Author Note: I feel like every RWBY story I've written has tread into dark territory, and this one is no different.
After the first round of the Vytal tournament ended, team RWBY split up and went their separate ways. Weiss and Ruby hurried out to meet Winter. Blake slunk off to the library, while Yang returned to the team's dorm. The blonde recently acquired a weapons magazine, and she wanted to read it before Ruby got her hands on it. Luckily it was right where she left it, so Yang jumped up onto her bed to read in silence.
About half an hour later, in the middle of an article about improving sniper rifle accuracy, the door to the dorm was pushed open.
"I'm back." Yang leaned over the edge of her bunk as Weiss entered the room.
"Hey." She waved with one hand, keeping her balance on the bunk with the other.
"And this." Weiss held the door open and gestured into the room. "Is my dorm." Another woman entered at those words, someone Yang had never met before. She looked like Weiss would if she were four years older and had never slouched in her life. The Atlas uniform she wore didn't soften her image as she cast a piercing glare around the room. Her gaze stopped at Yang, who was still hanging haphazardly from the bunk bed.
"It's certainly… interesting." The mysterious woman stepped fully into the room, allowing Weiss to close the door behind her.
"Oh." Something about the way Weiss spoke was different than usual, but Yang couldn't quite put her finger on it. "Winter, this is my teammate Yang. She is going to be my partner in the doubles round. Yang, this is my sister Winter." Yang jumped down from the bunk, landing steadily on both feet. Despite feeling slightly unnerved, she still put a grin on her face.
"Nice to meet you!" Yang strode over to where Winter stood, reaching out for a hand shake.
"Likewise." Winter accepted the shake, her expression unchanging. Her hand felt cold in Yang's, and the blonde pulled back quickly. "What's with the bunk beds?" Winter directed the question at her sister, who was wringing her hands nervously.
"We tried to fit everything in the room, but it didn't fit, so Ruby, the girl you met outside, decided to make bunk beds. I voted against it, of course, but I was outnumbered." As Weiss spoke, Yang realized what was off about her. She was talking a little faster than she normally would, and she was gesturing much more broadly than usual. It was odd, but Yang didn't have anything to say about it.
Weiss ended her monologue by rubbing her head, and when she put her hand down Yang could see a small swollen area. That was strange; Weiss didn't suffer any blows to the head in their previous match, and she wasn't the kind of person who would trip and fall on her face.
"Hey Weiss." Yang fiddled with her hair as she gained the attention of both Schnee's. "What happened to your head?"
Weiss's hands flew up to cover the bump, color flooding her cheeks. "It's nothing."
"Are you sure?" Yang stepped closer to try to see past the insistent hand.
"Really Yang, you don't need to worry about it." For each step Yang took closer Weiss stepped back, bumping into her sister in her retreat.
"It's just discipline." Winter brought her right hand up to Weiss's shoulder, tightening slightly to hold her in place. "As a Schnee family matter, it's not any of your business." Weiss froze in place, unable to move a muscle.
For a moment, Yang didn't know how to react. The pit in her stomach turned into nausea as her heart rate accelerated. She clenched and unclenched her fists multiple times, unable to settle into a gesture. Her eyes flashed red as she turned away, putting her back to the Schnee's.
"Yeah, I guess it isn't."
Yang jumped up to her bunk, officially ending the conversation. Winter released her sister's shoulder with a thin smile, turning towards the door as she did.
"Shall we move on?" Winter opened the door without waiting for a response.
"You go ahead." Weiss couldn't tear her eyes off Yang, who was laying with her back to the pair. "I'll catch up with you."
Winter's eyes narrowed slightly, but she didn't protest. "Very well." She stepped out the door. "I will meet up with you in the gardens." She closed the door firmly, and her footsteps faded into the distance.
"I don't get it." Weiss started talking almost immediately, crossing her arms over her chest as she did. "My sister was perfectly nice to you, and this is how you act?" She paced back and forth in the small space as she fired off questions. "Doesn't making a good first impression matter to you? Are you even listening? What is wrong with you?" Yang rolled out of her bed at the last question, landing on her feet with a solid thud.
"What's wrong with me?" Here irises were solid red as she glared Weiss down. "What's wrong with you?!" Yang breathed heavily between phrases, but not long enough to give Weiss time to respond. "You think I'm the only thing that's wrong here? Because I'm not!" Weiss could only stare silently at Yang's outburst. "And I don't get how you just blow it off like it's no big deal!" Yang clenched her fists at her sides, knuckles turning white. "Your sister… she…" Yang's whole form shrank as she ran out of steam; her eyes returning to violet as she was unable to say the last two words. She collapsed onto Blake's bed with a heavy sigh, slumping with her head in her hands.
Weiss approached slowly and sat down next to Yang. She reached to pat Yang on the back, but decided against it. She opened her mouth to say something, but closed it again without making a sound.
Luckily for Weiss, Yang kept talking. "Big sisters are supposed to protect their siblings." Yang kept her eyes covered with both hands. "I just can't see how your sister… hitting you… is in any way nothing."
"It's how the Schnee's raise their children." Weiss scoffed. "Though I can't vouch for its effectiveness." She looked down at her hands, which were intertwined in her lap.
"The real kicker." Yang raised her head and turned to look at Weiss. "Is that you tried to hide it. We're teammates, Weiss, you can tell me anything."
"I'm sorry." Weiss turned to meet Yang's gaze. "About hiding it, that is. I'm still not used to all of this." She gestured around the dorm. "And I was concerned you would react badly."
"Well," Yang chuckled. "You're not wrong." She wrapped her arms around Weiss's shoulders, pulling the other teen into a hug. Weiss returned the gesture slowly, relishing the warmth Yang provided.
After a long moment the pair let go, and Weiss cleared her throat as she stood up.
"I guess I better catch up with Winter." She made it half way out the door before she stopped and looked back. She inhaled as if to say something, and Yang could almost hear the words that went unsaid. Weiss closed the door gently behind her, leaving Yang once again to her thoughts. She didn't have to wait long before someone else arrived.
"Hey Yang, I didn't know you'd be here. Is that a new weapons magazine?" Ruby burst through the door in a flurry of activity. "Never mind that, guess who I saw outside? Uncle Qrow!" She bustled over to the close, digging around for something. "He had to go to a meeting, but he'll be here soon."
"Ruby." Yang hadn't moved from her spot on Blake's bed. The younger teen twisted to look back at her unexpectedly somber sister. "You know I love you, right?"
"Of course!" Ruby's face lit up in a massive grin. "And I love you too!" Satisfied with her own response, Ruby returned to rummaging through the closet. Yang looked down at her hands, took a deep breath, then stood up.
"So, what are we looking for?"