Author's Note: So, this started as part of one of my writing prompt exercises on my tumblr (redsuitwriter). It was supposed to be shorter, then got ... out of hand. For the record, similar things have happened with drabbles for Prise de Fleur and a few other stories of mine, and ended or will end up getting incorporated into them. If you'd like to do participate in stuff like this, please head over to my tumblr (again – redsuitwriter) and search for writing prompts on my blog.

Where Flowers Bloom

What in the world?

Weiss stood at the doorway to their room, looking out at the hall, brow furrowed as she tried to understand what she was looking at. She had just locked the door behind her, muttering under her breath at the sisters' antics, and was about to step forward when she spotted something on the ground.

Practically beneath her heel was a small white flower. Perplexed, Weiss looked around. No one else was out of bed this early. No voices came of people who could have dropped it. There were no vases nearby for it to fall out of, and the windows were all shut. It couldn't have blown in, and no one was around to drop it. So where did it come from?

Careful not to break it, she reached down and plucked the flower from the carpet. It really was a pretty little thing – delicate and frail and, she found out the hard way, covered with thorns.

Sucking the blood from her finger, Weiss headed back into the room. Ducking automatically, she dodged Ruby's pillow before it slammed into Yang's bed, then calmly filled a glass and set it by her window. Lowering the flower into the water, she smiled. It really was a pretty little flower – she might as well keep it as long as she could.

The next morning, she woke, reached out one finger to stroke the petals, then went to dress for class. Always the first one to finish dressing, she headed out the door, and froze. Another flower lay before their door.

Another one?

Narrowing her eyes, Weiss looked up and down the hall. None of the doors were cracked, no one else was around. As far as she could tell, the thing had simply materialized at her feet. Frowning, she took the flower, careful not to skewer herself, and went back to place it in the water.

The next morning, Weiss kicked her covers off the second her alarm rang. Ignoring Yang's complaints, she pulled a bathrobe over her nightgown and headed for the door. Whatever, whoever was leaving them, this time, she was going to find out. Grabbing the handle, she opened the door a crack and peeked out.

There was nothing there – no people, no flowers, nothing. The hall was empty and silent, everyone else either still sleeping or slowly dragging themselves from their beds. Biting her lip, she went back inside. I'm not sure if I should be disappointed or grateful, she thought ruefully. Either way, it hardly looks like it will happen again.

By the time she was ready to leave, Weiss was so convinced that it had just been a coincidence that she practically tripped on the bouquet of small white flowers that lay outside the door.

Oh, for the love of-

She gave one quick glare around the hall, then gave up. Grabbing the bouquet, she headed back inside, dropped it on her nightstand, and sat on the edge of the bed. Lips drawn together in a pout, she scowled at the bouquet, as if glaring at it long enough would make it give up its secrets. It wasn't a professional job, not as far as she could tell, just a small set of flowers tied together with a piece of string. No wrapper, no label, no florist's logo that she could track it back to. Pawing carefully through the stems, she looked for a note, a signature, something that would give her some idea where these kept coming from.

"Someone has a secret admirer," Yang chuckled in a sing-song voice, grinning from across the room. She and Ruby were the only ones left – Blake had already finished dressing and headed to the cafeteria. Just as well – the fewer people knew about this, the better.

Weiss shuddered and dropped the flowers. "Please no. I have enough to deal without that kind of aggravation."

"Why?" Ruby asked, leaning over her bed to stare down at Weiss. "I mean, it's pretty romantic, right?"

"Ruby, for all I know, it could be Cardin sending these. Or it could be Jaune's latest, idiotic attempt to 'woo' me."

"It's not," the blonde said quickly, shrugging on her shirt. "Pyrrha had a talk with him. He promised he'd stop."

"... still," Weiss said, and crossed her arms beneath her breasts. "Whoever it is, I wish they'd just tell me."

Yang rose from her bed and cracked her neck. "Maybe they're shy? Maybe they find you irresistible and can't muster up the courage to confess."

Weiss huffed and ignored her. She hated these kinds of things. I would much rather know who is pulling this sort of stunt.

She still put them in the water before they left for breakfast. Whoever's poor idea this was, it wasn't the flowers' fault.

The next day there was another set of flowers. And the day after that. And the day after that. Never more than ten, all of them bound with the same small piece of string.

By the sixth day, Weiss was livid.

"That's it," she growled, when she found the latest offering. "I won't indulge this idiocy anymore."

"Come on, Weiss," Ruby said, glancing over her shoulder. "They're just flowers."

"That's just it. They're not. It's creepy. And the last thing I need is another towheaded twit fawning over me. I don't care how many of them they leave. If there are flowers in the hall, they stay in the hall."

Kicking the bouquet aside, she marched off towards the cafeteria, without a second look back. By the time she came back to their room, the flowers were gone. Hoping whoever it was had taken the hint, she headed to class. It was hard to focus – she couldn't keep from glancing around, trying to see if anyone was watching her. Jaune hadn't bothered her lately, but perhaps this was just his way of skirting whatever promises he'd made Pyrrha? What if it was someone else? Maybe Fox – leaving anonymous flowers might suit him. It could even be Yang. Weiss wouldn't put it past her to pull a stunt like this. Or what if it was Cardin?

If it is, I'm burning every one of those flowers, she decided. Publically.

Lost in thought, she barely heard a word Professor Port said the entire lecture. When the lunch bell finally rang, she was the first out the door, not even saying two words to the rest of her team before she stormed down the hall. Annoyed and wanting to be alone, Weiss headed away from the busy cafeteria and headed back to their dorm. She should check. Yes. Maybe they hadn't gotten the hint. She should see if they were still there.

She was still wondering what the cleaning staff would do if they found an abandoned set of flowers, when she turned into their hallway and froze. Tied to her team's doorknob was a single white flower.

Weiss grabbed it and tore it off the door, snapping the string in two. She was about to stomp on the damn thing when she noticed a note tied to it in the same black string. Biting her cheek, she weighed her options, cursed under her breath, and unfolded the note.

It was just simple paper, with two short lines written in neat lettering in plain black ink. It said I'm sorry. Could we meet? I'd like to apologize in person.

Weiss rolled her eyes. "Wonderful concept," she said, voice filled with sarcasm. "If you'd bother to tell me where to go."

She was about to throw it away when her eyes caught on a speck of white. There, pinned to the corkboard in the hall, was another flower. A few doors down was another, tucked into the jam of a closet door. Past that was another, and another, forming a long trail of little white dots that led down the hall and out of sight.

Scowling, she reached into her pocket for her scroll. Yang, I want you to call me in ten minutes. If I don't answer, something's wrong. As trails went, at least it was less obvious than a path strewn with roses, but she still didn't know who was waiting at the other end.

The path lead down the hall and up a staircase. Following it, Weiss gathered the flowers in her hand, no wanting anyone else to see the trail and come looking. The little white blooms led her up two flights before finally stopping at a door that led out onto one of the roofs.

Setting the flowers aside, Weiss drew Myrtenaster from her side – anyone could be waiting out there for her. No matter what their note said, she had no idea what their intentions really were. This would be a fine way to get her alone from the rest of her team. It could be one of Nora's pranks, even.

Readying one of her glyphs, Weiss pressed the handle and shouldered the door open. She came out onto the roof, sword in hand, eyes glancing cautiously to find who might be waiting for her.

Blake sat on the edge of the wall, staring down at the ground, the last remaining flower held in her hand.

"Blake?" Weiss asked and sheathed her blade, not quite believing her eyes. "It was you?" It didn't make any sense. Blake was the last person she would expect to play this kind of prank. What was the point? Get her out her and then laugh about how silly she'd been, how-

"I didn't plan this," Blake said softly, turning the flower by its stem. "I just ... I saw it one day and it reminded me of you."

The dark-haired Faunus stood, raising her head to look down into Weiss' eyes. The heiress swallowed. There wasn't any humor in Blake's eyes. No joking laughter, no teasing. She looked ... earnest. Serious. It was the look Blake got when she focused during a study session or on a mission. A sharp, piercing look Weiss had seen countless times ... but never directed at her.

"I saw you liked it, and I wanted to get you more," she was still talking, moving forward until she was within arm's reach. "I'm sorry I worried you."

"... why those?" Weiss asked, her cheeks growing hot under Blake's stare. "Why give me flowers at all?"

"Because they're small, pretty, and prickly," Blake said, the barest hint of s smile on her face. Taking that last step forward, she held it out to Weiss with a steady hand. "And because I like you."

Weiss swallowed and glanced down. The look in Blake's eyes ... it was too intense. It didn't help that she was gorgeous, or that Weiss felt like she could fall forever into the two golden pools staring down at her.

Gingerly, she took the flower from Blake hand. The thorns had been cut away, leaving only the flower, tiny and delicate in her hand.

"Thank you," she said when she trusted her voice not the crack. Seized by a sudden urge, she took a step closer, practically touched Blake as she reach up and slid the flower behind Blake's ear. "But I think it looks better on you."

Ice-blue eyes met gold, and Weiss went stiff, her hand still brushing the side of Blake's face. She's so close, Weiss thought, her stomach churning. They'd never been this close. Not like this, not with Weiss' hand practically in her hair, or with Blake staring so intently at her, looming over her. She had to look up a little to meet her eyes. I did always like people taller than me, a voice in the back of her mind said, almost an afterthought as Weiss leaned in.

Her scroll chose that moment to ring. Blushing furiously, Weiss stepped back, fumbling in her pocket for the device. Dammit Yang, of all the times to actually do what I tell you.

"What?" she snapped as soon as the call went through.

"Yes, I'm fine. Yes. Yes. No, I'm not going to tell you." Weiss' face went a brilliant red. "No, we are not making out, and ... no! That doesn't mean I'm with someon ... you know what? Next time, I'm texting Ruby!" Furious, she closed her scroll with a snap and jammed it back into her pocket. Honestly, she thought, is she physically incapable of being subtle or polite for ten-

"Yang knows it's me," Blake said softly, one hand coming up to brush the flower in her hair. "That's why she's teasing."

"Wonderful." That was just what she needed – more ammunition for Yang to annoy her with.

"So," Blake said softly, ignoring the interruption. "Can you forgive me?"

"... fine. But I expect you to make it up to me," Weiss snapped, annoyed when her voice tried to crack. "Maybe you could show me where you've been finding these. Unless you cleaned the bushes out already."

Blake's face brightened as a smile crossed her lips, sending another wave of heat rushing up Weiss' cheeks.

"I'd like that."

Author's Note: Thanks for reading. If you can, please take the time to leave a review – it lets me know what the reader response is and whether or not I should do more stuff along the lines of whatever I've posted.