Team SHDW Volume 2

Chapter 18: Alone Together

Yang sat alone on her bed looking at the 'New Friends!' photo of Team RWBY. She heard a knock on the door and quickly put the photo away.

"Yeah?" she said, granting permission for whoever it was to enter.

The door opened, but Yang didn't feel the need to look up to see who entered, "Look Ruby, I really don't want to talk about it, okay? Can you just leave me alone for a bit?"

"Geez, you must be in quite the mood if you mistake me for Ruby."

Yang looked up and was surprised that it was not Ruby, but Skyler who was at the doorway. She tried a smile

"Oh. Hey, Skyler," she said, "Did you need something?"

Skyler closed the door behind him and sat on the bed opposite to Yang, "Well, I was just wanting to talk to you, but I can see you're in the middle of something. Should I go, or..."

Yang sighed, "No, no it's fine. It's just... Blake."

That seemed to explain itself just fine to Skyler, "Ah... I see."

"I know she's my teammate, my partner, but I'm not just going to change my mind. I'm sorry, I just... Not to bring up bad memories, but you know what it's like to be left. You had a great family before they... passed. They loved you, you loved them. I didn't have any of that. My mom left me. Ruby's mom left too. Dad was always busy with school and Ruby couldn't even talk yet. I had to pick up the pieces. I had to keep things together. I know that I had you and Dante, but it wasn't the same. It felt like I was alone..."

There was a silent pause before she looked at her boyfriend again, "Skyler, if you have something to say, then say it."

Skyler remained silent for a moment before responding, "I... had a cousin who attended Beacon. I don't know if I've told him about you or not, because we only somewhat knew each other. Nevertheless, we got along fairly well in the moments we had together. He was much older than us, and was very strong."

"Is there a point to this story?" Yang slightly joked, but Skyler could tell she was getting a bit impatient.

"I'm getting there. He was strong... but he was holding a lot in. My aunt and uncle weren't exactly the nicest of people, but I never thought they were that bad. But one look at my cousin told me everything. The bruises and scars he thought he had hidden. Even though I was pretty young when I saw them, I understood the importance of them quickly. And the way he looked emotionally. Half the time, I thought was insane. He didn't have any friends outside of me, and even that was pushing it. That's gotta do something to someone."

"What was his name?" Yang asked.

"...Hallow. Hallow Eve."

"Wait, isn't that the kid of your aunt and uncle who were murdered?!"

"Yup. Same guy. And you're right. I don't know the kind of loneliness you felt back then. But I've seen it elsewhere. Others have their own version. The loneliness in Hallow's eyes when he stayed with us in the short time before he went to Beacon will always stick with me. I see the same look in Weiss' eyes. And, I'll bet Blake has her own version too."

"She doesn't have to be alone though. I was here for her. We all were! She chose to leave us."

"Okay, but why do you think she did that?"

"What?"

"The entire time Blake was at Beacon, I saw that she was afraid to open up to people. She tried to keep her past separated from us, even her own team. She tried to protect us. Eventually, those walls she put up came down. And the moment they did, the one thing she was afraid of actually happened. The universe proved her right."

"No one blamed her for anything!" Yang exclaimed, "If she had just talked to us, she would've known that! How could I be there for her if she doesn't let me? What if I needed her here for me?"

Yang buried her face in her hands and started to sob quietly. Skyler put an arm around her shoulder in reassurance.

"I know it's not easy," he said, "I wish she hadn't left too. The only thing we can do now is be there for her when she's ready. When she comes back."

Yang lowered her hands from her face, "If she comes back."

"No, will," Skyler insisted, "She will. Yang... You and your team seemed just as much as a sisterhood as me, you, Ruby, and Dante were in our childhoods. You would do anything for each other, and I'm willing to bet Blake feels the same way. So, when she's ready, the rest of her team will be there for her. And know that I'll be there for you."

Skyler smiled and Yang calmed down. She looked at him, and he saw a familiar looking fire in her eyes. The kind that said that she wanted something and nothing was gonna stop her from getting it. She began to lean in, and Skyler returned the gesture, now eager for the same thing she was. But just before their lips touched, they heard a knock at the door, which opened up and revealed that Ruby was there, causing the two to slowly separate.

"Is, uh..." Ruby said awkwardly, "Everything okay?"

Yang smiled, "Yeah, it is."

Ruby just sighed in relief and then said, "I'll just... leave you two alone..."

The two laughed slightly as Ruby closed the door. The laughter stopped and the two looked at each other again.

"So..." Skyler said awkwardly, "Has the moment passed, or-"

Yang grabbed him by the shirt collar with one hand and slammed his lips onto his. It stopped almost as quickly as it began, but it felt amazing all the same. When it ended, Skyler felt a bit dazed.

"I waited a year to do that again," Yang smirked, "Nothing's stopping me now."

"No complaints here," Skyler remarked, before they both leaned in again.
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"Skyler was what?!" Hazel exclaimed, laughing, "I don't believe you."

"It's true!" Dante insisted as the two wandered aimlessly through the house, just amusing each other and catching up, "He was locked in there for over half an hour, with us trying to get him out. You'd be surprised how little we could do back then to get behind a locked door."

"I thought you knew how to pick locks?" Hazel questioned.

"Yes, but that's just another reason why I learned. In case a situation like that one came up again."

"A situation where someone gets locked in a public restroom?"

"Hey, you never know with us!"

"Point taken," Hazel replied and they both cracked up.

They were like this for a bit before they were nearly in tears. They then stopped and Hazel wiped one of her eyes and smiled wistfully.

"Gods, I have missed this..." she said.

"Missed what?" Dante asked.

"This. Us, just... messing around, telling funny stories... just gets me nostalgic is all."

"How could stuff that happened just over a year ago be counted as nostalgic?" Dante joked.

Hazel giggled, "It shouldn't... but I think that just goes to show how much I've missed you."

Hazel then grew bold and leaned over to kiss Dante on the cheek, "It's getting late. We'd better to bed."

Very quickly, she turned an sped-walk away, her face blushing, her bravado gone. Meanwhile, Dante's face was as red as his jacket, and he reached up with his hand to touch the previously kissed cheek. Trying to contain a goofy grin, he turned and headed to his room.
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Couldn't help myself. If I'm being completely honest, these chapters aren't nearly as bad to write as I thought they would be. Perhaps it's just my disappointment of Volume 5 showing. Oh well. One more chapter before things throw down! Till next time guys!