Black Cats And Night Skies

For a very special friend's birthday! Roadtrip AU, sequel to Air.

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.

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							Black Cats And Night Skies

A quiet little one-lane road cut through the dusty, golden corn fields swaying in the hot summer breeze somewhere on the outskirts of Oklahoma.

It was a quiet road, one only ever really traveled on out of necessity and typically only at speeds up to 35mph by the locals.

Which was why it was fairly easy to tell the two girls speeding by in their little red car at nearly 70 weren't locals at all.

They were certainly traveling faster than the wind-speed, the motion of the car stirring up the reeds lining the road even more so than nature itself.

Blake knew it was because of the sign they kept in the back of the car, the stolen and slightly-vandalized speed limit sign that had been altered with permanent marker to read not 60 but 69. That was always the speed her companion drove at whenever she could stay beneath police radar.

Yang often tended to speed when she knew she could get away with it, typically on deserted roads or the one less traveled.

And most of the time, Blake would humor her. Not because they were in a hurry to get anywhere – not at all; on this little adventure of theirs, they had no time limits, no deadlines, only freedom of choice. She merely went along with the speeding because of the thrill it gave her, that sense of liberation she never found back in her boring old hometown where she only ever moved from her room to trudge to the prison called high school.

But out here with Yang, she was free. They both were.

And she knew Yang loved the excitement of the fast-paced life even more than she herself did.

Beneath the black shades the blonde was wearing were eager eyes and a huge grin that hadn't left her lips since they'd started driving that morning. The blasting classical music filled the air, competing with the roar of the wind in their ears. The windows were rolled down all the way for the whipping winds to send their hair flying.

Presently, Blake bit a hair tie on her wrist and pulled it off her hand to begin gathering her mess of tresses and secure it into a ponytail. It was a day on the hotter side, that was for certain, but they didn't want to risk over-using the air conditioning in the car now, have it break, and therefore have it be unavailable to them on days when they really needed it.

So on days like today, illegal speeds and gusting winds were what cooled them down.

Blake folded her forearms and rested them against the side of the car, over the rolled-down glass of the window. She stared lazily out over the stretches of corn fields for a moment, taking in the dancing stalks. Little purple and yellow wildflowers randomly decorated the uniform brown, making for a pleasant scene.

She closed her eyes for a moment, simply enjoying the breeze and the racing of her heart to accompany the high speeds of the car. But she reopened her eyes moments later, not wanting to miss too much of these sights.

They traveled down this single path for at least half an hour or so, until the ruler-straight road began to form little curves here and there.

That was when Blake straightened her posture once more and pressed her back into her seat where it belonged, reaching out to turn down the radio.

"Alright, I think it's time to slow down a bit," she cautioned. "The road's getting a little twisty, and I think we're about to wind up near civilization again. Which means cops."

Yang shrugged her shoulders, but never lost the smirk on her lips.

"Yeah, I think now's a good time to go easy on the gas pedal. Been crushin' it all morning, after all."

She gradually decreased the speed of the car, watching the little red arrow on the dial drop down into the 50's and then 40's. The air became a little easier to breathe again, and Blake relaxed a bit more now that they were no longer at risk of being apprehended by authorities.

Her predictions about nearing civilization had been correct, as they soon started passing through a small town. The paved road bled into a dustier one, lined with sidewalks and little shops.

A glance at the digital clock told Yang it was lunchtime, and the speedy driving had certainly worked up her appetite. She slid her sunglasses down with one finger and flashed a glance toward Blake.

"Hey, wanna grab a bite to eat?"

"I thought you'd never ask."

Yang pulled the car over in a parking spot at the side of the road, stopping the vehicle completely for the first time since she'd started it that morning. She turned off the radio and rolled up the windows before removing the keys and dropping them onto her lap. Then, she took a moment to stretch her arms up above her head, groaning in satisfaction when her shoulders popped one after the other.

Blake was stiff too, and quickly opened her car door to get out and stand on her own two legs again, shaking her feet a bit until the prickling numbness began to dissipate.

Yang followed her lead and locked the car behind her. She sauntered over to the sidewalk where Blake was waiting for her. The dark-haired girl chuckled as she reached out a hand to help smooth Yang's wind-ruffled hair.

"You should tie it up next time," she advised. "It's a lot less messy. Trust me."

"Eh, but I kinda like it messy, y'know? 'S long as it's not blinding me while I'm drivin' it's fine!"

Blake rolled her eyes but didn't argue. She offered her hand – an action that had once been timid, but lost its hesitance over time. Yang accepted it gently, curling their fingers together as they began to walk.

Due to certain, somewhat recent events that had occurred no longer than three weeks prior, the two of them were now openly and comfortably considering one another their "girlfriend".

Being alone together the majority of each day and night didn't necessarily call for the word to be specifically used, but the few times they had to interact with other human beings, sometimes they would blatantly state the obvious to fend off straying eyes.

But even with the newfound discovery of these affections, it hadn't changed much about their relationship during this road trip.

They still shared warm hugs whenever the stress started to build up and threatened to burst.

They still cuddled in each other's arms in the back seat of the car and pondered profound thoughts brought on by absurd hours of the night.

They still felt that overwhelming sense of security and acceptance from one another above all else.

Only now, they could do all of that and kiss as well.

Whenever the hell they wanted to.

Yang was feeling giddy now, so she leaned over to peck Blake's cheek, pulling her a little closer to her side. Blake paused in her stride and halted the blonde as well. She let go of Yang's hand only to remove the sunglasses, and then kissed her lips.

It wasn't as long as Yang would've liked it to be, and before she knew it, Blake had returned her shades onto the bridge of her nose, taken her hand, and started walking again.

"Aw, you're teasin' me," Yang pouted.

"We can continue later," Blake promised.

Yang understood. There were an awful lot of pedestrians passing them by, and they'd probably get a few judgmental stares and disapproving comments. It hadn't happened to them yet, thankfully – and hopefully it never would – but Yang had heard stories about two girls or boys who'd kissed being consequently denied entry to a store or restaurant.

If anything, they should get their meals first, and then make out for all the town to see before booking it and taking off at top speed.

But something told Yang it wouldn't have to come to that here.

All of the people seemed happy, almost to the point where it was a bit odd. Blake must've noticed it too, because she muttered under her breath.

"Did I miss something?"

Yang shrugged again.

"Beats me. Maybe they're just a really cheery town?"

They said nothing more on the matter for now, but instead focused on finding a place where they could grab a bite to eat.

They only used the funds they had for necessities like food, water, and gas for the car. A stroke of luck had come over them in their last town when Blake had found a $20 bill floating around on the sidewalk unclaimed, so she'd slipped it into her pocket and taken it with her. She wanted to save that particular bill for something special – for Yang – but she wasn't quite sure what it would be just yet.

The scent of food soon came onto the air, and both girls quickened their collective pace a bit. They passed a few little clothing stores and a tailor shop before coming to a stop right outside a small deli.

It was bustling with people on lunch break, but the pair wasn't about to risk passing this place up and walking more than they had to. Plus, it smelled heavenly, so they pushed through the doors.

The place smelled of various breads and meats, and all around people were either taking seats at the little tables to eat or hurrying back out the doors. Blake noticed a vending machine to one side, surprised at the cheap prices of the water, and she made a mental note to grab a few bottles on the way out.

The two of them waited on line as they mumbled the menu's choices to themselves.

A month ago, going into a place like this would've resulted in Blake's unease at being amongst a crowd, and Yang would have tried to avoid the situation at all costs.

But now, having established their romantic relationship, Blake had become a bit more confident in herself, and there was nothing Yang loved more than to see her gradually starting to conquer her old fears.

Even so, she made sure not to let go of the girl's hand even as they reached the counter.

Blake made her order first.

"I'd like a toasted bagel with cream cheese, and an English muffin, please."

"And I'll take a ham sandwich and an order of fries!" Yang added.

They stood aside as they waited for their orders.

Blake spotted an open table not far away, and she knew it would only be seconds before it was occupied again. She took a deep breath and dared to let go of Yang's hand. Surprised, the blonde turned to look at her.

"Blake? You okay?"

"Yeah. Fine. I'm just... I'll grab us a table, okay?"

Yang blinked. Blake was going to run off through a crowd of people alone for this? Yang didn't want to discourage her in the effort to overcome her fears, but she didn't want Blake to end up getting hurt, either.

"Are you sure?"

Blake appreciated the concern – she really did. She smiled slightly and gave a nod.

"Yeah. You get our food and I'll get us some seats."

Yang held her gaze for a brief moment before nodding.

Blake scurried away, weaving through the lines of people, bound for the table. She was a bit breathless by the time she reached it, pulling the two vacant chairs close together and sitting at one, keeping her hand on the other to indicate it was being saved.

She was more than a little stiff as she waited there, fidgeting and dreading if she'd have to speak to someone to tell them the seat was taken. She wasn't sure if she'd be able to talk at all if push came to shove.

But luck seemed to be staying on her side, as Yang arrived a few minutes later with their food.

"Here we go!" she announced, putting their two trays down on the table before plopping into the chair beside Blake's. "Thanks for gettin' us seats! This is a lot nicer than having to walk and eat."

Blake felt instantly better when Yang was back at her side, but the feeling of accomplishment she got from completing this little task on her own was indescribable. But it felt really good.

Yang took her hand in her lap and gave a little squeeze.

"You okay?" she checked.

Blake nodded.

"Yeah."

"I'm glad!" Yang leaned to the side and kissed her girlfriend's cheek. "Then let's chow down!"

They made quick work of the sandwich and bagel respectively. Blake broke off a bit of her muffin for Yang and stole some of the fries in turn.

They took the leftovers with them before depositing their trash in the cans, but just before they left, Blake got them five bottles of water from the vending machine.

They carried everything back to the car, and Yang popped the trunk. They'd brought along a small cooler and kept it there, full of ice and several drinks. Blake dropped three of the water bottles into it and kept the other two for herself and Yang to start on now.

She took the driver's seat this time, and Yang handed her the keys as she sat down in the passenger's seat, nibbling on the last of the fries.

"Need the map?" she wondered. They we planning to get out of the state and into the next one, bound for the northern states to avoid the awful heatwaves of the south.

Blake considered the question for a moment before nodding. Yang handed her the map, and she scanned it quickly before putting it back into the glove compartment.

"Alright. We should make it out of here in a few days." She started the car and pulled out into the street, turning up the music. Yang put her shades back on and draped an arm lazily out the window, savoring the wind through her hair. At the next red light, she tied it into a ponytail to match Blake's.

As they drove through the little town, Yang's eyelids began to droop a bit as she let out a loud yawn. Blake's comment of "fry me" roused her a minute later, and she scooped up one of the last french fries and held it out to the girl's lips for her to bite. Yang ate the last one before putting the empty container into the plastic bag on the inside of the door; they used it to put garbage in until they could find an actual trash can.

When she next looked up out the window, Yang caught sight of a colorful little poster on the nearest telephone pole. She squinted and lifted up her sunglasses so she could see it better.

"Oh," she said, gaining Blake's attention. "Looks like the circus is in town."

"Yang," the driver grunted. "Just because some of the people here look like a little weird doesn't make it okay for you to talk about them like that."

"No, no!" Yang waved her hands. "I mean really! Well... actually, not the circus I guess, but... a traveling carnival! Looks like it's passing through here and setting up for the next few days!" She turned her bright, lavender eyes to Blake. "Wanna swing by and see what all the hoopla's about?"

Blake guessed this was the reason why all the people they'd seen in town had appeared to be so happy. Clearly, this carnival was the biggest excitement to hit this little town.

Blake was a little tired of the constant driving that had been the majority of their lives for the past week, being jostled nonstop by the gravelly roads to the extent that she felt it even at night after they'd parked. She thought they deserved a bit of a break.

With a smile, she turned back to Yang.

"Yeah. Why not? Let's stop by."

"Sweet~!"

Blake pulled over by the next telephone pole so Yang could read the information on the flyer. Once she had directions to where the carnival would be set up, she directed Blake where to go.

It didn't take them any longer than half an hour to reach the place, which ended up being a local high school. Blake could already see that the large field was covered with rides, and concession stands had been set up. There was a small ferris wheel, as well as airplane rides and several spinning rides, in addition to tons of games.

The parking lot was full of cars already, and hundreds of people were already roaming about the school campus.

They had to wait in a bit of traffic for a while, but eventually got into the parking lot to search for a spot. That took a while longer still, but they finally got a space, and Blake pulled in.

It was just after 2PM now, so the worst of the sun's heat had passed. The air was warm, but there was still a breeze passing through, and it was certainly appreciated.

They unbuckled themselves, double-checked that their wallets were in place in their pockets, and got out of the car.

They were a several-minute walk from where the carnival had been set up, but even from here, the sounds of merriment and fun-going carried over.

Yang had left her shades in the car, and when she walked around to Blake now, the dark-haired girl was happy to see her lavender eyes unmasked during the daytime, which had been a rarity these past few days.

"Well, then," Yang said, reaching down to grab her hand. "Shaaaall we go?" She wanted to give Blake the option to change her mind; after all, the girl still hadn't been fully cured in terms of her social anxiety.

But Yang was proud of Blake when she nodded her head.

"Yeah. Let's see what they've got."

"Great!" Yang said. "But y'know, if at any time you wanna take a break or leave altogether, just-"

A soft kiss to the cheek stopped her. Blake blinked at her sweetly and smiled.

"I know, Yang. Thanks for worrying about me."

Yang squeezed her hand a little tighter.

"Sure thing."

They began making their way across the parking lot, weaving through the parked cars until their shoes met grass instead of pavement.

They walked hand-in-hand along the edge of the field, which was lined with a fence, and followed the chain-links until they reached the entrance where a small booth had been set up. They waited on the line that had formed there to buy their tickets, but once they got to the front, Yang flinched a bit at the prices.

"Eight bucks per person?" she muttered. "That's a bit of a rip-off. Think one of us could pass off as a kid and bump it down to five?"

But Blake shook her head, though Yang discovered she was smiling.

"Don't worry about it," Blake murmured. She let go of Yang's hand temporarily to un-zipper her short's pocket and fish out her wallet. Yang's eyes grew wide at the sight of an unfamiliar twenty-dollar bill; she and Blake would tally their expenses on a weekly basis to make sure they weren't being frivolous on a trip where frugality meant survival.

But evidently Blake had been keeping this extra cash a secret.

She handed the money to the man at the booth without hesitation.

"Blake, are you sure?" Yang checked. "You coulda bought a nice shirt or something with that."

Blake smiled as she held out her hand to get it stamped.

"No shirt could be worth an evening having a good time with you."

Her words lifted Yang's heart, and she failed to stop the grin from spreading across her lips.

She stepped up to get the back of her own hand stamped as well, and once they were both permitted entry, they joined hands once more and walked onto the field.

There were hundreds of other people here, but Yang made sure to steer clear of the more congested crowds for Blake's sake.

They now had unlimited access to the carnival until they exited the gates, and for sixteen precious dollars, they intended to milk it for everything it was worth.

Yang was instantly miffed to discover that if they wanted to play games or buy food, they would have to pay at each individual stand as well.

"I guess the stamps are only good for the rides," Blake commented. "But that makes sense, though."

"Yeah..." Yang sighed. "Woulda been nice for it to have covered everything, but you can't win 'em all, right?"

"Right. Want to try the rides?"

"Sure!"

The first one they stood on line for was the airplane ride. Luckily, they weren't too big for it, and after ten minutes of waiting, they were allowed on.

Yang chose a garish orange-colored plane and sat down, patting the space beside her for Blake. They secured their seat belts and waited until the massive machine started to lift them up off the ground.

They'd both been to their fair shares of carnivals as kids, but it had been a few years since their last ones. Yang threw her arms up in the air and whooped out loud as they took off, the ride lifting all of the airplanes high into the air and starting to spin.

But the second they were up off the ground, Yang dropped her hands down instantly.

"Crap," she shouted over the wind. "Kinda forgot I suck with heights!"

Blake was incredulous.

"Well, it's too late now!"

"I know!"

Blake might not have been the best with crowds or people, but heights weren't anything that concerned her.

So she wasn't surprised at all when Yang clung to her arm for dear life, laughing nervously as she ducked her face into Blake's shoulder. Blake hugged her as best as the seat belts would allow, muttering into her ear.

"I can't believe you forgot you were afraid of heights."

"Well, the height isn't actually that bad, but it's the speed, too!" Yang wailed.

"Well, just hold on then."

Yang did exactly that, clinging to Blake as she felt her stomach heave every time their plane dipped and lifted.

Despite Yang's predicament, Blake was enjoying herself to some extent, and kept her eyes on the colorful scenery as they sped through it. She could understand that Yang liked thrills in the form of speed, but not necessarily combined with height; the ironic reality was that she'd rather stick to driving at inappropriate speeds on a country road rather than legally enjoy a carnival ride.

Blake chuckled to herself at the thought as the ride finally began to slow. Her heart was racing from the excitement, and the second they landed and unbuckled themselves, she hugged Yang tighter and helped her stand to step onto solid ground.

Blake patted her shoulders and back as she helped her over to a few nearby picnic tables, letting Yang sit at a vacant one.

"You okay?" she wondered, rubbing her shoulders.

Yang nodded, laughing thinly.

"Yeah... I'm good, haha."

Blake remained standing as she hugged her girlfriend, bringing Yang's head to her chest. Yang swallowed; she was still a little shaky, but even past the hustle and bustle of the carnival, she could make out the thud of Blake's pulse clearly. It was slower than her own and served to calm her, until at last she released a long sigh.

"Okay," she said, hugging Blake's waist. "I'm good to go. Thanks, Blake!"

"No problem." She helped Yang to her feet once more. "But I don't think we should go on any more rides, then."

"Nah, it's fine!" Yang blurted. "We can do rides! I mean you paid all that money and these stamps are only good for the rides anyway."

Blake frowned.

"It's not worth it if you're going to be queasy every time. I'd much rather do something you can enjoy to the fullest."

Yang bit her lip, mentally kicking herself for having failed to realize she wouldn't be good with the rides Blake had paid for them to enjoy. It was easy to tell she was silently beating herself up over it, and Blake hugged her again.

"It's fine, Yang. Let's go back to the car."

"Blake..." Yang sighed, hugging her loosely in return. "Alright. Just 'cuz I know I'd do the same thing if it was you who wasn't feelin' the rides."

Blake nodded in understanding. She took the blonde's hand and began leading her back through the stands the way they had come.

But Yang couldn't help the feeling of guilt crawling up her stomach like a leech, gradually draining whatever happiness the carnival's atmosphere gave off. She knew that Blake didn't really mind leaving early all that much, even though they'd only gone on one ride.

But Yang could see the curiosity in those golden eyes of hers, the longing to reminisce about childhood carnivals she'd been to, the want to relive that.

So Yang stopped them just before they reached the gate to exit.

"We don't have to leave yet," she decided. "Sure, we can't really afford to play the games or buy more food, but we can at least just walk around a bit and see everything, right?"

Blake smiled instantly.

"Really? I mean, you're sure you don't want to take it easy for the rest of the night in the car?"

"Trust me, Blakey," Yang smirked, pulling her in for a quick kiss. "I'm positive."

She led the way back toward the stands. Within seconds, the wafting scents of funnel cakes and popcorn filled their lungs, and all around them were children with ice cream cones carrying stuffed animal prizes and balloons.

Luckily, Blake and Yang's lunch at the deli had filled them up enough not to be tempted by the outrageous food prices here, so they continued on past the food without a second glance.

They walked at a leisurely pace, keeping to the edges of the crowds as they passed by concessions stands and the lines for other rides.

They paused for a few minutes to watch other people play the games at each stand – water gun races, darts in balloons, bean bag tosses, basket ball dunks, shooting ping-pong balls, and everything in between. Watching the other people play was somewhat entertaining, though Yang had to admit she might've liked to give a few of them a try.

It was after about an hour or so of walking around and observing the events when she actually gave it a shot.

Blake had been scanning the prizes of a water gun game, her gaze lingering on a row of little stuffed animal cats. Yang gently nudged the girl's side with her elbow.

"What's up?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry. It's nothing."

Yang followed her gaze and smirked.

"They're really cute, huh?"

"Yang?" Blake watched her curiously as the blonde released her hand and walked forward to the booth. Blake scurried after her and tapped her shoulder. "Yang, you don't have to. Save your money."

"No can do!" she said. "I mean, what kinda girlfriend would I be if I didn't at least try, right?"

Blake sighed and closed her mouth, though her lips were sealed with a smile.

Yang paid the man at the booth three dollars and sat down at one of the stools. Thankfully, she was versing several other teenagers and wouldn't be unfairly competing against a group of children.

She didn't need to hold back.

She took aim at the target and waited for the bell. Her finger had already pressed over the gun's trigger even before it went off, and the water shot out automatically, scoring the center of the target flawlessly. Her bar filled with color absurdly fast, and after only a few seconds the race was declared over.

"You won!" Blake couldn't stop herself from blurting out in her excitement. She rushed forward and hugged Yang from behind, giving her a congratulatory kiss on the cheek. Yang chuckled and reached a hand back to pat the girl's shoulder.

She stood as the man asked her what she'd like to claim as a prize. Yang turned back to look curiously at Blake.

"Your pick!"

Flattered but suddenly shy, Blake's voice grew quieter as she murmured her choice into Yang's ear. The blonde grinned and pointed to the row of cats.

"The black one, please!"

The man nodded and retrieved her prize before handing it to her. Yang passed it off to Blake with a wide grin, and the latter accepted it gratefully.

"Thank you, Yang. It's adorable."

"And so are you~" She stole yet another quick peck to the cheek.

From then on, Blake held the little black cat in one hand and Yang's palm in the other as they continued to walk around the carnival.

A glance to her wristwatch told Yang it was just past 5PM by now, and the sun was beginning to move toward the horizon. The shadows were growing longer, and the grass underfoot was dyed with a coating of orange light.

Yang was glad she'd decided to have them stay. Even if they couldn't participate in all of the carnival's activities together with the rest of the crowds, it was still just as enjoyable to walk around and experience everything, letting the festive atmosphere become a part of them.

Blake caught sight of a line of people composed mainly of couples, and when she found what it was leading to, she squeezed Yang's hand a bit tighter.

"Hey, Yang?"

"Yeah? What's up?"

"Do you... think we could try just one more ride?" She really hated to ask, but-

"Of course! Which one?"

Blake felt the blood rush to her cheeks as she nodded in the designated direction.

"I was thinking... maybe the ferris wheel?"

Yang looked up ahead of them, noticing the relatively small size of the structure.

"Yeah! That should be fine. I mean it's not like it's one of those big-ass ones. And I don't think it'll be so bad if we're not going too fast."

"Speeding at ninety miles an hour on the ground is fine by you, but you can't handle twenty miles per hour in the air," Blake chuckled.

"Hey, but at least I can drive pretty darn good while speeding."

Blake rolled her eyes.

"Come on."

Blake led her onto the line where they waited patiently for their turn to board.

The sun was just brushing the distant mountains by the time they took their seats in the roofless cart. Blake placed her cat plushie onto her lap as she gripped the metal bar, while Yang opted to hold onto Blake's arm with both of hers.

A moment later, the wheel began to spin, maintaining a very slow pace. Yang's vice grip on Blake's arm loosened a little bit, but she was still clearly stiff.

"Is it uh... gonna be going any faster than this?" she asked as they were raised another foot off the ground.

"No," Blake reassured her. "This is it. Just don't look down."

Yang gulped, and Blake realized what she'd said only added to the pressure of wanting to look down. She quickly distracted Yang by reaching up to cup her cheeks, turning her head pointedly so she may gaze into her eyes. "Just look at me, okay?"

Blake kissed her softly, willing Yang to calm down and enjoy this for all it was worth. She lingered on her lips for a moment as they continued to ascend.

"We're fine," she murmured. "I promise. Just relax." She slipped an arm around the small of Yang's back and pulled her close, letting her rest her head on Blake's shoulder.

The kiss had definitely helped the blonde with her jitters, and Yang did as her girlfriend suggested and took a deep breath. From this position, she couldn't look down even if she wanted to, only forward.

And what a sight to behold that was.

As they climbed higher, she could see above the treetops and houses of the neighborhood, the branches and roofs colored with golden and red colors. The bright yellow sun was lined with orange, painting the sky a peachy salmon color, the clouds dusted with violet. The air was warm, and the body at her side even warmer.

Yang sighed, feeling the last of her little fears melting away as the tranquility of the scene washed over her. Blake's hand rubbed little circles over her back to sooth her further, and she felt more than just a few kisses pressed to the top of her head.

They reached the top of the ferris wheel and savored the moment before being brought back down. But on the second ascent, Yang managed to straighten her posture, though she still kept both of her hands over Blake's. The dark-haired girl smiled, glad that Yang was feeling better about this.

She reversed their roles this time and leaned her head on Yang's shoulder, sighing blissfully.

The previous weeks of stressful driving, the fear of getting lost in a foreign town, the guilt from their own insecurities – everything was forgotten now, dissipated like morning dew under the summer sun.

Nothing else mattered but this moment.

Blake closed her eyes for a few seconds, and only for few seconds.

As soon as she felt they'd reached the top, she reopened them, straightening up to kiss Yang once more. The blonde eagerly complied to the unspoken request, indulging the two of them in a warm, tender kiss.

It was always nice to share such moments alone in the back seat of the car in the dead of night, but showing off for the entire town to see was just as nice.

They wanted to brag and show the other off, especially in front of strangers. It was a nice feeling to be fussed over.

The ferris wheel carried them around a few more times, during all of which they kissed at the top.

When at last their cart was brought down to the ground, the two girls stood and stretched.

Blake took hold of her cat, slipped her elbow around Yang's, and led her back across the field. They sauntered to the gate and slipped out, heading back to the parking lot.

It was then Yang let out a long sigh, smiling contentedly.

"Welp, I'd say that was totally worth sixteen bucks."

"I think so, too," Blake agreed. "I'm sorry I had you go on the rides, though."

"No, don't apologize! I'm glad we ended up going! I had a lot of fun. Glad I could win ya a lil' something, too."

"Thanks again, Yang."

The blonde kissed the crown of her head.

"Don't mention it."

Their shoes went from padding on soft grass to scuffing along on the hard pavement of the parking lot. They found their car easily, as the colors of the sunset had highlighted the cherry-red paint like a splash of fire amongst the dull whites and grays of surrounding vehicles.

Blake fished out the keys from her pocket and handed them to Yang as she herself went around to the passenger's side. They sat down heavily into their respective seats, feeling the effects of the long day catching up to them, exhausted but almost pleasantly so.

Blake buckled herself in and leaned forward to position her black cat plushie on the dashboard, securing it so it wouldn't slide or fall off. Yang grinned as she started the car.

"He looks good! Our little mascot!"

The sounds of soft hip-hop music filled the car as Yang rolled the windows down and backed out of their space. The warm evening air flowed freely through the car, but it was a bearable warmth.

Yang freed her hair from its ponytail and Blake soon did the same, shaking her head and inhaling deeply as they drove around the parking lot and waited for their turn to get back on the road.

"It's been a long day," Blake commented. "Let's just find a place to park for the night. We don't need to pull an all-nighter. Let's take our time."

Yang flashed her a quick glance and nodded.

As she drove along the road to lead them away from the busy carnival, they both got a bit lost in the scenery. The music made for a nice background sound against the constant rush of the wind through their hair.

The streets were darkening now, but there was still enough light to see by, the buildings painted in darker shades and lined with orange.

Blake looked up at the sky to find it was beginning to turn dark violet, and the moon in the shape of a plump cat's claw hung overhead. She leaned her forearms on the side of the car and rested her head, closing her eyes for a short while to simply enjoy the breeze. She felt the car make a few turns here and there, the rush of other cars adding to the sounds of the wind and music.

She really almost dozed off until the car finally stopped ten minutes later. A soft pat to her back roused her.

"Blake?" Yang called softly, shutting of the music. "Just thought you'd like to sleep in a bit more of a comfortable position was all."

The dark-haired girl rubbed her eyes and straightened up as Yang released her from the seat belt.

"Thanks," she muttered, looking around.

Yang had brought them to an open field a few dozen yards off the road. There were other cars parked spaciously around them as well, and it didn't seem to be a violation to leave vehicles on this wide stretch of grass.

It was lined by a small forest to one far side and some houses on the other, but above them was only open sky.

Yang rolled up the windows, turned off the car, and removed the keys, dropping them up near the cat. She pushed open her door and got out, and Blake assumed she was preparing herself for bed. She herself was ready for that, so she also got out and was about to open the door to the back seats, which were covered in blankets.

But Yang hadn't gone inside to lie down; instead, she was stepping on top of one of the car's tires and hauling herself up over the roof. Blake watched her curiously.

"Yang? What are you doing?"

The blonde sighed in accomplishment as she sat down on top of the car, grinning widely down at her girlfriend.

"I just felt up for a little star-gazing, was all! Care to join me?"

This wasn't anything Blake was unfamiliar with, it'd simply been a while since they'd last gotten the chance to do it.

She nodded and stepped forward, getting one foot on top of the back tire. Yang reached out to hold one of her hands and helped her up until she was steadily beside her.

"There~" the blonde sighed. "It's such a nice night and we got this open field almost all to ourselves. We gotta enjoy it a bit. Never know when we'll get to do it again."

She laid down slowly onto her back, her legs still dangling slightly off the side of the car, her mane of hair falling down off the opposite side. She gazed wondrously up at the limitless sky above, speckled with winking stars and constellations.

Quietly, Blake laid down beside her, her hand reaching for Yang's and holding it softly. She, too, got absorbed in the beauty of the nighttime summer sky. Being underneath it like this always humbled her, but she didn't feel insignificant or small.

She felt like... like there was still so much she needed to do, so much more she wanted to do with her life, and being under the sky like this was a chance to take a break and collect her thoughts.

The sky was a silent, vast blanket that didn't touch her, but was always draped over her.

The silence grew for several minutes as each of them got lost in her own thoughts, though undoubtedly their minds brought them to the topic of each other more than a few times.

Blake was the one who spoke first after a while, murmuring softly.

"I love how the sky looks different in every state we visit, every town. It's the same sky, and yet... it's always brand new."

"Kinda like the food," Yang mused. "You can get a ham sandwich in every town you ever go to, and it's the same thing, but the bread and ham always taste a little different. It's unique to each place, y'know?"

Blake smiled.

"Yeah."

She shifted a bit onto her side, slipping an arm across Yang's stomach, hovering over her for a moment as she gazed down into her eyes. The stars were reflected there, and it was the most beautiful sight Blake had ever seen.

She leaned down and kissed her softly, her heart thrumming and swelling with affection that never ceased to surprise her.

Yang reached her hands behind the girl's neck, keeping her close and deepening the contact.

When they parted, they didn't even require words to say what they'd just conveyed to one another.

Blake rested her head on Yang's chest, content to find the gentle beat of her heart and let it fill her ears. She closed her eyes and sighed, having committed that rhythm to memory long, long ago, but never failing to fall in love with it over and over again every time.

Yang held her close, feeling her breathe, kissing the crown of her head.

They faded off to sleep that way, leaving a long wonderful day behind them to add to the scrapbooks of memories that had already started to pile up.

And the journey yet to come promised many more.

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A/N: I hope you enjoyed!