful when I was being obstinate in the search for Torchwick." She sighed. "I guess I got carried away, too. They teach you in the White Fang to never give up until the job is done. I got used to being awake for days at a time and could deprive myself of sleep without complaint, but it would always hurt. And then you broke that cycle, Yang, and even though I wasn't being cooperative, you still helped me."

Again, Blake moved to catch Yang's gaze, meeting lilac with burning amber. "If we're going to admit when our crushes began, then I think that was the moment mine started for you. The White Fang would have just told me to go to sleep and then would have sent me on a mission regardless of if I complied. But you cared. You didn't just tell me to go to sleep, you fought me about it. Truthfully, I think I needed that. I ended up sleeping and…dreamed about you." This brought a smile to Yang's countenance.

"I had that big of an effect on you, huh?"

"Well," Blake sighed, "I'm fairly certain that that was the first hug I had in ten years."

Yang's brows rose in alarm. "Ten years? Now I feel bad." This in turn caused Blake's confusion and evident worry, but Yang would dismiss this just as immediately with her elaboration. "I should have hugged you sooner."

Blake's smile returned to her as she replied softly, "Yeah, you should have."

The two had reached an intimate pause where no words were needed to express the affection arcing between them. The occasional flick of an ear to the nearby chin or the miniscule movements of Blake's smiles against the bare skin of Yang's chest communicated to the blonde just how lucky she truly was.

There had been others in her life to hold the role of significant other, but none quite like the Faunus who had reciprocated equally the emotion set forth. Though Blake would not seem the sentimental type to most, her compass towards righteousness took precedence in her decisions and the value she placed on the few friends and members of family she had was heightened by the betrayal which had torn her from them in the first place. She was a "sweetheart" by Yang's assessment and a strong-willed warrior who knew precisely what she wanted.

And in this moment, she wanted to move, not without apology or in any attempt to distance herself from Yang, but so to utilize their chosen surroundings as originally intended. Blake removed herself with an apologetic kiss to her partner's chin and Yang would pout while the Faunus moved to the edge of the pond, kicked off her boots and socks, and seated herself so that she could rest her legs in the water on this tepid summer's day. Finally, Yang's expression would leave her at the inviting smirk she was sent.

In scant seconds, the two would find each other's side again with a vengeful kiss to Blake's cheek and a giggling head to rest on her shoulder. Now it was the Faunus' turn to place an arm around her partner and pull her close.

"Yang?" she inquired, but found that the questioned was far too preoccupied with her nuzzling gestures. The blonde's attention was found again with a nudging kick from beneath the water. "Yang?"

"Yeah, kitten?"

"Why'd we come here?"

"To the park?"

Blake shook her head. "I meant this pond. You've shown me one more secluded than this that would lack the surrounding families and children."

Yang hummed an unknowing tone before repeating herself verbally. "I don't know. I guess I wanted to show you off—you know, make people jealous and let them know we're together."

"It's a sweet thought," Blake said, "but it seems there's something else to this. You brought me here without having to think twice about it. There's a story you have yet to tell."

She was right, Yang thought. Unfortunately, the blonde's current intent was simply to cuddle up to her girlfriend's side and just let the day pass them by. But Blake was smart and saw through the charade. The story behind this was innocent enough, but tiring to tell in its entirety. However, Blake had asked nicely and Yang was not one to deprive her of anything. "Fine, you caught me," she admitted.

Yang closed her eyes and felt her partner's hand run through her unruly mane, absent-mindedly untangling the tangles and undoing the knots as the taller of the two rested her head in the crook of the Faunus' neck. She sighed and began. "Me and Ruby used to come here a lot when we were younger. Usually, we'd just play by ourselves, but every once in a while I'd get invited to play tag with the other kids and I'd get Ruby involved, too. That was always fun seeing their reactions to her semblance. But for the most part, we'd do stuff by ourselves—you know, climb trees, explore the woods, and we even went fishing here a few times.

"When we were really young—like, when I was seven—our mom would take us here some days and we'd do…stuff. Honestly, I don't remember much of what we did, it was so long ago. What I do remember is that one time we came here, Ruby wanted to go swimming all of the sudden and jumped in with no warning whatsoever." Yang chuckled, reopening her eyes to gaze warmly at an inconsequential point in the water. "She didn't even last a second before she started crying for help." She swept the shallow floor of the pond with her foot, kicking up sediment and rocks not two feet from where she sat. "It wasn't like she was drowning or anything, but mom fished her out so quick it wasn't even funny. Well, it was a little funny, but only because I taught Ruby how to swim eventually. Now she's something of a pro at it."

"Sounds like this place means a lot to you."

"It's got some history behind it, yeah, but mostly I wanted to bring you here because I thought it'd be a nice place to relax." Yang huddled closer to her girlfriend's form and breathed, "And I was so right about that."

It was then that a sonorous tune graced the ears of its cause. The whole-hearted laugh of Blake Belladonna was still a rarity in the blonde's life that never once failed to inspire elation and pride. It was an uncertain noise, one unburdened by practiced structure and awareness of volume. She was not one to normally laugh in this way and its lack of use left her giggle varied and uncontrollable—cute, if Yang's present descriptor were to be included.

In kind, the blonde began to laugh as well, joining in on the mirth that took hold over her girlfriend. There was no humor to be found in the present situation, only happiness and warmth. As Yang's aura flared and raised the temperature of this cool locale, Blake's presence—her laughter, her smile, her existence—gladdened the blonde's heart in turn. That this Faunus would be the one person on this war-stricken planet to supplant all prior desertions was incredible. She was a grounding force in a breezy life made whole by her knowledge and purpose. She would be lifelong reprieve if Yang had her way and a dear friend who would mean the world. And Yang would do her best to keep this smile and laugh alive because she knew well the effects of creeping time and so too the consequences of unexpressed admiration meeting unintentional separation. Blake would never be alone again and as well the inverse.

Eventually, this laughing fit would fade and the two of raven and blonde would detach before meeting each other's fervent gazes. Even now, Blake analyzed the situation; it was evident from the minute movements of her eyes toward each and every tell Yang had to give. But that was who she was, and Yang could not have been happier. A silent question was raised within the Faunus' eyes which asked if the blonde had another memory to share.

"Hey, Blake?" Yang received a smiling hum in response as the Faunus sneakily entwined their fingers amongst the blades of grass behind them. "Remember the last time we were like this? Remember the fireworks?"

Collected as ever, Blake could not withhold a quiet chuckle. "That's a memory I'll keep with me until the end of my days."

There was no energetic grin nor playful smirk, but a wide smile of earnest happiness upon Yang's features. "You wanna live that night again?"

"What about all the things you've said about how the past can't be changed?"

"Well, some memories are worth remembering. Especially those involving you."

As was characteristic, Blake rolled her eyes at this, but nevertheless closed the distance and captured Yang's lips in her own. An ardent embrace though it was, carnality and necessity were inconceivable concepts even in the mind of Yang. This moment was simply about them and their happiness. No, Blake would not be alone any longer, not without company. And as a breathless Yang made so by both physical duration and internal disbelief pulled away from her blushing Faunus, she knew that this communion they shared would last a lifetime.

Minutes, hours, something of the kind would pass as the two simply caught their breath and each other's amusement, and soon enough they would decide to leave this place in search of their lunch and later their teammates. But today would be about them, one the shield and the other the sword. Today, Yang was made certain that alongside her partner, the errors and horrors of the past would be usurped by new memories and experiences shared with dear Blake. With belongings in hand and fingers entwined, the two of gold and black would leave this spot, abandoning notions of remorse and regret as they walked barefoot through the grass as a child would amid the cheers and giggles of faraway playgrounds and ecstatic trills of songbirds new to flight.

Silence. Stillness. Solitude. All have a common end. You might think pain as would be contextual, but now Yang would consider peace. Time works in mysterious ways. There are a lot of things in life that can hurt for many reasons, but if you give them time, strength and beauty will undoubtedly be found and will last a lifetime.

Thank you for reading! Stay safe and have a merry Christmas and happy New Year.