a/n – freezerburn (weiss/yang) content.
It had started a few days ago and had been on a distinct, gradual climb ever since.
Things had been disappearing from her possessions left and right and instead showing up in places where she hadn't put them. Due to these events, she had begun making a habit of taking stock of the things she owned during the night, before she went to sleep. Since everything was in its place then, she could safely assume that it was in the morning, before she even saw the light of day, that the culprit would take her things and move them. It wasn't a severe matter of them being stolen from her never to be seen again, but it ground upon her nerves well enough to cause insult.
Worse so, the items were always placed in a space where she could barely reach it. High shelves were the enemy of this Schnee and she had spent many a frustrating morning reaching up and grazing her fingertips on the objects of her desire.
The obvious mocking behind it all brought her blood to a boil. It downright infuriated her. How dare anyone touch her things without her permission and play her like a fool?
Thankfully, the manner of objects taken from her thus far seemed to solely involve cosmetics: hair pins, her nail files, brushes and, most recently, her perfume. But because those things were slim or small in nature it gave her a harder time in reaching them. And the search for where exactly they had gone off to in the room took up ample time and threatened to make her late for classes. She had an endless supply of pins so that hadn't been much of a bother except on principle. Her nails could do a day or two without a filing and she would be fine. Brushes could be substituted for fine-toothed combs. If Weiss lost the patience to find them or reach them, she could live. Even today's perfume had a replacement so she wouldn't waste her morning tracking down the other scent; whoever the prankster was, they were not very thorough.
It had no noticeable impact upon her life except to cause her to obsess over the fact that it was missing and that she had been played. Classes went by as usual. Her teammates went about their days, chattering around her and laughing without care. As soon as classes ended, she rushed off to their room before anyone else. No extra studying for her today. No practice sparring. No distractions! She would find out who her adversary was and she would take them down. There was no stopping her now.
This time she would catch the culprit!
It did not occur to her to involve the other members of team RWBY. By means of preliminary investigations she had a feeling that one of them was behind it. If she tipped them off with a rundown of the situation, the person responsible might get craftier or simply stop their thievery. Surely, the latter was the ideal outcome, but Weiss wanted to catch them red-handed. She wanted to reveal them and hang them out to dry in all their shame. No one offended a Schnee in this manner and got away with it!
Weiss burst through the door and looked around. No one. Not a soul.
And no sign of her perfume in hard-to-reach places either.
No matter... they will show up eventually. Weiss huffed and took a seat upon her bed, taking turns staring at the door and window. Time passed and Ruby and Blake eventually filed into the room and climbed into their respective beds. None of them seemed suspicious, but they did throw her looks of curiosity. The only person that had yet to arrive was Yang.
And it would turn dark before she did.
The R and B of the team had long since drifted off to sleep, leaving Weiss to sit stiffly in anticipation. Her mind started reeling on the very real possibility that it was Yang. It had to be, right? Unless the other two had seen her and simply waited for her to go to sleep before they acted. That was highly plausible.
But if Blake was the mastermind, she had a feeling that she would be a lot more stealthy. Her things would not simply disappear and reappear within the same room they were taken from. And, in the first place, she did not seem the type that would partake in such a prank. Unless, goaded by her unsavory teammate.
Ruby could fit the bill, pegged as not nearly as clever as Blake, but she felt that she adequately frightened Ruby enough to assure that she attempted no stupid stunt such as this. Still, she could be convinced, perhaps, if promised security by the burly blonde bombshell that was her sister.
Every conclusion came down to Yang in the end leaving her without a fraction of doubt. It wasn't very "best teammate" of her to entertain those suspicions, but decency be damned.
The click of the doorknob made her jump. The door slowly creaked open and paused midway, revealing Yang as she poked her head in and swept the room. Her eyes landed upon Weiss and, to Weiss's surprise, she broke into a grin.
The brawler strode in and closed the door quietly, motioning a wave to Weiss. The heiress narrowed her eyes in return, mouth open to ask her what she was doing sneaking around, but before she could talk, she was stunned into silence. Yang pulled out a little bottle of expensive perfume and wiggled it, making the liquid swish around inside the glass.
Weiss was on her feet in the matter of seconds.
She took no time getting right in the face of one Xiao Long, her brows knitted together and her hands balled into fists. All her frustration was about to be unleashed on the little thief, but Yang's free hand covered her mouth.
"Hey, hey! Don't wake up the kids now." Yang chuckled, keeping her voice down. She only removed her hand when the muscles in Weiss's faced relaxed. "Come on, out here..."
Weiss allowed herself to be led into the hallway, all the choice words she had for the blonde swirling around in her head. Oh, of all the people in team RWBY she should have known earlier that it was her that would have the gall to oppose her in this way – openly even!
Yang smiled at her, looking cheerful even though she had been caught in the act. Weiss's fingers twitched; what she wouldn't give to smack that look off of her face.
"Well, I know you're wondering why I have your perfume, Princess." Yang started, chipper as ever. She leaned close and Weiss could catch a whiff of her own scent upon her. The audacity!
"I know you've noticed your stuff missing every now again and... Surprise! It was me behind this prank all along!" Weiss felt an iron lump fall into the pit of her stomach. Clearly, Yang had already outed herself as soon as she pulled out her perfume. Idiot.
"I just wanted to mess with you a bit..." Yang seemed bored now as her big reveal had fallen flat and she explained herself, preening her fingers through her massive mane. "And I was hoping you'd break down and go ahead and ask me for help if I put your stuff in high places. But no go, eh?"
This insufferable person. Of all the ludicrous intentions behind an action that – that was what she had to offer to her?
"It was totally cute, though. Watching you reach for it. Totally worth it!" It had just been a little thing. A tiny, inconsequential borrowing and relocating of her things to poke her buttons. And it worked.
"Is this a game to you?" Weiss stuck out her finger under Yang's nose, closing in on her. The blonde didn't step back. "You think you can just take your teammate's things and mess with them without consequence? Did you think that I'd go ahead and laugh about it with you after it was all said and done?"
"Uh... no? I..." Yang attempted to backpedal, but it was too late.
"Haha! Good one, Yang! You totally got me! Something. Like. That?" Weiss grit her teeth and shoved her finger into Yang's chest, pushing hard enough to make her stumble.
"Whoa! Take it easy, Princess! It was just a harmless prank! You know... between friends!"
Weiss grabbed the blonde by the collar and pulled her forward – close enough to press their noses together.
"Between friends, then, I'm going to make certain that you never, ever steal from me again. And if you want to make it up to me, you'll do exactly as I say," Weiss let a quiet circulate between them before continuing, "Are we clear?"
Yang swallowed, biting at her own lower lip, but a smile poked through nonetheless. Cheeky bright-eyed bi - "Oh yeah? What am I going to have to do?"
"Oh you'll see, Yang Xiao Long." Weiss released the girl's shirt and let her straighten back up and fix herself. She swiped the perfume away from her and turned towards their room door, hand upon the doorknob. "Tomorrow morning, you'll see."