Always by Your Side - Chapter 4 (Patreon)

“In here.”

No sooner had the words left Yang’s mouth did she kick the door open and pull Blake into a small storage room.  Her brisk, forceful actions alluded to the seriousness of the situation, yet she treated Blake with tenderness and reassurance, keeping one arm around Blake’s waist while the other tightly clasped her hand.

“Watch the door,” Yang barked at the other guards, who followed the order without hesitation.  Remaining in the hall, they shut the door and, with it, also blocked some of the uproar outside - the sound of an angry, agitated crowd demanding changes and concessions Blake didn’t have the power to make.

“Are you ok?” Yang asked in a much gentler voice while leading Blake over to a bench and prompting her to sit down.  “Are you hurt?  Did any of them hurt you?”

Without waiting for an answer, Yang looked Blake over, moving her arms in search of injuries before meeting her eyes.

“Princess, talk to me.  You’re freaking me out, and I don’t respond well to freaked out.”

“I’m ok...” Blake whispered, but she didn’t feel ok.  She felt shaken, distressed, and...just plain awful.  “I just wasn’t...expecting that…”

As the adrenaline wore off, she bit her lip and tried to hold back the tears welling in her eyes.

It could have been worse if Yang hadn’t reacted so quickly.  Before Blake even sensed the shift in mood, Yang was dragging her away from the crowd while their trailing guard sprang to life.  The shouts and jeers followed as the spectators became more like an angry mob.

It all happened so fast.  Blake couldn’t even explain it, but it was terrifying.  For the first time since leaving the palace, she realized that she wasn’t safe wherever she went.  Her parents worried about her for legitimate reasons, and Yang’s presence was more than just a good-looking luxury.

Thinking about the moment when Yang suddenly grabbed her hand and pulled her off the stage, and the spike of fear and confusion that followed as some invisible restraint snapped, her tears spilled over.  A strangled gasp slipped through her lips as she struggled to regain control of her tumultuous emotions, shaking like a leaf now that the worst was, hopefully, behind her.

“It’s ok…” Yang murmured, still holding Blake’s hand with one of her own while using the other to gently wipe the tears from Blake’s cheek.  That was all it took for the floodgates to open.  Soon, tears streamed down Blake’s cheeks while her breaths were reduced to small sobs.

“Oh, please don’t cry,” Yang whispered before pulling Blake into a warm, strong hug.

Blake only cried harder when she felt the safety of Yang’s arms, but she burrowed into Yang’s shoulder to quiet her sobs.  A steady, comforting hand ran up and down her back while more tears fell, the emotions too far beyond her control for her to reign in.  Yang whispered that it was ok over and over again - as many times as Blake needed to hear it, and then some.

Thankfully, she was alone, with no witnesses to her breakdown.  Actually, she was better than alone - Yang was here with her.  And Yang was soft, warm, strong, supportive...everything and anything Blake needed her to be.  Quick to smile, quick to laugh, even quicker to tease...with intelligence and a hardworking nature that made her a joy to be around.

Blake’s parents could have hired anyone, but she was increasingly grateful that they’d picked Yang.  Yang was special - so much so that just thinking about her helped Blake calm down.  And, as her thoughts revolved more and more around the girl holding her close, her heart stopped racing quite so fast.

Her tears slowed soon after.  The surge of emotions gradually faded away.  And, bit by bit, her composure returned.  Still, Yang hugged her close, and she made no attempt to move away.

“It’s ok…” Yang whispered again, her hand still moving up and down Blake’s back.  And Blake knew, somehow, that Yang would stay like this for as long as she needed.  Whether that took minutes, hours, or days...Yang wouldn’t leave until Blake’s world settled down.

Fortunately, Blake was already feeling more like herself.  Every second of Yang’s warmth helped.  Every ounce of strength Yang lent through her hands and closeness helped even more.  Soon, Blake sniffled one last time before pulling away, but only far enough to wipe her eyes before looking up at Yang.

“Is it though?” she whispered while her heart still struggled to come to terms with what just happened.

“Yes,” Yang immediately replied, her voice firm and expression unwavering.  That expression quickly softened, however, as she sighed and gently wiped the tears from Blake’s cheeks.

“Not everyone will agree with what you have to say,” she whispered while doing so.  “It’s impossible to make everyone happy.  There will always be protesters.  There will always be people who think you’re doing the wrong thing.”

When Blake frowned at the thought that there would always be people like that - angry crowds who didn’t care about reason - Yang ducked down to meet her gaze.

“What’s important is that you’re doing your best, and trying to make life better for as many people as possible.”

Tears returned to Blake’s eyes at the simple response, which was, as usual, Yang believing in her more than she believed in herself.  She wished she could be the princess that Yang saw, but...it was harder than expected.

“Hey,” Yang said, drawing Blake’s gaze back to her smile.  “I think you’re amazing.”

Through slightly misty eyes, Blake still managed a smile.  Yang squeezed her hand at the feeble attempt, then leaned forward and kissed the tip of her nose.  Her eyes fell closed as Yang did so, savoring the affection while cherishing the feeling of Yang’s hand clasped around hers.

By the time Yang pulled away, Blake felt better.  Being here with Yang made her feel better.  And, with a sigh, she leaned into Yang for another hug, determined to soak up as much of Yang’s warmth as possible.

“I just...wish I could promise everyone everything they want…” she mumbled while Yang’s arms wrapped around her and pulled her close.

“But you can’t make promises you can’t keep.”

Considering that response for several long seconds, Blake eventually concluded that Yang was right.  As someone representing the government of Menagerie, she had to be careful about making promises.  If she broke one, even if it was impossible to keep, people would think she went back on her word.  Then they wouldn’t trust her going forward.

That was why her parents cautioned her against using assertive words and crossed them out of any speech she’d ever written.  She wanted to make promises.  She wanted to make everyone happy.  But how could she do that?  Her knowledge of Menagerie was good, but she didn’t know the intricacies of their economy and government.  At least, not yet.

But she would learn.  She would learn as much as she could, as fast as she could.  Then she would have a better understanding of what was possible and what wasn’t.  She would understand what she could change and what she didn’t even want to.

Reassured by the renewed objective, she sighed but didn’t move away from Yang’s embrace.

“Feeling better?” Yang whispered, and Blake responded by wrapping her arms around Yang’s waist and burrowing her face into Yang’s soft, heavenly hair.

“Yes, but...can we stay here a little longer?” she asked while breathing in the soft, intoxicating scent of Yang’s shampoo.

Somewhere beyond the walls of the building, she still heard the sounds of the crowd outside.  She would go back out there if she had to, knowing she was safe with Yang by her side, but she didn’t want to.  Not yet, at least.

“Of course.  We can stay here as long as you want.”

Yang rested her head on top of Blake’s while Blake snuggled closer, but it wasn’t until she sighed that Blake realized she’d been worried.  It was Yang’s job to be worried, but...this felt like a different kind of worry.  This felt like something more than worry for Blake’s physical wellbeing.

If Blake were to put it in words, she’d say Yang really, truly cared about her.  Yang wasn’t just keeping her safe, Yang was...protecting her...in every sense of the word.  And knowing that made her feel more treasured than she’d felt with anyone outside of her parents.

In this moment, holding each other in that empty supply room, Blake hoped Yang knew how valued she was too.  Her friendship and unwavering support meant the world to Blake.  And...one day, Blake hoped to find a way to express that gratitude.