Yang's mind was in shambles. On one hand, she really wanted to talk about what she just saw. On the other hand, she wanted to mercilessly tease Weiss until the little heiress popped from embarrassment or, more likely, anger. The blonde brawler clenched her fists and tried to keep her attention on Professor Port instead. Maybe he would stage another fight with a Grimm. Yang cracked her neck, hoping for the chance to work out her conflicted feelings by beating something to death. Anything would be preferable to thinking about her two teammates.
The blonde ran her hand through her hair and focused on her book. She tried to read the words, but she soon considered it a lost cause. How could anyone hope to decipher the blobs of ink that kept shifting across the pages? Yang determined that the book was only used because it had pictures to stare at. At least the picture of a snarling Beowolf didn't depict Blake sneaking a quick kiss on Weiss's cheek before class started, and it certainly didn't show the dopey smile the heiress was still wearing. Yang blinked and leaned back. She needed some air. The clock on the wall said that there was still half an hour left of class. Movement in the seat next to her caught Yang's eye. Though she tried not to look, she couldn't help herself.
Blake and Weiss had decided to sit next to each other, leaving themselves between Yang and Ruby. Ruby sat in her chair, blissfully taking notes with her usual, limitless reserves of energy. The redhead was oblivious to the fact that her partner was sliding closer to Blake, a movement that the black-haired girl mirrored. Yang felt her heart beat a little faster and some sweat formed on her brow. The two teammates weren't doing anything inappropriate, at least, but she noticed the little glances that ended in barely restrained smiles that the two shared.
Yang wondered just what had happened between Weiss and Blake to suddenly make them so inseparable. It had been the most obvious when Yang had found the two sleeping in the same bed, but had the relationship gone on before that? Were they technically in a relationship? Yang bit the inside of her cheek and forced her eyes forward. Why was she so concerned about the lives of her teammates? She shook her head. It wasn't that she was concerned; it was just that it was so weird. Had someone come and replaced the icy Weiss and the mysterious Blake with a pair of love struck doppelgangers? Yang took a deep breath. Class would be over soon, and then she could run as far from her confused feelings as her legs could carry her.
Blake kept looking at the clock. Although she normally didn't mind being in class, even the most studious of students would be antsy in the last few minutes of the school day, especially since it was a Friday. Besides, she was eager to spend the rest of the day with Weiss. The two had settled on going into town after class. The black-haired girl wringed her hands together. Weiss had been the one to suggest the outing and had only told Blake to bring herself. Should she dress up? What did she have that could be considered formal? She caught a glance at Weiss. The heiress was paying attention to the lesson and occasionally added something to her notes. Blake felt the butterflies in her stomach again. Though Blake normally didn't care much about her appearance, she felt compelled to make an effort, if only to see Weiss smile.
"Are you coming, Blake?" Ruby asked.
Blake blinked and looked around the room. Many of her classmates had already left. Some were by the door and rubbing their arms, cursing Yang for pushing them out of her way as she ran at mach speeds. "Where's Weiss?" Blake asked.
"She mentioned asking Professor Poop some questions about the lecture. Now come on! A classroom is no place for a student when it's the weekend!" Ruby excitedly threw her arms in the air.
Blake smiled at the display. She wanted to walk back with Weiss, but it was obvious that Ruby wouldn't let her stay. Besides, if Weiss was staying behind to talk to Port, it would give Blake some time to figure out what to wear. The butterflies offered a little flutter to tickle her innards and produced a gust strong enough to move the tuna she had eaten for dinner the previous night. If "I've got a tuna swimming in my stomach" wasn't an expression for being nervous, Blake resolved to make it one.
"So what're your plans for the weekend?" Ruby chirped as soon as they walked out of the classroom.
Blake felt her face heat up. She smiled and kept her eyes forward. Could she say anything about her relationship with Weiss? Blake didn't care what people thought of her, but Weiss had a reputation that she liked to maintain. On the other hand, it was Ruby she was talking to. What harm could come from telling their team leader? Blake took a deep breath and said, "I was thinking of going into town later with Weiss."
For one, heart-stopping second, Blake kept her gaze on Ruby to see what sort of reaction there would be. There was nothing. Ruby's smile had stayed in place and there was no indication that she objected to the upcoming plans. The young leader put a hand on Blake's back and said, "That sounds great!"
"It does?"
"Of course! I'm so glad that you two are hanging out by yourselves."
Blake felt the tuna in her stomach stop swimming. To avoid going on a potential rant about spending time with Weiss that could go into too many details, Blake asked, "And you? What are your plans for tonight?"
Ruby shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe I'll go see a movie. Or stick around here and get some training in. I know my baby is missing me."
Blake frowned. Hearing Ruby talk about her scythe was almost terrifying. Blake respected her own weapon, but she could never think about it in the same way as Ruby thought about Crescent Rose. It was almost like the two were in a relationship of their own.
Curious, Blake asked, "What's the weirdest thing you've ever done to your scythe?"
Ruby's face turned the same color as her cloak. "Where'd that come from?"
"How are you that embarrassed already?"
"Hi, Jaune! What are you up to?" Ruby called over Blake's shoulder.
The natural blond leader of Team JNPR shouted, "I don't know! I think Pyrrha's on her period!"
"That sounds fun!" Ruby shouted back, despite the two being close enough to speak normally. Perhaps they were trying to vent their frustrations at being stuck in awkward situations. Blake looked at Pyrrha, who was standing next to Jaune. Veins were bulging in her neck.
Blake put a hand on Ruby's shoulder and ushered her along. "Let's go. I want to remember Jaune as a person and not as a pulpy mess."
"Please don't leave me!" Jaune weakly called after them.
As soon as they turned the corner, Blake said, "You didn't answer my question."
Ruby squirmed under Blake's stare. "I was hoping you forgot about that."
"Nope. Although if it makes you that uncomfortable, I'll let it go."
"Thanks?" Ruby said. She produced her scroll and unlocked their dorm. Despite leaving first, Yang wasn't there. Blake shrugged and crossed the room to her wardrobe while Ruby fell on her bed.
Opening the door to the closet and actually looking at her clothes made Blake realize how little she had ever cared about fashion. Every article of clothing, when combined, would end up making something so similar to her normal outfit that any difference would be unnoticeable. Blake swore under her breath and a slight pang of disappointment found her heart. She wanted to wear something different to get a reaction out of Weiss, but nothing could save that now. After Blake removed her uniform shirt, Ruby spoke up.
"Your bed looks like you didn't sleep in it last night. Are you feeling okay?"
Blake felt her blush spread to the tip of her cat ears. She had first slept with Weiss because of a nightmare, but the two had been frequently using the heiress's bed for the month since then.
After putting on one of her regular shirts, Blake said, "Of course I am. I just woke up earlier than you guys and made my bed."
"Oh." Ruby was silent for a moment before she picked up her scroll and started looking at something on it.
Blake let out the breath she had been holding. As she dressed, she had to keep her fingers steady. Soon, she would be out on the town with Weiss. All she had to do was survive the moments in between.
As Blake and Weiss stepped off of the airship from Beacon, she didn't know why she had ever worried about putting on fancy clothes. The two of them wore their usual outfits, as Weiss had assured Blake that they wouldn't need to worry about any strict dress codes.
The blocks surrounding the airship docks passed into the blur of familiarity. Blake twitched her bow and cast a glance at Weiss. To anyone else, the white-haired girl either looked like she was scowling or indifferent. Blake was able to see the little smile pulling at the corners of Weiss's lips, however. Blake ran a hand through her hair. Of all the girls she could have fallen for, she had to go with the one that was incapable of properly looking happy. The thought made Blake smile. There was a certain romance about being the only person that could read the icy heiress.
"So what's the plan for our little outing?" Blake asked.
"I didn't have one," Weiss said.
Blake blinked. "So how do you know that we're not underdressed for whatever we end up doing?"
Weiss tipped her head to look Blake in the eye. "Because anything that would require us to dress up is probably not worth it. Believe me; I've been dragged to enough high-class situations to know that they're nothing but a waste of time."
Blake twitched her bow. "I wouldn't mind trying it sometime. I never got the chance when I was younger."
Weiss let out a tiny sigh, but her smile remained. "We can do that next time. Maybe it wouldn't be so boring if you were there. Although I will have to show you the nuances of ballroom dancing beforehand, if you don't mind."
Blake felt the heat rising from her face. She imagined the two of them dancing alone under the fractured moon, eyes focused on nothing but each other, faces inches apart. Blake resisted the urge to shake her head and vowed to stop reading so much smut. She said, "I'd really like that."
It was then that Blake was rewarded with the rarest, most sought after prize across the land: Weiss giggled. The black-haired girl resisted the urge to tear off her bow to get an uninterrupted chance to hear the magical sound again. But like all good things in life, the experience ended far too soon and left Blake feeling unsure whether she was satisfied or not. She sighed and decided to just be happy that she had had the opportunity to hear Weiss act in such an unguarded fashion. Blake's contentment lasted until they rounded the corner and saw an argument by one of the restaurants.
All of the joy Blake had been feeling immediately vanished when she saw that the argument was between a portly man and a dog Faunus. She clenched her jaw and closed her hands into tight fists. Weiss looked at her before looking at the two arguing parties. Without a word, Weiss started marching towards the scene. Blake pressed her lips into a thin line and followed.
The Faunus's dog ears perked at the sound of Weiss's determined steps towards him and the fat man. Blake bit her lip. The Faunus looked like he was barely old enough to work and now the argument had drawn Weiss's attention. Blake's mind flashed back to the first time when she had argued with the heiress about the Faunus and imagined that Weiss was about to make some sort of insensitive comments. She kept her ears from twitching.
"What's going on here?" the heiress demanded.
The portly man looked Weiss over, his flushed face still full of rage for the Faunus. Blake noticed the man's eyes lingered over the hilt of Weiss's sword. Finally, he said, "Get going, little ladies. This doesn't concern you."
The gruff dismissal sent a shiver up Weiss's spine. She managed to straighten her posture even more and asked, "Excuse me? Do you have any idea who you're talking to?" The man looked over at Weiss again. When she had his complete attention, Weiss said, "Maybe the last name 'Schnee' will ring a bell?"
Blake saw the man grimace. He had managed to antagonize an armed person that had a lot of influence in just two sentences. Blake looked at Weiss's feet to see if there was any ice forming on the ground. The Faunus boy chuckled at the man's displeasure. The man let out an explosive sigh and shifted his weight. "Right now, it doesn't matter. Thanks to this idiot, I'm already in more trouble than I care for."
Weiss's features thawed imperceptibly. "What did you do?" she asked the boy.
"I spat in someone's food and they served it," he said with a grin. "Waitress's fault, really."
Blake twitched her bow. She saw Weiss's nose crunch up, just like her resolve to help the boy from losing his job. Part of Blake's mind provided the slurs that could already be brewing in Weiss's mind.
Before the heiress had a chance to admonish the young Faunus, the man focused on the boy and said, "Yeah, and you're lucky that I'm in a good mood today. Now get out of here."
The boy raised his middle finger at the man and said, "Gladly."
The man's face flushed and he looked like he wanted to say something to the boy's back. Instead, he turned to Weiss and said, "I'm sorry that you two had to see that. I'll have you know that we usually hire people of more upstanding culture than that."
Weiss motioned to Blake and started walking after the departing Faunus boy. Blake shrugged at the man but said nothing.
"Hey!" Weiss said to the boy. "Why did you spit in that food?"
The boy looked over his shoulder and spat. "Because I hated that job. That guy was going on and on about how they take good care of their employees, but he was only talking about the humans. I wasn't even getting minimum wage. You try working at a job for years and still get paid less than some new human that's just hired a week ago. Makes me sick."
"But that still doesn't justify spitting in someone's food. You should have raised your concerns through the proper channels instead of putting a customer's health at risk!"
The boy's dog ears flattened and Blake expected to hear him growl. "Yeah, I bet you Schnees know all about Faunus labor."
Weiss's eyes shrunk to pinpoints. Blake frowned, but she knew the boy had a good point. However, it wasn't like Weiss knew about all of her father's business decisions, nor could she influence him to think any differently. Blake sighed and put her hand on Weiss's shoulder. It would be best to steer the heiress away from the Faunus boy before she started on a rant.
"Come on, Weiss," she said. The heiress offered no resistance. The boy glared at her.
As the two walked away, Blake's sensitive hearing let her hear the boy mutter, "Traitor."
The sun still shone brightly in the sky, but Blake felt like she was under a rapidly expanding cloud. Weiss was marching beside her, now fully recovered from her shock. The heiress opened and closed her hands as if she wanted to strangle someone. Blake sighed and noticed that a group of people decided to cross the street to get out of Weiss's warpath. Blake felt like she should say something, but her body refused to utter a sound in an act of self-preservation. Weiss, on the other hand, had no problems talking.
"You could have said something back there."
Blake had never seen a minefield before, but she imagined that she had just stepped in one. "What do you mean?"
"That little jerk just goes and insults me and you don't say a word!" Weiss shouted and stomped her foot.
"Except he didn't insult you."
Weiss glared. "Were you even paying attention? He said Schnees, Blake. Last time I checked, my name is Weiss Schnee."
Blake put a hand to her temple. "Well, you did kind of reprimand him."
"Because what he did was vile!"
"But I can see why he would do it."
"Are you defending him?" Weiss managed to tone down her irritation to ask the question. "Blake, he spat on someone's food at a restaurant. That should always be grounds for termination."
"But his reasons for doing it aren't uncommon. It's wrong for a Faunus to be paid less than a human at any job." Blake felt her resolve strengthening. She could imagine all of the little prejudices swirling inside of Weiss that constantly made the heiress believe that the Faunus deserved to be treated like second-rate citizens.
"This is just like when Sun was around!" Weiss cried and threw her arms in the air. "Why can't you just look past the fact that that jerk was a Faunus to see that what he did was wrong?"
"Because you can't!" Blake shouted, deciding to lash out against the thoughts whirling in her head.
Weiss narrowed her eyes. She immediately knew the implications behind Blake's outburst. When she spoke, her tone was low and harsh. "I didn't say anything about that."
Blake scowled. "You didn't need to! I know you well enough to know that you only saw some filthy degenerate who belongs on the street after you learned what he did!" Blake felt her throat tighten as soon as the words escaped.
Weiss closed her eyes. The silence started to choke Blake. She felt like she should be running, especially before the heiress blew up again, but Blake's legs refused to move. Besides, she knew that she deserved whatever was coming.
"So that's what you really think of me."
"Weiss I—"
"The times I let you sleep with me, you thought I was disgusted? That my skin crawled when we kissed?" Weiss took a step closer to Blake. "Or maybe you just thought I was playing along out of pity. And maybe you think I don't have a heart either. All because you know me so well," Weiss spat. She turned her back to Blake and added, "You can find your own way back to Beacon."
Weiss didn't wait to hear a response before stomping away. Blake ground her teeth together. She knew she had to say something, but her throat refused to cooperate again, which was probably for the best before she hurt her relationship with Weiss again. As Weiss's footsteps faded away, the weight of her sudden solitude was able to place itself squarely on her shoulders. Blake slumped. Her body felt like she had turned to stone. The newfound rigidness was the only reason she didn't fall to her knees.
Blake found herself sitting on a bench with no knowledge of how she got there. After Weiss left her, the black-haired girl had wandered the city in a daze.
She kept asking herself why. Why couldn't she trust Weiss to get over her prejudices? How could she have been so thoughtless? Unlike the first time the two teammates had a disagreement about the Faunus, Blake had no sense of justification for her actions. She couldn't call Weiss a spoiled brat, especially since she knew Weiss had been working on seeing the Faunus as normal people. This time, the issue was clearly black and white. Blake lowered her ears and sighed. She wished she could have gone back in time and enjoyed the day as she had planned to.
Blake noticed a red and brown blur had settled besides her on the bench. She wished that the blurs could have kept walking. It was getting too hot to sit in the direct sunlight. Blake idly thought about how she needed to get an outfit that didn't consist of black clothes. The blurs didn't go away. Weiss should've been sitting next to her instead. Blake turned her head to tell the blurs that the seat was taken, but she saw that the blurs were actually Ruby holding a gigantic, chocolate-covered sundae.
"Can you believe I got this for free?" Ruby asked with a wide smile.
Blake felt her eye twitch now that she was fully able to comprehend the amount of sugar her team leader was holding. "Does Yang know you're eating that?"
"Nope!" Ruby said. She stuck a large portion of sundae in her mouth and smiled around the spoon. Blake felt like her health was suffering just by sitting near the mountain of sugar. So many empty calories. "So where's Weiss? I thought you said you were going to be hanging out with her today."
Blake cast her gaze to the ground. The cobblestone pattern at her feet was really quite interesting. It alternated between salmon- and gray-colored rocks. "She's probably back at Beacon by now," she mumbled.
Ruby raised an eyebrow. A spoonful of ice cream hovered in the air with so much chocolate syrup that it couldn't even drip properly. Blake watched the syrup slowly creep back toward the sundae. "Is something wrong?"
Blake nodded. "You could say that."
Ruby hummed a tune and ate some more of her ice cream. Blake felt her eye twitch involuntarily. It almost felt like Ruby was ignoring her problem. On the other hand, the sugar-addicted redhead was most likely in a state of bliss and couldn't comprehend any other emotions. Blake bit her tongue. She wouldn't be too harsh on Ruby for a baseless accusation. She wouldn't make that mistake twice. Instead, Blake said, "I just don't know what to do."
"Want some?" Ruby asked, all but shoving the ice cream-laden spoon into Blake's mouth.
The black-haired girl fought the urge to jump off of the bench. "No thanks. I'd rather not die today."
"You look like you're going to anyway. Why not have some delicious ice cream?" Ruby sang, moving the spoon back and forth. Blake expected to hear the redhead make train noises next.
"Maybe I deserve to die," Blake blurted. "I feel like trash."
Ruby's face immediately hardened. "You don't mean that, Blake. I'm sure that Weiss has already forgiven you for whatever you've done."
Blake groaned. "Maybe I should call her."
"Actually, I think it'd be best if you let her be by herself right now." Blake looked at Ruby, confused. "It's just that once she gets really annoyed, she has a tendency to rant, and that has a way of making people feel really small, and that isn't healthy for any relationship."
"You had that answer prepared quickly."
"It's from personal experience." Ruby waved her spoon at Blake. "I know you really wanted to spend the day with her, but it'll be best if you don't. Give her an hour to calm down and you'll be set."
"I don't think Weiss will ever forgive me."
Ruby offered a warm smile. "Blake, if I can still be Weiss's friend after she found out I put a vial of Dust in the microwave, I'm sure that she'll find it in her heart to forgive you." Ruby ate another spoonful of ice cream before Blake could blink. "Besides, I don't think she could stay mad at you for long. She really likes you, you know?"
Blake felt like she shouldn't feel the tuna swimming in her stomach because of the faintest ray of hope. She wanted to drown in pain and anguish, but Ruby had presented her with a piece of driftwood in the raging storm and Blake could not bring herself to let go of it. She twitched her bow and decided to follow Ruby's advice and wait around until the evening. Then she would go back to Beacon, where Weiss was, and hopefully everything would work out.
"I see a smile!" Ruby chirped.
Blake touched the corner of her mouth to verify and, sure enough, Ruby was right. The weight on her shoulders lifted and Blake was able to sit up and see past the haze that had settled around her. Feeling like she could take on the world, Blake said, "I should thank you, Ruby. Talking to you has really helped me feel better."
Ruby's response came out as an indecipherable gurgle as she tried to talk around her ice cream. Blake recoiled from the redhead as chocolate started dripping down her chin. "Do you want some napkins?"
Blake spent more than an hour in Vale to give Weiss more time to calm down. Not long after Ruby had displayed her knowledge of Weiss's temper, the redhead decided that she was done being outside once she finished her massive sundae. After Ruby limped back to the airship docks with a brain freeze, Blake set off on her own. She felt like she was walking on clouds. It had been a long time since she had been without her teammates. Though she liked Ruby and Yang, and just thinking about a happy Weiss was enough to make her head spin, Blake had forgotten about how great it could be to step away from them on occasion. However, as the evening approached and she stepped onto the last airship for the day, the tuna started to swim again. What if Weiss was still upset? The heiress could get upset over the most unreasonable things, like when Yang had left a box of leftovers on Weiss's desk. What would happen now that Weiss actually had a reason to be mad?
The airship pulled into the dock and opened its doors. Blake swallowed and started toward the opening. No matter what happened in that dorm, she would have to face it. Besides, she was going to become a Huntress. What sort of Huntress ran away from a little emotional drama that involved the very person she wanted to dearly be around no matter what?
Blake suddenly found herself in front of Team RWBY's door. The tuna started swimming faster. Blake reached into her pocket and produced her scroll. She thought to keep walking, especially when she couldn't even keep her hands steady. Maybe there was somewhere else she could sleep? She shook her head. Running was no longer an option. Now was the time to face her problems head-on. Blake presented her scroll with a resolve that she didn't entirely feel and threw herself through the portal before she changed her mind.
Ruby was there, laying on her bed and reading a book. She had already changed into her pajamas. Yang was absent and it looked like she hadn't been in the room since class ended. And there, sitting at her desk and looking down at a book, was Weiss. Blake felt her heart drop into her stomach and she considered backing out of the room before anyone noticed.
"You really took your time," Weiss said. She looked up and pierced Blake with her icy glare. Blake swallowed and ignored the fact that Weiss had already prepared herself for bed. Her white hair was down and framed her face. Blake swallowed and wondered if it was inappropriate for her to be attracted to the personification of her impending doom. Weiss closed her book and stood up, keeping her gaze firmly on Blake. Although the heiress wasn't the tallest on the team, she had an air about her that made the rest of the room feel small.
Now that she stood so close, Blake could see the tiny fractures in Weiss's anger. The icy eyes watered slightly around the edges and Blake could detect the slight hitch in the heiress's breathing. "It really hurt to hear you say that." Weiss put a hand on her chest. "It still hurts."
Blake felt herself relax slightly. Maybe she was not going to be brutally flogged after all. In order to get through before the heiress could work herself up into a rant, Blake said, "Weiss, I'm so, so sorry. I don't know why I said that. I know that you've been working hard on getting over your prejudices and it wasn't right for me to make those assumptions." Blake broke the eye contact and lamely added, "For what it's worth, I'm sorry."
The silence stretched between them. Ruby, mostly forgotten on her bed, repositioned herself to get a better look. Weiss pressed her lips into a thin line. Blake wondered if the room was supposed to be spinning. Also why did her head feel so light?
"This isn't over just because you said you're sorry," Weiss said. Blake saw how the icy glare had thawed just a bit more. It was a faint sign, but it was enough to rekindle the hope in Blake's heart.
Ruby shifted uncomfortably on her bed and began, "Weiss, don't you think—"
"It's alright, Ruby," Blake said. She took a step toward the heiress and was delighted to see that Weiss didn't step away. "I deserved it."
"You deserve more than that." Weiss crossed her arms and said, "You're sleeping in your own bed tonight."
Blake's heart skipped a beat. She had thought Weiss wanted to keep their relationship a secret, but the heiress had blatantly stated such a punishment with Ruby in the room. A quick glance at the redhead confirmed that Ruby had heard and looked confused. Blake felt a blush rising to the tips of her cat ears. Was she supposed to die of embarrassment? When did Weiss become so evil?
"Secondly," Weiss said, "you are not allowed to kiss me for the remainder of the week."
Blake felt her throat tighten. If there was any doubt about what Weiss was talking about before, any questions Ruby had were just blown out the window. Meanwhile, Weiss's face remained perfectly composed.
"S-so when you say the remainder of the week," Blake muttered, "do you mean until Sunday or next Friday?" She figured that since the cat was out of the bag, there would be no harm in asking for clarification.
Weiss tapped a finger against her chin. She acted as if she actually had to give the issue any thought. Blake felt like the tuna in her stomach had turned to stone. Ruby's eyes had grown to the size of dinner plates. "Let's go with Sunday," Weiss said. "There's no need for me to deprive myself."
Blake swore the others could hear her heartbeat. She lowered her head and mumbled an affirmation. Silence fell over the room. Ruby awkwardly coughed.
"So, uh, you two are, uh, in a relationship?"
Weiss put a hand to her temple and said, "Do you really have to ask?"
"No, I, uh, I just wasn't expecting that to happen."
"Why not? You have a steady relationship with Crescent Rose."
Ruby sat upright and shouted, "That's not true! I only kissed her once!" She immediately clasped her hands securely over her mouth. "I mean, uh." Ruby's voice cracked and her face had turned a darker shade of red than her cloak. "So, how long have you two been together?"
Blake and Weiss just stared at Ruby. The redhead fidgeted and forced a large smile. It was clear that Ruby wanted someone to change the subject. When no one did, she quickly said something about brushing her teeth and exploded in a shower of rose petals and fled the room.
A minute passed before either of the two remaining teammates could bring themselves to say anything about their leader's confession. Blake decided to break the silence and said, "She's technically your partner."
Weiss put a hand on her temple. "Don't remind me."
"So," Blake said and lowered her ears, "are you still mad at me?"
"Not so much now." Weiss narrowed her eyes and Blake felt herself become infinitely smaller. "You're still sleeping in your own bed, Belladonna." Weiss crossed her arms and put her nose slightly higher in the air.
Blake flattened her ears. "Curses."
Weiss turned and stepped toward her bed. "I'm glad that we reached an understanding. Goodnight, Blake," she said as she slipped under the covers.
Blake pouted and looked at her own, empty bed. She could have sworn that the temperature had dropped. Regardless, although she wanted to crawl under the heiress's sheets, Blake couldn't deny that she had not received the harsh punishment she had expected. With a sigh, Blake turned to leave for the showers. Before she passed through the door, she stopped and said, "Goodnight, Weiss."
Yang staggered through the halls in the dark. Her arms and legs shook with exhaustion and she couldn't even stand up straight. After class, she had immediately gone to the gym and thrown herself into exercising. While running around the outdoor track, she was able to forget the confusing thought she had about Blake and Weiss. When she was at the weights and doing leg presses, she didn't think about the kiss between her teammates or what could have happened in the time the two had been sleeping together. Yang had felt some heat building up and she loudly challenged everyone to spar with her.
An hour later, five of the challengers limped back to the lockers and the other ten went back to their respective, and safe, exercises. Yang stood in the middle of the ring breathing heavily. Her arms felt like they were made of lead and she wondered what sort of sounds she could get from Weiss or Blake if she really tried. The heat spreading across her face had been from all of her sparring, she knew.
When Pyrrha stormed into the gym, the redhead Amazon saw Yang standing in a sparring ring. Yang watched Pyrrha march directly towards her with a look that could only be described as murderous. Her face was red, her nostrils were flared, and her pupils had shrunk to the size of a pinhead. Veins bulged in several spots on the muscular woman's body. Yang licked her lips. A real challenge had finally arrived.
The sun had set well before Yang and Pyrrha were done. They spent most of that time in silence, both respectful of the fact that the other had some sort of problem that they didn't want to talk about. However, while Pyrrha mostly reverted back to her cheerful self, Yang had become more withdrawn. She didn't want to admit it, but all of the feelings she had toward Blake and Weiss were transferring to the muscular redhead.
When they were done, Pyrrha had said, "That was a lot of fun, Yang. Jaune is a nice guy to workout with, but sometimes it's great to be able to go all out."
Yang had been paying enough attention to see how Pyrrha clenched her fist at the mention of Jaune's name. Then her attention went back to how Pyrrha's sweat-drenched clothes left nothing for the imagination. "Uh-huh. It was great."
"Think maybe we could turn this into a regular thing?"
Yang choked again at her recollection of the events. Now she stood, scroll in hand, looking over her shoulder at Team JNPR's room. Had she just gotten herself into some sort of team drama by becoming Pyrrha's new workout partner? The blonde shrugged and unlocked Team RWBY's door. She was too tired to care.
When she stepped in, she immediately noticed that Weiss and Blake were in their own beds, sound asleep. Yang sighed in relief and hopped into her bed. Maybe in sleep she could get away from all of her confused feelings.
Just as she teetered on the edge of rest, Yang noticed the sound of Weiss getting out of her bed. Maybe she was getting a drink of water? Then why would the heiress be coming to the other side of the room? Then realization hit Yang.
"Move over," Weiss whispered to Blake.
"Huh?" came the confused response.
The heiress huffed and forced herself under Blake's blanket. Yang bit her lower lip and kept her eyes closed. There was a quiet conversation underneath her, which ended with Weiss saying, "If you don't stop talking right now, I'll take away your other privileges as well."
The conversation immediately ceased. In the resounding silence, Yang was left to think about all of the feelings she had been trying to avoid. Sleep would not come for her that night.