Chapter 8

Yang hung up the phone with a smile on her face. "Good news I take it?" Winter asked.

"Yep, another interview." Yang confirmed. "That makes four."

"It may not seem like much compared to all the applications we sent, but that's actually not bad at all." Winter encouraged. She had helped Yang with about 30 job applications in the preceding days.

"Now I just have to figure out how I'm going to get to them." Yang said. "I guess I could go by taxi. I wish I still had my motorcycle."

"Motorcycle?" Winter asked.

"Yeah, back on Patch I had one." Yang explained. "I had to sell it when everything happened. Wasn't always the most practical but it beat a bus or a taxi for sure."

"Well, I've been thinking about buying a car." Winter said. "I suppose you could borrow it when you need to."

"That works." Yang said. "Let's do it."

Winter and Yang took a car service to a local dealership specializing in rare luxury and sports marques. Before long Winter was settled on one of two cars, both convertibles. One was a huge, rectangular luxury machine that looked quite stately, while the other was a smaller red sporty model. Yang had other ideas though. "Winter, you should definitely get that one." Yang said, pointing to a wedge-shaped hypercar. With an 800 horsepower twin-turbo V12 in the back it would be at home on the racetrack. It's well appointed interior and elaborate styling made it high class too.

"I'm not getting that monstrosity." Winter said. "I just want a nice comfortable car to cruise around in while I'm on vacation. I'm not going to take it racing in the Emerald Forest."

"Oh come on, live a little!" Yang exclaimed. "Just think of it. The roar of the engine, the feeling of the wind in your hair, the satisfaction you'll get from blowing past everyone else on the road."

"Or the deafness, windburn and traffic tickets I'll incur." Winter countered.

"But it's so cool!" Yang persisted.

"Just drop it please." Winter sighed.

"But chicks dig sports cars!" Yang declared.

"Yang, dearest, let me shop in peace and I'll buy you a new motorcycle." Winter offered.

"Sold!" Yang shouted. She drew her fingers across her mouth in a zippering motion.

Winter eventually settled on the sportier car. It was not the insane monstrosity Yang's choice was, but it did sport a twin-turbo V8, mounted in the front for more comfortable handling, and producing 550 horsepower. Critically it was setup to drive on normal streets and had an automatic gearbox, the perfect leisurely grand tourer. It was absolutely ideal for Winter as a vacation car, and if Yang so chose she could really thrash about with it while Winter was not looking. Winter briefly negotiated with the salesman, noting that her father's company owned a sizable share of the chosen car company, but did not mind when the man refused to budge. She probably had enough money to buy every car on offer.

All that remained before completing the purchase was a test drive to make sure it was really what Winter was looking for. That drive would also double as a trip to the bank to withdraw the cash needed to pay for it in full. Winter slid into the driver's seat and Yang hopped in on the other side. Given her wealth and fame, the salesman saw no need to supervise. Winter put the top down and headed out of the lot, intentionally taking a roundabout route to give her more time to feel out the car.

Winter cruised along a winding and hilly road along the cliffs that overlooked the sea. "I always loved that new car smell, but something about that sea air is just a great." Yang observed. "It makes me feel close to nature."

"I agree." Winter said. "There's actually a perfume that replicates it."

"Oh, that's awesome." Yang enthused.

"That's one word for…" Winter trailed off. Silence.

"Winter?" Yang said.

"Y-Yang...I…I..." Winter stammered. Yang looked over to see Winter's hands gripped tightly around the steering wheel, her knuckles white. Her eyes stared ahead unfocused. They hit a bump and Winter jerked, the car swerving into the oncoming lanes.

Yang reached over and grabbed the wheel, pulling the car back into line as Winter remained frozen. "Winter!" Yang shouted. "Winter, slow down! We need to pull over!"

Winter nodded and lifted off the gas, easing onto the brakes as Yang steered the car to the shoulder. When the car came to a stop Yang yanked the parking brake just in case, but Winter shifted it into neutral anyway. "Yang...chest...hurts…" Winter groaned.

"Winter, look at me." Yang instructed. "Give me your hand." Winter remained frozen. Yang reached up with one hand and gently turned Winter's face toward her own, then forcefully pulled one hand off the steering wheel, only for Winter to grip the hand with all her might. "Keep looking at me." Yang gently stroked Winter's cheek and her once frantic and rough breathing slowed. Her grip on Yang's hand and the steering wheel loosened. With Winter a little more relaxed Yang pulled her into a hug and Winter sobbed into her shoulder. "It's okay, it's okay. You're safe. We're safe."

"Everything was fine...I was fine...then…" Winter wept. "I...I saw a flash of something. It...it reminded me...and I was right back to the night...the night of the crash."

"It's okay Winter." Yang said. "You don't have to talk about it. Just take your time and make sure you're alright."

"I...I don't suppose if I bought you a bike you'd never speak of this again?" Winter asked.

"Winter, I won't ever break your trust like that." Yang replied. "I hope you talk to Glynda about it though. She can help you."

"I know, I know, I'll bring it up." Winter said. "Let's just keep going. I'm fine now."

"You're sure?" Yang asked.

"With you here?" Winter said. "Positive."

The rest of the drive was uneventful and they soon arrived at the bank. Winter withdrew two cases full of money and they headed back to the dealership. Winter handed over one of the cases, signed the necessary paperwork, and the car was hers. She drove back out of the lot but did not head back to the house. Instead she headed away from it. After a short drive she pulled into a motorcycle dealership.

"Winter?" Yang gasped. She could not believe it. "Y-You don't have to do this."

"I can't drive you to work forever." Winter said. "You'll need your own transportation."

"Incredible." Yang said with a big dumb grin on her face as she stepped out of the car.

"So, which one would you like?" Winter asked.

"I...I...uh...hell, any of them would be fantastic." Yang stammered. "You're paying. You should choose."

Winter picked one out, the most expensive one on offer. She paid for it with the other case of money, and Yang signed all the ownership papers in her own name. Winter added to the purchase by getting a helmet for each of them - Yang's yellow and featuring flames, Winter's white with blue streaks - and sets of leathers for the both of them that matched their respective helmets. Still not really believing it was real, Yang ducked into the bathroom to don her new attire. She hopped on the bike and followed Winter back to the house.

"You should come for a ride with me." Yang suggested once they arrived. "You bought the thing so it's only fair."

"Oh, I don't know…" Winter said.

"Come on, it'll be fun." Yang said.

"Well okay." Winter agreed. "Let me get changed and I'll be right out." Winter ran into the house to don her leathers. They were a bit tight but fit well enough. Winter did find them a bit vulgar though.

"You look good." Yang said as Winter put on her helmet and straddled the bike. "Hold on tight."

"To what?" Winter asked.

"To me silly." Yang said. She reached back and grabbed Winter's hands, placing them around her waist. "And I'm serious, hold on tight."

"Uh...that doesn't sound…" Winter started, but Yang fired the engine and the bike leapt forward. Winter screamed in terror and hugged Yang tightly as she careened down the road. She headed for the coastal highway, a winding ribbon of tarmac that ran along the cliffs above the sea. Winter screamed most of the way as Yang slung the bike around, leaning at ridiculous angles in the curves and blasting out onto the straights. Then, just as suddenly as the wild ride had begun, it was over as Yang brought the bike to a gentle halt on a small patch of dirt between the road and the cliff.

Yang put the kickstand down and hopped off. She removed her helmet and helped Winter off the bike. "You okay?" Yang asked with a mischievous grin.

"No, I am not okay you maniac!" Winter shouted as she removed her helmet. "I can't feel my thighs!"

"But you can feel something else, can't you?" Yang said with a wink, pulling Winter closer.

"Shut up…" Winter protested weakly. Yang turned her to face the ocean. The sun was just setting over the gentle waves and the sky was aglow with brilliant reds and yellows that were reflected on the water.

"Really gets the heart pumping!" Yang enthused. "That's why I used to do it. Whenever things got hard, when I could feel the stress eating away at me, I would just jump on and ride until the wind tore away all the bad feelings. I haven't been able to do this in so long." She smiled and looked at Winter. "Thank you Winter, this means so much to me, more than you know. Thank you." Yang leaned in and planted a quick kiss on Winter's cheek. Winter was shocked but smiled back and leaned in herself, and the two met in a much more passionate kiss. Winter's mind was racing but she found herself kissing Yang with an intensity she had not experienced in quite some time.

Winter would have stayed there, in that moment, for longer if she could, but Yang pulled away, even as Winter leaned in for more. Yang just winked at her and giggled as Winter pouted, Yang putting her helmet back on. Winter followed suit and they both hopped back on the bike. Though Yang drove much more slowly Winter embraced her more tightly, clinging to her back as they wound their way home.

Yang followed Winter into the house, her helmet under her arm. Once inside she tossed it on the floor as Winter carefully placed hers on a table before unzipping her leathers. It was a relief to be out of the tight jacket. "I think I might retire early tonight." Winter said. "Today was tiring, and a little terrifying, but I enjoyed it."

"Especially the ride I bet." Yang said.

"The ride was certainly...sensational." Winter said.

"One of the unspoken perks of riding a motorcycle." Yang laughed.

"Yang…" Winter started.

"I could help with that you know." Yang said.

"What?" Winter asked.

"You know what." Yang said as she grabbed Winter around the waist and pulled her in close.

"Yang I...I won't be here forever." Winter sighed.

"Then don't think of it like that." Yang suggested. "We could both use some stress relief."

"Ah...stress relief…" Winter said. "I can agree to that."

"Like you could refuse." Yang said with a wink.

"Shush you." Winter said as she leaned in to kiss Yang.

"That was...incredible." Winter gasped. It was something of an understatement. She had not experienced sex like that since college, and even that would probably not match up.

"The bedroom is where I do some of my best work." Yang laughed. Winter rolled her eyes. "I couldn't help but notice a cute little snowflake on your ass."

"Oh, that." Winter said. "I told you I learned how to tattoo in college. Well, I also seduced the artist I learned from. Step one was getting her to stare at my ass for an hour while she did that."

"You're good." Yang said. "Very good."

Winter grinned. "You're not bad yourself."

Winter woke up feeling refreshed. Yang had been right about the stress relieving properties of what they had done. She could faintly smell something cooking. She quickly threw on some clothes and headed out into the main room. "Morning." Yang said. She was at the stove, just starting to make breakfast. "You're up earlier than usual."

"Well, I got some quality sleep." Winter said. "You probably had something to do with that."

"Hey uh...I'm sorry if I pressured you a little last night." Yang said. "I know I can come on a little strong sometimes."

"You're right about that, but it's not a problem." Winter said. "I...uh...I should apologize too."

"What for?" Yang asked.

"Well...how do I put this?" Winter asked. "God, what are we doing Yang?! I'm going to be leaving soon. We both know that. I feel like I'm playing with your heart."

"Winter, I understand the situation." Yang said. "You don't have to worry about that. Let's just enjoy things while we can. If this turns out to be just a vacation fling, I can live with that. If it makes us both happy, even for just a little while, it's worth it."

"Yang I…I…" Winter struggled. She realized she was starting to cry. "That means so much. It's just...I…" She trailed off, unable to continue through the tears.

Yang abandoned her food and rushed to Winter's side, wrapping her in a tight embrace. "Now's not the time to cry." She said. "Be happy."

"I am happy." Winter wept. "It's just...this is…" Winter had not been in a really romantic relationship since college, and no one had shown her such love since except Weiss. It was all too much.

"You don't have to say anything." Yang said. "I understand perfectly." They stood there for what seemed to Winter to be hours but was probably less than a minute. Then Yang released her and held her by the shoulders. "Now, I'd better get back to the food before it burns. Just know, short term or long term, I'm just happy to be with you at all."

At the next group meeting Yang's new motorcycle was all anyone seemed to want to talk about. Noting the bike's black and yellow paint scheme, Blake said it looked like a hornet. Velvet thought wasp. Nora said bumblebee and so it was named. Still unsure of the exact nature of their relationship, Yang and Winter kept quiet about the physical aspects of it, even as the others pressed for details. Beyond that it featured the same sort of chatting most of the meetings did. Sun seemed eager for a video game rematch with Winter. Nora was lukewarm about it but agreed, almost reluctantly, to join in when the others had a free night.

Pyrrha arrived at Nora's house for another of her regular visits. After the previous week she was not entirely surprised when Nora was not at the door waiting for her when she entered. "I'm in here!" Nora called from the living room before Pyrrha even had a chance to ask.

Pyrrha walked in to see Nora lying on the couch without a thread of clothing on. "Oh God!" Pyrrha exclaimed, averting her eyes.

"Hey Pyrrha." Nora said.

"Nora...are you okay?" Pyrrha asked.

"Huh?" Nora said.

"Is everything alright?" Pyrrha asked. "Are you taking your medication?"

"Oh...uh...yeah." Nora said. "I'm fine and I am, every day, just like I'm supposed to."

"Well okay." Pyrrha said with a sigh of relief. "Can you please put some clothes on?"

"Fine." Nora sighed. There was laundry scattered about the room. Nora grabbed a shirt and put it on, though it only covered down to her navel. "There."

Pyrrha peeked back and turned away again. "Nora...that doesn't really help." She said.

Nora reluctantly slipped on a pair of panties. "Better?" She groaned.

"Yes, much better." Pyrrha said. "What was that about? Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yeah, I'm okay." Nora said. "It's too hot in here and sometimes I want to be free, the girls want to be free! Pyrrha, think of the girls!"

Pyrrha did not think it particularly warm but it was as reasonable an explanation as Nora ever gave for anything. "Well, I'm just glad you're alright." She said. "I was worried there for a minute."

"I'm sorry for scaring you." Nora said, stepping forward to hug Pyrrha.

"It's okay." Pyrrha said as they embraced. She was suddenly very aware that Nora's nipples were poking her through the shirt.

"So, what should we do today?" Nora asked. "Want to go shopping?"

"That sounds good." Pyrrha said. "But first let's clean up a little, maybe start with some laundry." The room was a bit of a mess, and if history was any indication Nora's bedroom and the kitchen would be just as bad. "Then we can go."

"Okay." Nora said cheerfully. She began collecting the clothes scattered around the room, almost dancing as she did so.

As Pyrrha joined in she could not get the image of a stark naked Nora out of her head. It had been shocking, to be sure, but she was not feeling shock. She was feeling something else, something she could not pin down nor understand. All day that confusion stuck with her, even as she joined Nora in completing chores and then went clothes shopping. She could not focus at all. That night she got little sleep, lying awake wondering what exactly she was feeling and why. In the end she could find no answers. She would have to ask someone for help. Only one person came to mind: Glynda. Surely she would be able to shed some light on things. They would see one another at work the next day and it would be the perfect time to ask.