It felt good to be among teammates again. Of course, the guys of JNPR were great, but Yang had always been most comfortable with her own team. With her sister and her closest friends; and more recently, something more. 

Nothing could even begin to describe the pure joy she'd felt when she'd opened the doors to Schnee Manor and found all of them eagerly waiting for her. Even though they'd only been apart for a day and a half, Ruby had jumped into her arms like it had been years; and honestly, it felt like it had. 

Afterward, Weiss had hugged her so tightly that her back was still hurting even ten minutes later, as she stood off to the side of the room with one arm around Blake's shoulders. 

Blake hadn't received a hug, nor had she given one. Instead, she'd received a tender, reassuring hand on her cheek and given a gentle touch of foreheads that said 'I love you' louder than any words either of them knew how to say. 

Even now, they still hadn't spoken to each other. Their light touches and soft gazes spoke for them, whispering 'I missed you' and 'Thank God you're safe' and "Never leave me again', over and over until Yang could swear the words were audible. 

She was so caught up in them that she wasn't even listening to the group's discussion of Ironwood's ultimatum. Blake, on the other hand, apparently was, as something that had been said prompted her to start moving toward the stairs. 

Startled by the sudden jolt back to reality, Yang reached out and caught her hand. 

"What is it?" Blake asked as the others passed them, staring in confusion at Yang. 

"Oh- sorry." Yang quickly dropped Blake's hand, her face warming with mild embarrassment. "Where's everyone going?"

"Upstairs to check on Penny and Nora." Blake replied slowly. Her brow furrowed with concern and her voice lowered. "Are you alright? It's not like you to space out like that." 

"Yeah, I'm okay. I'm just really glad we're together again. I guess I got a little distracted." Much to Yang's surprise, her eyes began to sting as she spoke. 

"Woah, hey," Blake brought her hands up to gently cup Yang's face, using her thumbs to wipe the tears away. "What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry, I-" Yang's voice broke, and she had to take a moment to collect herself. "I really missed you. I know we weren't apart for long, but the whole time I couldn't stop worrying about whether you were okay or if you thought less of me for choosing Mantle." 

"Oh, Yang..." Blake said softly. "I could never think less of you for doing what you think is right. People disagree, but that doesn't mean I'm going to stop loving you. I'm not that petty."

Yang barked out a laugh at the unexpected remark. 

"I know," She sniffled. "I guess I still have some anxiety, since this is all so new."

"You don't need to worry. I love you completely unconditionally." Blake promised. She suddenly wrapped Yang up in a firm hug, and the blonde almost started crying a second time. It was so good to be in her arms again. 

"I love you too." Yang whispered, putting her arms around Blake's waist.  

They stood there for a while, holding each other tightly, and Yang would have been more than happy to stay there for the rest of her life. 

"The others are going to be wondering where we are." Blake said all too soon. Yang responded by tightening her grip.

"Just one more minute?" She requested quietly. 

"One more minute." Blake agreed, resting her chin on Yang's shoulder. "I missed you too, by the way. I kept trying to call you, but you were out of range."

"Sorry about that. There was a lot going on." Yang sighed. "I guess the guys and I still have to fill everyone in."

"No rush." Blake replied. "Although, I would like to know what Emerald is doing here."

"It's kind of a long story. It would be better if we just explained it to the group."

"Should we get up there, then?" Despite Yang's nod in response, they lingered in each other's arms for a moment longer, reluctant to part. 

Wordlessly, Blake moved her hands to Yang's shoulders and tilted her head up to press her lips against Yang's forehead. It was the first kiss that had ever been shared between them, and Yang honestly thought she preferred this to the idea of a kiss on the lips. Something about it just felt more intimate. 

After a moment, Blake moved away, but the warmth of her hands and sensation of her lips remained. As she turned to the stairs, Yang reached out and gripped her hand, letting her lead the way. They walked as near to each other as they could, comforting one another with their closeness, silently promising that they would not part again. 

No matter what happened next, they would face it together.