ACT I
Tonight's supposed to be perfect. So far, it's going according to Yang's plan.
Yang secures a reservation for tonight at Blake's favorite restaurant in Vale weeks in advance. It's the Mistralian place down near the docks, a place they'd been regulars at since Beacon. Faunus friendly, with a healthy variety of seafood options, and Blake's favorite shrimp cocktail on all of Remnant. It's perfect to Blake, and Blake is perfect to Yang, which is why Yang always picks it for a nicer date night.
They had many of their milestones here, so many firsts and special moments. Coming is always a trip down memory lane, laughing again about jokes that were told years ago, a sense of bittersweet over times long since passed. Thinking about the past doesn't hurt that much anymore. It's actually kind of nice, when the memories are nice like these.
It was their first real dinner out as partners during their time at Beacon, an apology from Yang after she saw how bad having Zwei around affected Blake. She'd let Blake pick the place, insisted it be sit down instead of takeout, and Blake had done some research to find something she thought she'd like. After that day, it quickly became Blake's favorite restaurant, which they went to both together and with their team several more times before the Fall of Beacon scattered them around the globe.
It was the place they'd gone as a team to celebrate after their first official mission as huntresses, their licenses literally handed to them as soon as the Wyvern on top of Beacon had been slain and Vale found peace again. The first official mission had been simple, clearing out Grimm from threatening a small village on the outskirts of Vale. It felt more like a celebration for some sense of normalcy, the day in which their careers had become what they had actually expected, not the adventure that the fight against Salem had given them.
It was their first proper date after they'd returned from their adventure around the world, after they'd locked Salem away for good and returned to kill the Wyvern and restore the CCT, bringing Beacon, Vale, and the world back into a state of peace. They'd been together since Argus, since the fight with Adam, at the very least, but they didn't give a name to it until all was said and done. Yang had insisted on taking Blake out on a proper date, and they returned to this restaurant for the first time since before the Fall. Blake was surprised that Yang had remembered the place.
"Of course," Yang had said, "how could I ever forget any moment spent with you?"
Tonight's supposed to be perfect, so Yang's doing everything she can to will it into existence. Her scroll is silenced in her purse, determined to avoid interruptions. She's dressed in her dark purple dress, the one that makes Blake stammer and blush every time she sees it. Blake's wearing her shimmering gold dress- it has the same effect on Yang as the purple dress does on Blake. They wear them out for special occasions- birthdays, anniversaries, and other important events. Yang had hoped Blake would wear the gold dress, and Blake had hoped Yang would wear the purple dress. Uncoordinated, but perfect.
"Just like us," Blake says when Yang points it out.
"Just like us," Yang repeats.
She's holding her purse in her hands as they walk into the restaurant. It feels like it weighs a million pounds, even if it's just a clutch that's mostly empty. It's got three items inside- her scroll, her wallet, and a small box. It's the box that's weighing things down, even if it's just mostly mentally. The weight isn't just in her hands- it's in her heart too, and lodged somewhere in her throat.
The throat one feels weird- not like the other nerves. Something's wrong, says the little voice in the back of her head, something's going to go wrong. She ignores it.
Or, at the very least, she tries to.
The hostess recognizes them as they walk in, her hazel eyes growing wide.
"You're Yang Xiao Long and Blake Belladonna, the huntresses!" she exclaims, her voice shooting up at least one octave in a single sentence.
Yang smiles and nods. "Yes, we are."
"Wow," she stammers, before remembering where she is. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry. How can I help you?"
"It's quite alright." Yang's smile is sweet, her eyes full of genuine kindness. "We have a reservation for 2."
The hostess nods eagerly, looking down at the list. "Yes, right here, Xiao Long, 2 for 7pm. Right this way."
She leads them inside, eyes turning towards them as they walk through the dining area. They're used to this now- they're practically legends in Vale. No, not practically, literally. There's a statue set to go up downtown later this year- a scene of team RWBY and JNR killing the Wyvern. They haven't seen it yet, but they've already modeled for the sculptor and RSVP'd for the reveal. They've got a betting pool going on how exactly the artist is going to depict the Wyvern, or if it'll actually be there at all.
Eyes following them are nothing new. It took some time to get used to, especially for Blake, after spending all that time in Atlas being stared at for all the wrong reasons. It's been years though, and it's easier now.
Yang takes Blake's hand and squeezes gently as they walk. An old habit, unbroken over the many years they've known each other. A question, a simple unspoken question. You okay?
Blake squeezes back. A reflex, an answer. Yes.
Their hands don't split until they've reached their table. It's the table they always use, in the back, situated in between potted plants and the kitchens. It's private, but beautiful, that's why they love it.
The evening is simple, yet smooth. Salad follows drinks, and dinner comes not soon after. Yang is waiting, listening, preparing herself for that perfect moment.
They're talking, chatting, about everything and nothing at the same time. There's little in their day-to-day lives to update each other about, since they spend every waking moment together. They talk about the big things, like how Ruby and Weiss are trying to get pregnant, and how after their mission next week, it's just going to be duo missions for a while. They talk about the mission a bit, nothing they're too worried about. Another search and destroy, another grimm infestation getting a little too close for comfort. It doesn't hold the same weight as the other topics, much more like a conversation they've had a thousand times over.
They talk about smaller things too. Their meals, the upcoming weather, their plans for the weekend. Small talk, casual chats, things without much weight. Things that are quick to forget, bouncing around in-between the more in-depth conversations. Jokes about the past, about the times they had here before. Back at Beacon, before the Fall, the way Yang was desperately trying to make up for the whole Zwei incident. Their first date, the way Yang still managed to get herself all flustered, even after all these years, even after everything. She starts blushing again, unable to stop herself.
"It's cute," Blake says with a sly smile, "to know we've been around the world and back, and you still can't keep it together when you're trying to impress me."
They're halfway done with their meal when Blake's scroll rings. It's unexpected, catches them both off guard.
"Sorry," Blake says, pulling her scroll out of her purse, "I thought I put it on silent." She stops, holding it in her hand, not rejecting the call. "It's Ruby."
Yang raises an eyebrow, digging for her own scroll in her purse at once.
Ruby: Seven Missed Calls
Qrow: Three Missed Calls
Unsaved Number: One Missed Call
The area code on the unsaved number is from Patch. Yang tries to swallow, but the weight in her throat is eleven times heavier than it was just a second ago.
"Answer it," Yang says immediately, her eyes shooting up into Blake's, streaks of red panic peeking through the lilac.
"Ruby," Blake says as she answers a call. It's not quite a question, not quite a statement. It's a panic. There's a moment of silence. "Yes, she's here."
Blake hands the scroll across the table to Yang. Her left hand is shaking as she takes the scroll, holding it up to her ear.
"Ruby? What's going on?" Yang asks immediately.
"It's Dad," Ruby replies. Her voice is shaking. She's been crying, Yang knows it. "He's in the clinic. You need to come to Patch, now."
Yang is already waving over the waiter, mouthing the words check, please. "What happened? Is he okay?"
"Right now he's okay," Ruby answers, "but we don't know for how long."
"Tell me," Yang insists, "what's happening?"
It takes a moment for Ruby to get the word out. "Cancer."
Yang's eyes grow wide. The waiter puts the check down. Blake takes it, Yang not even noticing that it had been placed on the table. She's processing. She doesn't know what to say, what to think.
"Th-there's a lot of it… a l-lot of it," Ruby sobs through the scroll. There's another soft voice in the background. Weiss.
Whatever Weiss is saying to Ruby, it doesn't really register in Yang's brain. She's just still staring into the air, eyes wide and mouth open. "We'll be on the next airship over," she says at last, looking at Blake, who simply nods back. "Are you there? In Patch?"
"We're on our way," Weiss replies, having taken the scroll from the crying Ruby. "The next airship is in thirty minutes. You better hurry."
Yang's already standing up. "Okay." She doesn't wait for a reply before hanging up.
Blake stands up, taking her card back from the waiter and her scroll back from Yang.
"Is everything alright?" the waiter asks.
"Family emergency," Yang replies, grabbing her purse in one hand and Blake's hand in the other.
He nods in understanding as they dart through the dining area, out the front door. Blake's struggling to catch up, trying to squeeze Yang's hand to get her attention, repeating her name over and over again.
"Yang," she repeats for the fifth time, and this one finally finds Yang's ears and funnels through to her brain. "What did she say?"
Yang stops walking dead in her tracks. She blinks twice, processing.
"We need to get to the airfield, in the next half hour," she says, panic in her eyes.
"Okay, so let's take the car." Blake points across the road at the garage they'd parked in. "We'll get there faster than walking in heels."
"Okay." Yang lets Blake take the lead, hurrying towards the next crosswalk and then across the street.
"What did Ruby say?"
"Dad's at the clinic."
"The clinic?"
"Patch's smaller version of a hospital."
"Did she say why?"
There's a few moments of silence. The word is hard in Yang's throat, the weight from earlier in the night returning, a hundred times heavier than before. Now it made sense, the sensation of doom that had been lodged there since the night began. A reason, an element of understanding.
"Cancer," Yang says. The word is like barbed wire on her lips, like a flame locked in her throat, slow to break free. "A lot of it."
Thirty minutes later, they're sitting on the airship, waiting to take off for Patch. It's the last airship of the night. They're lucky, the pilot tells them, the next one isn't coming until the morning. They're the only ones on the ship, and they don't speak a single word. Blake knows better. Yang's not one for talking before she knows everything. There's not enough information for Blake to make it easier, to take away some of the pain.
The best she can do is sit there, keeping her fingers locked in Yang's left hand, squeezing occasionally to remind Yang that she's there.
She squeezes back every time. A gentle reminder, an unspoken conversation. A pattern they've been using since Argus.
I'm here.
Thank you.
It takes an hour and a half to get to Patch. It feels like an eternity. Blake doesn't let go of Yang's hand the entire time, not even as they quietly thank the pilot and get off the ship. The ship is too small, they aren't able to bring their car with them to Patch. The island doesn't even have a cab service.
Yang's just standing there at the airship station, looking at the empty road in front of them. She isn't talking, her hand still entwined with Blake's.
Blake watches and waits for a few moments, giving Yang's hand another squeeze. Yang looks up, her eyes meeting Blake's as she squeezes back.
"How far is the clinic?" Blake asks.
"Three miles."
"I'll call Weiss. Maybe she can help us."
Yang just nods, staring out down the road. Blake doesn't expect anything further. It's a lot, it's all a lot. Blake knows that.
Weiss pulls up in Qrow's car not ten minutes later. She was already heading out to go pick them up, at Qrow's request, when Blake had called her.
"He came out here when we got here, and didn't want to leave him again," Weiss explains without the question even being asked when they get into the backseat of the car.
Yang nods again, still silent. Blake gives a gentle smile to Weiss.
"Thank you," Blake says.
"Of course," Weiss replies.
The rest of the ride is silent. Nothing else needs to be said.
When they get to the clinic, the nurse at the front desk signs in Yang and Blake before Weiss leads them to the room. It's small, like everything else in the clinic. By the time they all enter the room, it feels packed.
"Dad," Yang whispers when she sees him.
He's laying there in bed, hooked up to a bunch of machines. Despite it all, he's got a small smile on his face, a gentle look in his eyes. Qrow and Ruby are sitting on opposite sides of the bed, Qrow holding his hand. Ruby stands up the moment she sees them enter the room.
"Hey there, firecracker," Tai says to Yang, reaching out his free hand. "Sorry to interrupt your date."
"How'd you know?" Yang asks back in a loud whisper, eyes wide.
Qrow lets out a strained laugh. "You two look like you're on your way to a movie premiere, not the Patch Clinic."
Yang looks down at herself. Purple dress. Heels. Purse. "Oh, right. Forgot about it. Don't worry about it." She takes a step forward towards her father, loosening her hand in Blake's for the first time since they got to the airfield in Vale. Blake releases at once, knowing that anchor isn't needed in this moment.
"Now that you're all here," Tai begins as Yang takes Ruby's seat next to him, her younger sister now having gone to stand by Weiss's side, "we can have the doctor come talk to us about everything." He presses a button on a remote sitting on his bed. Within twenty seconds, there's a nurse in the doorway.
"They're all here," Tai tells her. "Whenever the doctor is available, we're ready."
The nurse nods. "I'll let him know and find you some more chairs. Just three more?"
"Just three more," Qrow repeats.
The nurse leaves as quickly as she came. They're quiet while they wait, the only noises in the room coming from the machines Tai is hooked up to. Yang's holding his hand now, clutching it between both of hers. She's not looking at his face, though. She's looking down, down at her own lap.
Blake sees this and finds herself gravitating towards Yang again, standing behind her and placing a hand on her shoulder. She gives a gentle squeeze, the same pattern there, as always.
I'm here.
Yang can't squeeze back, but she takes a deep breath instead, straightening her posture. She looks up at Blake, over her shoulder, and gives a silent reply in her exhausted looking eyes.
I'm okay.
It isn't long before the nurse returns with the chairs. They're all sitting around the bed, Ruby and Weiss having moved to Qrow's side. They're quiet, waiting for the doctor. No one really knows what to say.
Tai coughs a few times, breaking the silence. He doesn't speak, but the room feels like a heavy blanket has been dropped on all of them, smothering them all where they stand.
"Sorry for the delay."
Six pairs of eyes shoot up to the doorway. The doctor just entered, picking up the clipboard from the end of Tai's bed.
"Ah, Ms. Xiao Long and Mrs. Rose-Schnee," the doctor says with a smile, "I delivered both of you. Always great to see your names in the news, doing such amazing things."
"Thank you, Dr…" Ruby replies trailing off, as Yang gives a small nod.
"Pardon my manners, I get carried away seeing my deliveries all grown up. My name is Dr. Galen, and I'm the primary doctor here at the Clinic." He flips the papers over on the clipboard, glancing over the information again. "How much have you told them already, Tai?"
"Just that there's a lot of cancer."
Dr. Galen nods, flipping the papers back into place and sliding the clipboard back into its compartment. "That's the very basic rundown. Qrow brought in Tai after he passed out earlier this evening. We ran some tests as soon as he came in, and we found the cancer almost immediately."
"But he's a hunter. He has Aura…" Weiss mutters, causing all eyes to fly to her.
"That's the thing, Mrs. Rose-Schnee," Dr. Galen continues, letting out a long sigh, "that's how we know how bad it is."
The room falls silent. All eyes are back on the doctor, watching, listening, waiting.
"The cancer is attacking his Aura. It's trying to regenerate itself, but it will inevitably fail. For now, the cancer will fight the Aura before doing too much external damage to his body. Unfortunately, we've caught it too late. It's already starting to slip through. It's only a matter of time before the Aura is completely gone, and there's no defense left."
"How long?" Yang asks softly, avoiding the eyes of anyone but Dr. Galen. "How long do we have?"
"Three to nine months."
It's silent for a while after the doctor leaves. No one really knows what to say, how to feel, what to do. Ruby is leaning into Weiss's arms, silent tears streaming down her cheeks. Yang has her father's hand in one hand, Blake's in the other. Qrow is on Tai's other side, holding his other hand, quiet, thinking, staring down at Tai's hand.
It's a while before anyone talks. Tai's the first one to break the silence- they're all listening instantly, hanging on his every word.
"I want you all to stay here in Patch," he says softly, staring down at his lap. "I want to spend as much time as I can with my family. All of you."
Ruby and Weiss exchange a look. Weiss nods as soon as her eyes meet Ruby's.
"We can do that," Ruby says with a nod to her father, wiping the tears from her eyes.
"Us too," Yang adds, Blake nodding next to her.
"Your old rooms haven't changed much since you left," Tai admits sheepishly. "I couldn't really bring myself to do it."
"We'll need bigger beds," Ruby comments softly.
"I can have that taken care of by tomorrow, as long as someone's at the house to get the delivery," Weiss says instantly, pulling up her scroll and beginning to tap on the screen.
Qrow nods. "I'll be at the house, and once we get the results of a few more tests, hopefully Tai will be too."
"We'll need a day to pack up our things," Yang says, looking up at Blake. "We won't be able to come back until the day after tomorrow."
"Same with us," Ruby agrees, pulling out her own scroll, taking a deep breath. "I'm going to cancel our mission for next week. Glynda will understand."
"Don't give away too many details," Tai interjects. "Just say it's a family emergency. I don't want everyone to know yet."
"Tai…"
"I know, Qrow, I know. They'll know eventually, I promise. But for right now…"
Qrow concedes. "Alright. As long as you know that the Beacon staff care about you too, and they'll want to know."
"I know. I just need time."
Qrow squeezes Tai's hand gently. "Okay."
"You girls should head back to Vale for the night," Tai says, looking over at team RWBY. "I'll call you as soon as I get the results, but it's already getting late and it's going to take a while for you to get back."
Yang shakes her head. "We caught the last airship going to Patch for the night. There won't be another one until morning."
"My private airship is already on the way." Weiss looks up from her scroll, shaking her head upon seeing the looks of shock on Yang and Blake's faces. "Honestly, I can't believe you still don't expect it, even after all these years."
Yang just shrugs, not really having a response to that. Blake places a hand on Yang's shoulder, squeezing gently.
"It's been a long day. Some things just slip the mind," Blake says, and Weiss takes it for a good enough answer, considering the circumstances.
"How long until it gets here?" Qrow asks.
"Thirty minutes," Weiss replies.
"I'll drive you girls down to the airfield." He glances at Tai. "As long as it's okay with you."
Tai nods. "I'll be fine, Qrow. I'll call you if Dr. Galen comes back with the results before you get back."
"Okay." Qrow stands up, plants a kiss on the top of Tai's head, and turns to the girls. "Let's get you four back to Vale."
Not a whole lot is said on the ride home. Everyone thanks the pilot, who rushed to get out to the tiny island of Patch in the middle of the night.
There's a call on Yang's scroll from Tai not long after they take off. He's going home for the night, the test results not showing anything that needed any immediate attention. It's a brief call; he's just waiting for Qrow to get back to the clinic so he can go home.
They don't speak much after the call, just sitting across from each other with their respective partners, cuddling in silence. Ruby's crying again, and Weiss tries to comfort her. Blake looks over at Yang, but she's staring off into the distance again. Dissociating.
Blake thinks it's probably better that way. A crying Ruby is a lot to handle. A crying Yang and Ruby is territory they'd never really ventured into before.
Blake pulls Yang in a little bit closer, into a half hug. They're still all dressed up, their date long since forgotten. They stay that way, pushed up against each other, for the rest of the ride back to Vale.
It's nearly four in the morning by the time they make it back to their house. It's a quaint place that they've been renting since team RWBY decided to move into separate houses not long before Ruby proposed to Weiss. The place is painted a light yellow, with a cute little garden out front maintained by the couple between missions. It isn't very big, but it's their own, their first house they purchased together with the money they made from missions. Weiss and Ruby live just a street over, but in a much larger house, to no one's surprise. Weiss had tried to convince them to get a bigger house, but they'd been against it. The yellow house is far more like Blake and Yang than the house Weiss had wanted them to buy, the one next to Weiss and Ruby's.
Yang is in the bedroom, sitting on the edge of the bed. She's already gotten undressed, and is sitting there in her pajamas, holding her purse from earlier in the night. She's staring at it, waiting, listening, thinking. Her fingers run over the outside of the purse, tracing the box from the outside very carefully. Thinking, thinking.
"Yang?" Blake asks softly from the doorway to the bathroom. She's been standing there for a minute or so, and Yang hasn't moved a muscle, and barely blinked. "Are you okay?"
Yang looks up. "I… don't know." Thinking, thinking. Should she? Tonight? Even after everything?
Blake walks over, taking a seat next to her on the bed. She spots the purse, raises an eyebrow, but opts to ignore it. "We should try to get some sleep. We've got a long day tomorrow too."
"I…" Yang's eyes go back down to the purse, and then back up to Blake again. "I…"
Blake places her hand on Yang's knee. "Talk to me."
Yang takes a deep breath, closing her eyes.
"Blake…"
She opens her eyes, stands up from the bed. She spins on her heel, the purse still in her hands. She's facing Blake now, looking at her.
Blake stands up, concern in her eyes. "Yang, talk to me," she begs, reaching out to Yang, nervously placing a hand on Yang's shoulder, offering a hug.
Yang doesn't lean forward. Instead, she drops down, onto one knee. She reaches into the purse with one hand, pulling out the small box. Blake's eyes widen and her mouth drops open as Yang tosses the purse aside and opens up the box.
A golden ring, with a beautiful purple crystal.
"Blake Belladonna, will you marry me?"