Kiss
It had been two days since Blake found Yang playing the guitar. Since then, both girls had spent most of their time within the near vicinity of the other, claiming it as a coincidence. Currently, however, they were not.
Yang was out with Ghira, the pair out repairing part of the fence that had been knocked down overnight. Meanwhile, Blake was inside, helping Kali out with preparing the stew for dinner.
Blake was staring out the window, watching as the sun retreated behind the forest in the distance, painting purples and gold across the sky.
“Blake, dear,” her mother chuckled behind her. “Sighing wistfully out the window isn’t going to make Yang come back earlier.”
Blake continued looking out the window, not letting her mother see the blush that crept up her cheeks.
“I don’t know what you mean,” she replied innocently. Blake turned back to the counter top, continuing to slice the carrots for the stew.
“Dear, I’d have to be an idiot to not notice how much you two stick together,” her mother giggled, waving a wooden spoon at her.
“Still don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Blake,” Kali sighed, “Ghira said you look at her like I look at him.”
Blake fought the blush as it grew, knowing she was losing as Kali began giggling.
“For what it's worth dear, I wouldn’t object,” the older faunus chuckled, nudging her daughter in the side.
“Mother!”
Kali just laughed harder at her daughter's despair. In the distance, the two could hear chatter. Kali didn’t miss the way Blake's ears perked up when they heard a hearty laugh in the distance. One that definitely didn’t come from her husband. Kali was about to say something, before her daughter cut her off.
“Shut it.”
=================================
The following day, Blake went to Kuo Koana, Yang tagging along, claiming to have an errand to run. Blake had brought some crops to one of the local markets, Yang helping unload before wandering off while Blake bought supplies.
Currently she sat waiting, leaning against the wagon waiting for the blonde to return. She watched as Bumblebee and Shroud grazed, nickering and snorting to each other. She jumped slightly when a voice came from right beside her.
“Ready to go?”
Blake turned to find a cheerful blonde as she clutched her heart dramatically.
“Jesus Yang, way to warn a girl.”
“Sorry,” Yang replied, her tone saying she was very much not sorry.
“Lets go.”
Blake turned around, lifting herself up onto the front of the wagon, watching Yang do the same on the other side.
Leaving the outskirts of the town, the duo set out for the journey back to the farm. It was a decent half hour with the wagon. The two fell back into easy conversation.
“So what errand did you have to run?” Blake asked, turning to the blonde.
“I uh, went to the sheriff's office.” Blake raised an eyebrow at her.
“I imagine she was surprised to see you,” Blake chuckled, watching Yang softly. “Not many bandits willingly walk into a sheriff's office unless they’re attacking it.”
“Its ex-bandit, thanks very much,” Yang imitated a bitter tone. “And no attacks. Turned in my pistol.”
“Really?” Blake was genuinely surprised. Yang had spent quite a bit of time talking about her beloved revolver.
“Don’t need it now, right?” Blake heard the unasked question.
“Definitely not.”
The two rode on for a few more minutes, enjoying the peaceful silence when a question squirmed into Blake's mind, one that she wanted to ask for a while.
“Hey Yang, can I ask a question?” Blake asked, turning to the blonde.
“Shoot.”
“Have you ever killed someone?”
Blake didn’t miss the way Yang's face fell, like it was something that she hoped the brunette never inquired about.
“Once,” Her voice was quiet, monotone, something that definitely didn’t suit the blonde.
“Do you regret it?”
“No.”
The silence that followed was painful for the brunette, wanting to know what happened, now knowing how to ask. She watched the blonde, who was staring in the distance, eyes further away than where she was looking.
“I was scouting one night, in a forest a good day from here.” The blonde began, gaze sticking to the distance.
“T'was quiet, calm. Lovely night for what it was.
Ember and I, we stopped for some rest, mindin’ our business when I heard a yell. Well, yelling. Followed by a scream.”
Yang turned to her, her eyes expressing the pain of the events, but the lack of regret.
“I ran, followin’ the sound into the trees, when I came across a clearin’. There I saw a man, gun in hand, the barrel pointed at this girl on the ground. I drew my gun and waited, didn’ look like he was going to pull the trigger just yet.”
“Why do you hurt me, darling?” The man had said, gun not wavering from the downed woman's face.
“Adam, please!” The woman had begged, seeming to have no effect.
“You betrayed us, betrayed me. I loved you, don’t you love me?” The man scowled, in a tone that was anything but loving. “You betrayed our cause.”
“You lost your cause a long time ago,” the woman spoke bitterly, the fear in her voice gone. “And I was too stupid to realise until know.”
“Goodbye, my love.”
“That's when I lined up my shot, yelled t’get his attention. He shot me, and I shot him. I think the woman shot him too. That’s how I got this.” Yang rolled up her sleeve, showing Blake a scar from when a bullet sliced across her bicep. Blake stared dumbly at her, little pieces of a puzzle fitting together, leaving her capable of only saying one thing.
“The blonde bandit.”
“What’s that story, you never told me.” Yang spoke, like she didn't’ just tell a recount of killing someone.
“I only returned to the farm three months ago. Before that I was gone for a couple of years.”
Blake spoke about how she met Adam, leaving his name out. How she saw him as a man full of courage, full of devotion. Full of love. She told Yang about how he made her feel special, felt cared for, how she ignored the pleas of her parents to not go with him, then how she left them.
“We were in the white fang. Supposed to be protecting faunus from bandits that targeted them, or farmers that enslaved them. My partner slowly became more violent each month, more and more accidents occurring and I had been so blind to it all. Even when that violence was to me.”
“Blake, m’so sorry.” Yang whispered, reaching out to Blake's hand, giving it a squeeze. “Nobody should’ve to deal with that.”
“Got to a point when I realised we were hurting more than helping,” Blake continued. “So I spoke out, got deemed a traitor and tried to leave. He chased after me. And he caught up.”
Blake was trembling at this point, and Yang wasn’t sure she wanted her to continue.
“Blake-”
“Yang, please,” She mumbled. “I need to say this.”
With a nod from the blonde, Blake continued.
“He shot me, nice bullet in my hip. Didn’t even have time to draw my own gun. I was lying there, bleeding out, he was telling me about how he loved me, how it was my fault.”
Recognition began to slowly fill the blondes expression as Blake spoke.
“That's when someone shot him, he shot them, then I shot him in the back. I look over, and there she was.”
Blake looked up to meet Yang's eyes, a sad smile reaching her lips.
“The blonde bandit.”
Yang looked like she wanted to say something, but couldn’t find the words, so Blake went on.
“The last thing I heard was ‘Fuck you, goat man’ before I blacked out. Next thing I know, I was at Jaune’s being treated, my hero nowhere to be found.”
“Blake,” Yang whispered, rather close to the brunette now.
“Yang…”
She watched as Yang lent in, fully aware of what she was doing. Blake followed along, and the two met halfway.
A shock ran through Blake's body as their lips touched, Yang’s soft against hers, like they had been designed to suit hers perfectly. They pulled apart, Blake staring into Lilac eyes like they knew everything, like the world would pass on by without them leaving her.
“That was-” the blonde had mumbled.
“Incredible.” Blake tucked a stray hair behind Yang's ear like it was made of gold. “My blonde bandit.”
“Yours huh?” Yang asked, and Blake felt her face warm up.
“I mean-,” Blake was cut off by Yang, in a manner that she could certainly get used to.
“I like the sounds of that, sweetheart.” Yang smiled at her, and she could have sworn she was shining brighter than the sun.
“Mum’s going to have a field day when we get back, you know.” She whispered, a smile forming as the blonde giggled beside her.
“It’ll be worth it.”