Ice Queen to Snow Bunny
Uncertain of her feelings, Weiss receives help from a surprising source.
[Author's note: This story follows the story Weiss, Velvet, and How Jaune Got the Dress; which in turn follows the story Weiss' Day Out.]
Weiss Schnee was sitting at one of the outdoor tables of her usual Vale cafe. She had several study books, which she had been trying to read for some time. Unfortunately, her mind kept wandering. She could not help but think of what had happened the night before last, the night of the Beacon dance.
She took out her scroll and checked it. No new messages. She looked again at the several she had sent. To tell the truth, she had had no idea of what to say, so they had all been along the lines of: call me, I'd like to talk, can you get in touch, hoping to hear from you ...
No replies. She sighed. She picked up her cup of coffee. It had gone cold. Seemed somehow suitable.
A shadow fell over her. She looked up ... and saw the massive form of Yatuhashi Daichi. He stared down at her, unsmiling.
She gulped. She had never been so close to him before. He was ... big. No, that didn't really say it. Not even close.
"Mind if we join you?" said Coco Adel, appearing from behind Yatuhashi. Before Weiss could answer, she sat down on one side of Weiss. Fox Alistair appeared and took the chair on the other side. Yatuhashi sat down opposite Weiss.
"Hi," said Weiss. Actually, she didn't. She tried to, but nothing came out. She looked from one of them to the other. She gulped again. Team Coffee, minus one. The team that even the tough-guy teams were afraid of. Even in civilian clothes, they looked daunting. Perhaps even more than when they had their weapons.
"We would like," said Fox, "to know your intentions."
"My ... my intentions?" stammered Weiss.
"Your intentions," rumbled Yatuhashi.
"My intentions ... about what?" said Weiss.
"Velvet, of course," said Coco. "I was there when you said you wanted to be friends with her, remember? And then we see you at the dance, looking like more than just friends."
A little tremor ran through Weiss at the sound of her name. "I ... I ... I ... know," she said. "But when I saw her, and after the stuff about trading clothes with Jaune, and she looked so beautiful, and then when I touched her hand and it was really soft and warm, and then I put my arm around her to show her how to dance, and then when we were dancing and got closer, and then after the first dance she asked me if I wanted to dance again and I said I didn't but I didn't want to let her go and then before I knew it we were in the Team RWBY room and she was so beautiful and I just wanted to be next to her and one thing led to another and a kiss led to more kisses, and something else led to something else and then we – "
She stopped, suddenly aware of what she was saying, of how the words were tumbling out of her. She could feel that her face was burning hot.
The three of them were staring at her.
"Ah," said Coco eventually.
"What was that bit about trading clothes with Jaune?" said Fox.
"Not really the issue at hand, sweet," said Coco to him.
"Is ... is she ... is she, you know, alright?" said Weiss. "I've been trying and trying to reach her but she hasn't responded to any of my messages." A sudden thought occurred to Weiss. "Or is it that she was just interested in a one-night thing? I have to say that I wouldn't have thought she was the type, but I don't have much experience in these things. None, in fact."
Coco, Fox and Yatuhashi exchanged glances. "Here's the story," Coco said. "Velvet got in late on the night of the dance, with a big smile on her face. But the next day she was moping about, not talking and on the verge of some serious weeping. All I could get out of her is that she thinks that she is, well, not good enough for you."
"Wh ... what?" said Weiss, amazed. "Why would she think that?"
"You're the ice queen," said Fox.
"Rich," said Yatuhashi. "Powerful family."
"And she's a faunus," said Coco.
Weiss looked at each of them in turn. Her temper began to flare. "What!?" she said. "What, do you think it was some sort of game to me? That I was just interested in using her as some sort of slumming exercise? Is that what you think!?"
"Should we?" said Coco.
Weiss jumped out of her chair, fire in her eyes. She was struggling to control herself, struggling to prevent her anger from turning into –
Then Yatuhashi stood, rising up to his full seven feet. "Good enough," he said to her. "We accept that you have genuine feelings for her."
"So you can sit down now," said Coco.
Weiss stared at them.
"Please," said Coco. "We do not wish to fight."
"But your willingness to take us all on to make your point is ... impressive," said Fox.
"Balls," said Yatuhashi.
Weiss calmed down a little. She took her seat again.
"Then perhaps," she said, "you can tell her that I want to see her again, and that none of that other stuff matters. That I really want to see her again. Desperately. I would fight through an army of Nucklevees to see her. That I would – "
"We've got the concept," said Coco. She took out her scroll.
"Uh, I didn't mean right now," said Weiss.
"Good a time as any," said Coco. She hit the number and put the scroll to her ear. "Hi, V," said Coco. "Yatu and Fox and I are with Weiss, and she is wondering why you haven't called her. I remember you saying that you thought you were not good enough for her, socially speaking, and we have all come to the conclusion that in that respect you are being an asshole."
"Hey, I didn't say that!" said Weiss. But Yatuhashi and Fox waved her into silence.
"In fact," Coco continued, "I believe that Weiss would like you to come to this cafe right now. So you and she can talk about where you want to go with this thing. ... Okay, she'll be here. ... No, Yatu and Fox and I, uh, have to, er, do some shopping. Or something."
Fox looked at Yatuhashi. He mouthed the word: "Shopping?" Yatuhashi shrugged.
Coco signed off from the scroll. "She's coming," she said. "I daresay she'll want to, you know, pretty herself up first."
"Doesn't have to, as far as I'm concerned," said Weiss. "Tell me, why are you guys so protective of her? It goes a bit beyond team loyalty, I think."
"When someone has saved your life as many times as Velvet has saved each of ours, you can't help but care for them," said Fox.
"What, she saved your lives?" said Weiss. "I thought that you had saved hers."
Yatuhashi shrugged. "We saved her once, she saved us many times," he said. "Many. She is very brave and very strong."
"But a bit fragile in the emotional department," said Coco. "Maybe it's the rabbit genes, I don't know. I can only say that if you hurt her, Weiss, we will not look upon it kindly."
"Probably break your legs," said Fox.
"Arms," said Yatuhashi.
"We protect our own," said Coco.
Weiss looked at each of them, wondering if they were joking. Then she decided that it didn't matter. All that mattered was that Velvet was coming. She would see her again.
"She is fortunate," said Weiss, "to have such good friends."
"You are also fortunate in that respect," said Yatuhashi.
"And maybe you're not such an ice queen after all," said Fox.
Weiss considered. "Maybe I'm becoming more of a ... snow bunny," she said.
Coco, Yatuhashi and Fox got up to leave. "One more thing, Weiss," said Coco. "Do you have any idea what is going to happen?"
"None whatsoever. I only know that I want to try."
Coco nodded. "Good answer," she said. She nodded a salute, as did Fox and Yatuhashi. Then they were gone.
Weiss sat alone, thinking. After a while she looked along the street. Her heart skipped a beat. Hurrying towards her was ...
END