Commission for alexander-the-amazing, who requested a fic in their Anger Management AU. I wrote it more like a group therapy session/discussions type thing, though. Takes place in a normal life. Rated T for language.
I plan to make this a two-shot, so keep an eye out for part 2!
Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.
For The Better
Part 1.
To Yang Rose-Xiao Long, dread was waking up to the sound of her phone's alarm at 8AM on a Saturday morning while the rest of the world was sleeping in.
Presently, she groaned in frustration as she reached over to her nightstand and silenced her phone.
This is so goddamn stupid. I don't need to go.
She flipped back over and pulled the blankets up over her head, doing what she did best in ignoring her responsibilities. Her right shoulder ached a bit from being still all night, and she had no choice but to reach out beneath the covers and stretch.
Her prosthetic arm didn't feel as strongly as her real one, but there were still plenty of prickles of discomfort stemming from the nerve endings that hadn't been completely severed. She made a fist and growled under her breath.
"You're part of the reason I've gotta go through this bullshit in the first place."
She was still pissed about her current situation. She'd been pissed about a lot of things for a long time now, but currently, her negative energies were focused around Saturday mornings.
Her parents had signed her up to take anger management classes.
When Yang had first found out, she'd blown up in their faces, shouting defensively that she didn't need such treatment. But long after she'd stormed off, stomped to her room, and slammed the door, she'd realized her reaction had been exactly the thing they'd been seeking to fix when they'd signed her up.
She couldn't remember the last time someone had told her news about something she didn't like and she hadn't exploded in a fit of rage and curses.
They think this'll fix me. Fuckin' bullshit. Nothing can 'fix' me...
She felt she deserved to be angry, after all she'd been through within the past three years. As soon as she'd started college, her life had gone to shit.
It had started with the fact that she'd been enrolled in a different college than her best friend of eighteen years, Blake Belladonna. While Yang had stayed local, Blake had gotten a scholarship to a college in a neighboring town, about two hours away. After being together for all of middle school and high school, the pair of best friends had been split apart.
Yang had tried to keep in touch, always calling Blake to ask if she'd like to meet up on the weekends to get a drink or go see a movie together.
But Blake was always busy, it seemed, always needing to study for something or finish some kind of work or make plans with somebody else. Yang had just felt as though she was being forgotten, as though being together for a decade as one another's best friends had suddenly all crumbled down within the course of a few weeks.
A year after that, Ruby had graduated high school, and ended up going to the same college as Blake. Ruby had always known Blake because of her friendship with Yang, but Yang had never expected the two of them to start dating.
That had felt like the ultimate betrayal in a way. The two people she'd loved most in the world now only having eyes for one another.
Yang had been pushed aside somewhere unimportant as Ruby and Blake had more or less eloped to their faraway college to be together, leaving Yang behind. She was always getting left behind...
As she felt the old memories rising up and threatening to consume her, Yang shook her head, not willing to give those thoughts her attention any more than she already had.
She lay there for a while longer, until the air she was breathing beneath the blankets became too stale for her to handle. She yanked the covers down away from her face to glare up at the underside of Ruby's bunk bed.
It was around the middle of the current semester, so Ruby was still away at college with Blake, leaving Yang to live home alone with their parents.
Ruby always made sure to call every once in a while, and she'd always be sure to pass the phone to Blake as well.
But Yang never really enjoyed talking to them anymore. They always seemed to brag about what things they'd accomplished, what they were planning to do together - without her. When they asked her how she was doing, it never felt like they actually wanted to know, so Yang never really gave them honest answers.
She hated that she couldn't be happy for them since they were happy together.
She hated feeling like the world was pit against her, even though she felt that wasn't the case.
She hated a lot of things, recently.
Which only led to more frustrations, more cursing, more anger...
She rolled over, snorting as she glared at her phone, seeking the time. It was 8:24 now. Anger management classes began at 9 sharp.
No. I don't have to go. I don't need that crap. What the hell can sitting around in a circle and talking about our problems do to help anyone? It's not like I'm a psychopath or some drug-addict who needs fixing. I can take care of myself...
But these thoughts seemed awfully familiar to her.
How many times had she told herself these things? That she could handle herself and change for the better whenever she wanted to? If she was so good at taking care of herself and initiating change in her own lifestyle, then why had she been so goddamn miserable these past three years?
Fuck...
She tossed over again, grunting as she closed her eyes, trying to ignore the rest of the world and all the problems that came with it.
But now that she'd been thinking about the past, her mind took her exactly where she didn't want to go.
It was a summer morning, and she was driving to the florist to pick up a bouquet for Summer's birthday. Another car ran a red light and was headed straight for her-
Gasping, Yang pushed herself up from her bed and cried out in frustration, slamming her flesh fist against the headboard.
"Damn it!"
She could already feel the sting of tears behind her eyes, but refused to let them fall.
No way was she going to fall back asleep now.
So she fought her way out from beneath the blankets and left her bed un-made as she lumbered to her dresser. She grabbed whatever clothes she touched first and yanked them out, then went to the bathroom, slamming the door behind herself.
She only freshened up the bare minimum required for going out in public. She didn't have anyone to impress, after all.
After she pulled on her shorts and tank top, she walked heavily down the stairs. Summer and her father were already in the kitchen, and the smell of bread and eggs wafted up to greet Yang.
Taiyang looked up from where he'd been reading the newspaper with Zwei in his lap.
"Hey! Mornin', kiddo."
"Hey..."
Yang took her seat at the table, refusing to look at the place where Ruby normally sat. Summer greeted her sweetly and placed a pate of food in front of her. Yang's step-mother washed her hands, then patted them dry on her apron before taking her seat.
"So Yang, do you have any plans for the day?"
She didn't ask about the anger management classes directly, even though she and Taiyang were paying for them and had every right to know whether or not Yang was attending them. The girl shrugged as she cut into her scrambled eggs.
"Dunno. I'm just gonna go out."
That was all she said throughout the meal. When she was finished, she put her plate into the sink, took a swig of water from a bottle, then grabbed a sweatshirt from the hall closet.
The springtime weather was warm, but she still didn't like the looks people gave her when they saw her prosthetic arm. So she was sure to cover it up in the sleeve of the sweatshirt before stepping outside.
It was a nice day, but Yang could hardly appreciate it. Not when she knew exactly where she planned on going today.
I can't believe I'm actually gonna buy into that group therapy crap...
Nonetheless, she was already awake and out of the house, and there was nowhere else her family was paying her to be.
She shoved her hands into her pockets to conceal her false hand, then made her way to the sidewalks. She passed the driveway without giving it a second glance.
After the accident, her own car had gotten totaled, and even despite her parents' offers to get her a new one or let her use one of theirs, Yang opted not to drive if she didn't have to. She'd only ever been in a car a few times since she'd lost her arm, but never once had she herself driven in nearly two years now.
She knew where in town she'd need to go for these stupid classes, and she knew it was about a twenty-minute walk. She checked her phone again to see it was 8:45.
"What's that thing they say? Better late than never? Sure."
She didn't hurry to make it on time either.
She took her time walking at a leisurely pace, ignoring all the glances and advances of the interested young adults who looked her way. She'd had plenty of people ask her out during high school, and again in college years. But she couldn't care less about romance.
With Blake and Ruby so happily together, Yang always felt bitter about the thought of being romantically involved with someone. She didn't have the time or energy for that crap.
By the time she'd made it to the building, it was 9:13. She paused at the doors, ran a hand through her hair, and let out a long breath.
"Can't believe I'm doing this..."
She pushed inside, finding herself in small lobby area. A woman sat behind a desk and looked up to greet her.
"Good morning. Are you here for the 9 o'clock class?"
Yang shuffled over, keeping her hands buried.
"Yeah."
"Last name, please?"
"Rose-Xiao Long."
The woman handed her an attendance sheet and a pen. Grimacing, Yang had no choice but to extract her prosthetic arm to write.
She'd tried to learn how to use her left, but she was a righty by nature, and even with the prosthetic, her body functioned more comfortably when she used her right hand. Her arm had been this way for two years, and by now her handwriting was as good as it had been before the accident. She just didn't like showing her arm if she didn't have to.
As soon as she'd signed in, she hid her hand in her pocket once more. The woman accepted the paper, then directed her to a set of doors across the room.
"Your group and instructor are already inside. I believe they only just got started."
Yang plastered on a short-lived smile.
"Thanks."
If she hadn't already signed in, she might've walked out again.
Goddamn, this is so stupid...
She pushed open the set of doors and walked into a gym-like area. That surprised her, because she'd been expecting some prim-and-proper office setting or a doctor's room. A gym was much more her style.
The lights were all on, and a circle of fold-up chairs was positioned in the center. All but three of the fifteen chairs were filled, and all of the twelve other occupants turned to look at her as she entered.
One girl with long white hair who was wearing a blue sundress spoke up sharply.
"Look who decided to show up."
Yang gawked at her, utterly speechless. She looked behind herself, but there was no one else there.
The white-haired girl was clearly talking about Yang, accusing her like she was some kind of criminal.
That got her blood boiling.
"Um, excuse me? Do we know each other?"
The other girl scoffed, crossed her arms, and looked away.
"Fortunately not," she huffed.
Yang was outraged. Who the hell did this prissy girl think she was, picking a verbal fight with her the second she walked in?
Yang was torn between the options of storming out and splintering the doors as she did so, or charging forward to punch the brat in the throat.
But before she could do either, an older woman with strawberry-blonde hair and intelligent eyes behind dark-rimmed glasses stood from her seat.
"Miss Schnee," she said sternly to the other girl. "That is no way to greet one of your fellow group mates. You're here to make progress, not regress."
The girl in the blue dress sighed as though she'd been done a great injustice, but she said nothing more.
Yang still hadn't moved from her spot, but she had to admit it felt satisfying to see the other girl get put into her place.
The woman then walked over towards her, trying to stay composed and professional.
"I apologize. As you can see, we're all a bit on-edge for our first session together. That's one of many things we plan to work on." She extended her hand. "My name is Glynda Goodwitch. I will be your instructor for the next four months. May I have your name?"
Yang glanced down at the woman's hand. She'd offered her right, which would make Yang use her right as well. So she simply opted not to shake.
"Yang Rose-Xiao Long," she muttered. "Just call me Yang."
The woman didn't seem all that bothered by her lack of a handshake.
"Then please, Miss Yang. Come and choose a seat. We'll be getting started now."
Yang walked behind her instructor towards the chairs and the other people gathered there. Of the three empty chairs, two of them were on either side of the girl who'd snapped at her when she'd first walked in.
Now I see why no one wanted to sit next to you...
Thinking as much, Yang plopped herself down into the last empty seat, in between a dark-skinned girl and a paler boy. Yang kept her hands in her pockets as Glynda called for attention to begin the session.
"Now then, I'd like to have us get started. As you all know, these sessions will be anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half long, once a week on Saturdays, same time, same place. We're here to try and help not only ourselves, but one another as well.
"I'd like to get started with simple introductions. Tell us your name and why you're here. You don't have to reveal anything you don't want to. And please remember, everything said within these walls is absolutely confidential. You all agreed to those terms when you signed in this morning. No one is to share any information about anyone else outside of this room."
With that she gave her own introduction once more, and then let the rest of them begin.
Yang waited her turn, listening to the handful of people to her right side as they gave their names and told why they were here.
They all seemed to have pretty shitty lives, as far as Yang could tell.
There were a lot of people who seemed to have problems like hers; abandonment, trust issues, tense family lives. All things that could easily ignite a destructive response, be it physical, emotional, or otherwise.
She listened to the boy beside her – Mercury – tell of how he'd once gotten into a physical fight with his drunken father and how they'd both ended up in the hospital.
Yang shuddered and counted her blessings.
When it was her turn, she spoke awkwardly.
"Uh... My name's Yang. I kinda just feel... like no one cares about me, y'know?"
To her surprise, everyone else around her nodded as if they knew all too well.
She made sure not to look at the bossy white-haired girl, though. Yang didn't care for her opinion.
She went on.
"My birth mom left me when I was a baby. My dad re-married and had my sister with his new wife. My step-mom's super nice. But... I dunno. I just feel like she'll never truly like or accept me as her own daughter. It kinda feels like whatever relationship we've had together was totally fake. It sucks." The anger was beginning to drip into her voice, and a snarl curled her lips. "And like, it's not my fault my mom gave birth to me and then just abandoned me, y'know?"
She went on to tell about how her best friend and sister had more or less run off together and left her behind.
"So basically, my mom left me, I'm distant with my step-mom, my uncle never really seemed to like me either, and my best friend and sister are off having the time of their lives together while I just get left behind. And it all pisses me off."
She finished speaking and slouched back in her chair, looking down at the ground, avoiding all eye contact.
At the very least, no one else here offered words of pity or sympathy, so she appreciated that.
Sensing Yang was finished, Glynda cleared her throat.
"Thank you for sharing. Next please."
They girl beside Yang introduced herself as Arslan, and went on a discourse about how she was always made to take care of others without getting the same treatment in return.
Yang was mildly interested in these peoples' stories by now.
At least until it was a certain white-haired girl's turn.
"Next," Glynda said. "Miss Schnee."
Yang grunted distastefully and yawned in an effort to drown the girl out.
The bossy girl straightened up immediately when it was her turn to speak.
"I'm Weiss. And... I guess I'm here because of my father. My mother died when I was very young, and my older sister's been out of the picture for the past several years to join the military.
"My father has very strict rules at home. If I'm not where I'm supposed to be on the dot, I get punished. He's not an alcoholic, but he does drink, and sometimes he gets violent... Sometimes I get scared, but sometimes I just fight back. I yell a lot. I guess that's what I'd most like to improve on."
She finished rather abruptly, and on a note no one else had succeeded in bringing to the room thus far. Everyone else had ended rather negatively, but this girl had let the prospect of improvement be the last thing on her lips.
They heard from one more person, and before Yang knew it, their session was over. Glynda gave them a closing speech.
"Thank you all for your honesty today. Remember that everything you've heard here is to remain confidential from others. Before we leave, please get in a circle and shake hands with all your fellows. And until we see each other again next week, please do your best to think before you take action the next time you find yourself unhappy."
Yang did as instructed and began shaking hands with everyone, though since she always gave her left hand, the other person always had to quickly change arms.
All except one.
As it turned out, Weiss Schnee was a southpaw, and gave her left hand to Yang without hesitation. Yang snorted faintly as she took it, and gave a bit of a hard squeeze to those manicured nails.
Weiss recoiled.
"Hey!"
But Yang didn't turn back. She simply headed for the doors, eager to get out of here.
But to her surprise, the patter of irritated footsteps followed her.
"Excuse you! Didn't you hear me talking to you?"
Yang rolled her eyes as she whipped around.
"Oh, sorry, princess. Does it annoy you when someone doesn't listen to you? Just because you're rich I guess that means we all gotta bow down to you, right?"
Yang almost laughed due to the mix of shock and outrage on Weiss' face. Her jawline tightened, as did her fists.
"Well, if you're going to be like that, then you don't deserve to hear what I've got to say! Forget it! Someone who can't even manage to be punctual wouldn't understand, anyway!"
Yang grit her teeth, that familiar red rage boiling up inside of her again.
Without thinking, she lashed out with her right arm and grabbed the girl by the collar of her dress.
Weiss' challenging expression quickly melted into one of shock, and she gasped as she was yanked forward, nose to nose with Yang.
"Listen, you prissy little bitch-"
"Miss Long!"
Glynda's shout cut Yang off. She looked up to see that all the other people who'd been about to leave the room had all frozen to stare at her.
When Yang looked back down to the girl in her grasp, she realized Weiss was shaking, her blue eyes wide with dismay.
Yang's stomach twisted.
She let her go just as Glynda arrived.
"What is going on here?"
Yang flashed a look at her, but refused to look at Weiss again.
"Sorry. Bad temper."
"I can see that," the woman said sternly. "But that is exactly what we're all coming here to fix, Miss Long. Now, being this was only our first session, I understand our anger might still get the better of us. But we're all going to work together these next several weeks to help ourselves improve, correct?"
As Glynda was talking her down, Yang turned away and shoved her fake hand back into her pocket.
"Yeah. Sorry."
Mumbling as much, she slipped through the crowd of her subdued classmates and headed briskly out of the building.
The flame of her anger had been quickly extinguished, to the point now where she felt exhausted, even defeated. In her pockets, her fists were clenching the fabrics of her sweatshirt so tightly her nails were digging into her palms.
What the hell was that...?
It wasn't often her fits got violent, but it did happen, more often than she cared to admit.
She'd acted out several times before in her rage, often taking it out on some innocent lamp post or tree trunk. She'd nearly put a hole in her bedroom wall once, but after that had resorted to sneaking out of the house to bash her fists and shoes against whatever sturdy structure she could find while just cursing her heart out.
But this had been the first time she'd taken it out on another person in a physical manner.
She'd never gotten angry like that with Blake or her family before. She assumed it was because no matter how angry she ever got at them, her kinder emotional bonds to them were much stronger.
But today, she'd taken it out on a stranger.
And she hated herself for it. So, so much.
And she was someone in my frickin' anger management class for God's sake!
Not only did her actions speak volumes about her own issues, but clearly since Weiss had been attending the same classes, she didn't have the best family life or emotional balance, either.
"I'm so fuckin' stupid... Christ..." Yang kicked the nearest fire hydrant as she passed it, causing pain to shoot up her shin, but she didn't care.
I deserve it after that fiasco.
She made her way back home, and when her parents asked her how her day had gone, she just told them "fine" and retreated to her room.
Ruby called her a while later, but Yang didn't pick up. She didn't feel like dealing with people anymore. She'd done enough of that for one day, and look where it had gotten her.
After a quiet dinner with her parents, Yang laid in her bed and recalled the events of the day.
She'd met a lot of other people just like her, all in similar situations. They were all suffering from different kinds of anger displacement, and they'd all gotten out of bed that morning to try and do something good for themselves.
Yang didn't feel so alone anymore.
But she was still feeling guilty about what she'd done to Weiss.
She lamented it for so long that by the time she was about to fall asleep, she could only think of one thing to do.
I've gotta go back next week. To apologize if nothing else.
So she did.
That Saturday was warmer than last week's, and Yang had already unintentionally revealed her prosthetic arm to her classmates, so she didn't even bother with the sweatshirt this time around.
Everyone seemed almost surprised to see her back in that little circle of theirs, and she was on time unlike last week.
But interestingly enough, even at 9:05, Weiss hadn't arrived yet.
Shit... she didn't quit 'cuz of me, did she...?
As Glynda began the class by sharing different methods of how they could channel their anger and let it manifest in non-destructive ways, Yang was only listening with one ear.
But only a few minutes later, the doors swung open, and everyone turned to see Weiss stumbling in. Disheveled and breathless, she stayed put for a moment as Glynda quickly approached her.
"Miss Schnee? Is everything all right?"
Weiss looked almost panicked as she dipped her head to the woman.
"I'm sorry. I'm s-so sorry I'm late! I'm sorry!"
Yang was a bit relieved that she hadn't quit because of last week's events. But Weiss looked like she was in bad shape.
Glynda must've thought the same, because she called out for someone from the office and asked them to take care of the girl. Yang watched as they led Weiss out of the room, and Glynda turned back to the rest of them.
"All right. Now where were we?"
Yang sat anxiously through ten more minutes of the class, but Weiss never came back in. She felt some of this was her own fault somehow, therefore she raised her left hand and asked to be excused to the bathroom.
After Glynda nodded, Yang all but shot up from her seat and hurried for the doors where she'd last seen Weiss.
She entered the quiet office outside, where the woman who usually sat behind the desk was gone now, a small sign on her desk indicating she was on lunch break.
Yang scoured the room, and it didn't take too long to find what she was looking for.
Weiss was seated on one of the cushioned chairs in the far corner. She'd made sure to choose the one that was partially concealed behind a bookshelf, trying to make herself as unnoticeable as possible. She was hunched forward with her face in her hands, breathing unevenly. A waste bin nearby was filled a fraction of the way with tissues, and a half-empty bottle of water sat on the floor at her feet.
Yang hesitated. Her instinct as a big sister was telling her to go to the girl.
But... am I really someone who can help this...?
Then again, there was no one else around.
So she made her way over and sat beside the shaken girl, grunting awkwardly to clear her throat.
"Um... hey. You okay?"
Weiss jolted so hard she nearly fell out of her seat. She looked up at Yang with the same wide eyes, and Yang felt a sting in her heart.
She'd done it again. She'd sparked that feeling in someone else.
Fear.
It wasn't as bad as it had been last week when she'd grabbed her, but it was still awful to see.
The fright in Weiss' eyes faded before long into recognition, and then confusion.
"What...?" she croaked. "Aren't you going to... lecture me for being late? After all I said... about punctuality being essential last time?" She hunched forward again and turned herself away.
Yang bit her lip. In her mind, she was already lashing out at the girl:
Yeah, actually. Why don't you enlighten me, princess? I couldn't be ten minutes late on our first frickin' day, but here you are showin' up late and now you're cryin' about it? What a little hypocrite...
Those were her initial, enraged thoughts.
But she tried to take into account a bit of what Glynda had taught her thus far. She didn't act on those first thoughts. She paused, took three deep breaths, and waited for the anger to die down. More rational thoughts soon took place of the harsher ones.
God, what happened? Last week she was so confident and stuff, but now... look at her. Guess even rich girls got it hard, huh?
Now that she was calmer and not letting herself get irked so easily, Yang spoke more softly.
"Well, knowing you, you probably had a good reason for being late to something, right?"
She watched as Weiss tensed up, her expression still hidden in her hands. She'd frozen as though no one had ever given her the benefit of the doubt before. Not only had Yang done that much, but she'd also subtly acknowledged Weiss' previous successes in being punctual.
It was a way of showing her concern, mixed with a bit of praise for Weiss.
Weiss' heart suddenly wasn't pounding so hard anymore. She could feel the panic dying away bit by bit as she slowly turned herself back around to face the blonde girl.
Yang was even more relieved to see that she'd succeeded in not frightening the girl any further. She'd never had a panic attack herself, but she could guess they weren't all that fun.
Bending down, she picked up the bottle of water and offered it to Weiss. Without a word, she accepted and took a small sip, then blew her nose. Yang waited until she'd discarded her tissue and was ready to talk again.
"Thank you..."
"S'all right." Only now did she realize her prosthetic was in plain sight, and she casually draped it over the back of her seat to hide it from view. "Listen... Weiss..."
When she used the girl's name for the first time, Weiss perked up a little bit, giving her full attention. Yang continued.
"I... I wanted to apologize for last week... I'm still new to... all this. Channeling your anger and all that stuff. I'm no good at it yet, but I wanna be someday, y'know? That's what I wanna improve on." She scratched the back of her head awkwardly.
"And, uh... I'm sorry if I hurt you or anything. I really didn't mean to. Sometimes it just gets the better of me and I explode and take it out on whatever or whoever's closest."
Weiss remained silent for a moment, processing this information.
Yang watched as the girl straightened her back a bit, her watery blue eyes now clear as she looked her over.
Yang was dying waiting for her to just say something. Part of her expected Weiss to yell at her again, and if that was what ended up happening, Yang would just walk away and leave her be.
But she was glad that didn't happen.
Instead, Weiss spoke to her on a normal level.
"You know... if you're just going to apologize about something, you shouldn't let it happen in the first place."
Yang's jaw dropped, but rather than angry, she felt a little nervous this time.
"I... No, you're right."
"I'm sorry."
"...Huh?"
Weiss dipped her head.
"I'm the one who's sorry, Yang. That's what I'd wanted to tell you last week when you were leaving. I was... quick to judge, and I started it. We both know that. I instigated, and it's hardly your fault for taking the bait. That's sort of how I build up my self-esteem. I lure people into verbal fights because I know I'll always win. But..."
Yang understood then.
"But you're no good when it comes to physical stuff, huh?"
Weiss looked away.
"Right..."
A silence fell over them.
Yang fumbled for something to say, something that wouldn't hurt Weiss or demean herself.
"Then... we'd make a good team."
Her words shocked herself just as much as they seemed to shock Weiss. When the girl gave her a curious look that begged her to elaborate, Yang hurried on.
"I mean... I just meant cuz like, you're good with words and not physical stuff, but I'm the total opposite. In case you couldn't already tell, I suck with words."
To her surprise, and faint delight, Weiss chuckled a little bit.
"I wouldn't say you suck. You just need practice."
Her words weren't stinging or mocking. In fact, they made Yang feel better.
"Yeah..."
Yang tried to offer a smile, and found her heart lifting when Weiss reflected it for her.
But then she noticed Weiss' gaze trailing over her right shoulder and down...
Yang quickly moved her arm behind her back.
"Sorry..."
The white-haired girl was taken aback.
"Why are you apologizing? I should be doing that. I didn't mean to stare."
"Nah, it's okay. I get it. It looks weird, right? I know it bothers some people."
"I never said it bothered me," Weiss snapped. But she didn't do so in a hurtful way. It was merely to make it clear that she was stating a point she believed in. Still, she went on a bit more gently. "I never said it bothered me. You're just making assumptions. I think it's really amazing."
"Amazing?" Yang parroted, doubtful. "I think you're going a bit too far there."
"Not at all."
Her blue eyes were earnest, to Yang's surprise. No one outside of her own family had ever called Yang's arm by a positive adjective unless they were bluffing.
But Weiss seemed to really mean it.
Slowly, Yang moved her arm back to a comfortable position, no longer afraid to show it.
"Then... thanks."
"Don't mention it."
The atmosphere between them had lifted and lightened significantly by now. There wasn't an ounce of anger to be felt anywhere between them.
And considering how adamant they'd been last week about making each other miserable, Yang thought this was a pretty big improvement.
They talked for a little while longer, mostly about more casual things, like where they went to school.
When Weiss suddenly started coughing a little, Yang swiftly bent down to grab her water bottle again and handed it to her. Her right hand instinctively went to Weiss' back and patted lightly.
Weiss took another drink and caught her breath. Then Yang realized she'd touched her without asking, and promptly withdrew her hand.
"You good now?"
"Yes. I'm fine. Thank you, Yang."
She didn't know why it made her smile when Weiss said her name, but it did.
A moment later, Yang glanced at the clock on the wall to discover their session for the day was just about over by now.
Wow. Time flies when you're... well, I wouldn't exactly call sitting here talking to her 'fun', but it's not something I hate, I guess.
Weiss noticed the time too and let out a small sigh.
"I've got to be home soon..."
Yang frowned. She knew it was none of her business, but she felt the need to speak up.
"Hey, Weiss?"
The girl flashed her blue gaze at her curiously. Weiss seemed exhausted in just thinking about going back home.
Yang reached out to place her hand over hers by means of support.
"Don't worry... about being late when you come here, yeah? You don't have to worry about being late. Your dad's not gonna know. It's okay."
The look in Weiss' eyes in that instant was something Yang had never seen before. She couldn't explain it properly, but she felt she'd just said something Weiss had been wanting to hear for a long time.
Yang noticed tears welling up behind the girl's eyes, but Weiss turned herself away quickly before they could fall.
"Thank you... Really..."
Yang smiled faintly and squeezed the girl's hand. At the very least, she wanted Weiss to know that there was someone here who supported her.
And Yang felt she could count on Weiss for some support, too.
The doors soon opened up, and their fellow classmates started to walk through the lobby to exit the building. A few of them checked on Weiss and Yang before Glynda came over to speak to them. Yang reassured the woman she was fine, and was glad when Weiss did the same.
But after that, Weiss was getting anxious to leave.
"I've really got to get home. It takes me a while to walk there and I can't be late."
"I get it." Yang put a hand on her shoulder and smiled again. "Then I'll uh... see you next week, right?"
There was a hopeful note in her voice. Weiss must have heard it, because she nodded and smiled back kindly.
"You will."
With that, Weiss hurried out the doors.
Yang followed more slowly, noticing that Weiss headed in the opposite direction.
She felt immensely better walking home today than she had last week.
I actually feel... pretty good for once...
As she made her way home, she made a promise to herself.
Next week, she'd sit next to Weiss.
A/N: Originally, this was just going to be a oneshot, but I've got too many other ideas I want to put in. So expect part 2 fairly soon!
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