Standard Disclaimer: All rights belong to those whose rights they belong to, primarily the glorious minds at Rooster Teeth, though quite namely not me. Don't own a thing.
Mirror, mirror, what's behind you? Save me from the things I see.
I can keep it from the world, why won't you let me hide from me?
Weiss Schnee stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror as she stood in her nightgown, having already finished with her nightly ritual in preparation for bed. What had riveted her attention was something she worked very hard to ignore usually, but after listening to Ruby and Blake recount their trip to the seamstress to fix her torn cloak, she seemed unable to get her mind off of it.
Her scar.
She normally wore light makeup over it, even to bed, reapplying it every morning. It was so automatic by now she didn't even need to watch what she was doing, affixing the concealer by touch. But it was a permanent reminder of her fallibility, according to her father. Her moment of weakness.
Just like he always had seen her. Weak. A failure and a disappointment.
Oh, she was sure that somehow, in his own way, he did love his daughters. Winter, though, had already slipped her leash upon graduating from Atlas Academy and joining the military. She cared not for his approval nor support. So that left Weiss, as the youngest, to do her familial duty and carry on the business, as well as produce heirs.
She sighed softly to herself. Neither of the latter items were going to happen, not if she had any say in it. Weiss had done her best to sever ties with the man, but she knew she was never completely free of his control, not until she graduated. And even then, he knew plenty of ways to make life difficult for a person.
Those with prodigious amounts of political and monetary power were always able to find such buttons to push.
The platinum-haired girl placed her hands onto the sink and leaned forward. The scar stared back at her accusingly, as if to ask what she really thought she could accomplish that wouldn't end up with even worse disfigurements. Scars on the outside, scars on the inside.
Weiss tried to push aside the insidious little voice that whispered to her how hideous she was, how damaged and pathetic. Beneath the confident mask that she presented to the world was a person filled with self-doubt and oftentimes self-loathing.
A scared little girl pretending to be a hero.
She didn't realize she'd begin to cry until the first choked sob escaped her lips. She quickly clamped a hand over her mouth, willing herself to calm, but the damage had been done.
A soft knock sounded at the door where Pyrrha had been patiently waiting for her turn.
"Weiss? Are you alright?"
The heiress took a deep, shuddering breath through her nose, closing her eyes as she desperately tried to stop the tears, not trusting in her voice at the moment. Of course, the moment's hesitation was enough to concern her girlfriend further, who slowly opened the door to peek inside. What she saw was enough to justify her worry, and the tall redhead quickly slipped inside and closed the door behind her.
"Hey, now, little Snowflake," Pyrrha murmured quietly. She came up behind Weiss and encircled her waist with her strong though undeniably feminine arms. "What's the matter?"
"It's nothing," Weiss muttered, abashed. She scrubbed her face with her hands irritably before freezing.
I just wiped away my concealer in a bright room…
She quickly covered her eyes with both hands. "Please, I'm sorry Pyrrha, could you excuse me for a moment? I'm… I need to…"
But she couldn't help herself as she began to sob again uncontrollably. What is wrong with me? I should have better control than this!
"Weiss, don't," her girlfriend gently admonished. "Don't push me away. If it's bothering you, then it's not nothing. Please talk to me?"
"But it's so stupid," Weiss moaned in embarrassment.
"No matter what it was, if it was enough to make you cry then it's important and I want to help," Pyrrha assured her. "Please, Weiss…"
The platinum-haired girl let out a long sigh and slowly dropped her hands to stare blurrily back into the mirror again. She was momentarily distracted by the sight of her favorite brilliant green eyes looking over her shoulder, Pyrrha's expression soft and loving, but she was quickly drawn once more to her disfigurement. It was an angry red now, exposed and ugly.
"It shouldn't bother me any longer," Weiss whispered. "But it's so… so ugly. How can you even stand the sight of it?"
Pyrrha's eyebrows lowered in momentary confusion, but she quickly blinked her eyes understandingly. "Oh, sweetie…" she sighed. She disengaged from her hug to step over to the toilet, lowering the lid and sitting down. She took hold of Weiss' hand and gave it a tug. "Come here, Snow Angel."
Weiss complied, though her nose wrinkled up in distaste. "Pyrrha, you're sitting on a toilet. I'm on your lap while you're sitting on a toilet."
"Yes, I know. Now listen to me carefully." The redhead turned Weiss around so that she was facing her, holding her with one firm arm around her waist while the other reached up to gently stroke her pale girlfriend's cheek.
"You are so beautiful, Weiss," she began quietly, her emerald eyes intense and her expression open. "Inside and out. You must believe me when I say this, I have never met anyone with your strength and courage and willpower. You are beautiful on the outside and you are beautiful as a person."
"How can you say that?" the platinum-haired girl whispered in a small, lost voice. "How can you think of me that way?"
"Because I love you, and I know you," Pyrrha reassured her. "I know what you've been through, I know what you think of when you see that scar, because you've opened your heart up to me. And I am so, so very grateful that you have done so, I feel unimaginably blessed to have your trust and love."
Weiss looked back mutely at the redhead who had so captured her heart, the heiress' lower lip slightly trembling.
"I don't even notice the scar anymore," Pyrrha continued earnestly. "It's part of you, and I love all of you with all of my heart." She leaned forward then and placed a gentle kiss just above her eye, right on the upper part of the scar.
Weiss couldn't help it any longer and broke out into loud, gasping sobs. Tears of pain and love, hurt and gratitude, flowed down her cheeks, and Pyrrha clung to her tightly all the while, covering her face and neck with soft reassuring kisses while stroking her long platinum hair.
Eventually her sorrowing subsided, leaving her panting for breath. Weiss let out a small hiccup as she began to finally calm down, feeling drained and yet somehow refreshed at the same time. Pyrrha still held her, rocking gently and now cradling her head on her shoulder.
"Pyrrha?" the heiress sniffled finally.
"Yes, Snowflake?"
"Pyrrha, you're sitting on a toilet! This is so demeaning."
Pyrrha laughed wholeheartedly and scooped up her girlfriend up in her arms. "Would you like it better in your bed?" she asked with a wry grin.
"Yes, I would," Weiss replied primly, then spoiled it with a soft giggle as she lay her head back against Pyrrha's shoulder once more. "Dolt," she murmured affectionately. "I love you so much."
"I love you too, sweetie."
A/N: Sniffle. See these feels? Take them all! Take all the feels!
At least Weiss is no longer the loneliest of them all. With Pyrrha by her side, I think she can finally begin to heal her emotional wounds and become a stronger person. I did originally have another idea for North Pole, but then I had finished up Ladybug Stitches and was reviewing it while listening to Mirror, Mirror, and then this story came to me. Also was inspired by the lovely piece by AthenaAsa on DeviantArt: fav dot me / d9l00wr
The original idea I think works better as a separate standalone North Pole story, so I'll publish it outside the Lemonade series.
So, thank you so much for reading my little angsty tale. Also, much love to those who have reviewed Ladybug Stitches, as well as previous stories who I have not thanked yet:
AntonSlavik020: I'm glad you found it so cute! They are indeed an adorable couple.
ODST110: Never fear, I am here to heap loads of favor and appreciation upon you! But yeah, I can't help with the hunger thing, tho I am a fan of mushrooms as well. The normal kind, that is. Really, though, thanks for the reviews, I always look forward to hearing from you! Also, I've not read any Sunflower yet, I shall have to hunt up a few stories. Hmm, anything else? Oh, yeah! Silver thread would indeed have been awesome, but I decided to go the symbolic route instead. I know, boring…
Baconator12: Mmm, bacon… Wait, what was I going to say? Oh, right, I am so very glad you find the series to be cute. I do try to give each couple a different feel to them, but yeah they tend to ooze cuteness and fluff.
And hugs to those who have also favorited my stories! I have a few more one-shots I want to work on, and then… Well, since some folk on Reddit (/u/clamzilla and /u/martinjh99) have put the idea in my head, I'm giving serious consideration to a multi-chapter work on the escapades of Team PERL based off of Retired. It's an idea I'm still playing with, though I have tried very hard not to do OC stories in the RWBY-verse like I have everywhere else. Sometimes I just can't help myself…
Here's the full listing of the Lemonade series, in order:
Pink Lemonade
Just A Little Ladybug
North Pole Weather
Snow Angel
Sweet, Sweet Lemonade
Ladybug Trails
Trifecta
Yuletide Lemonade
Eros
Lotus Song
Strawberry Lemonade
Ladybug Stitches
North Pole Mirror
Fallen Ladybug
Sugar Rush
North Pole Faith
Stay shiny!