Author's Note: For those of you who have read my story, Worth A Thousand Words, this story is a continuation of that world set on Ruby's 22nd birthday. This piece should be considered as the logical endpoint to that story but there will be more updates coming in the future that fill in the gaps between where that story currently is and here. But since the primary focus of this is on Weiss and Yang and because of the time jump, I decided to make it its own separate piece. I hope you enjoy!
RWBY and all the characters within are the intellectual property of Rooster Teeth Productions, Miles Luna, Kerry Shawcross, Gray Haddock and the late Monty Oum. I am not being compensated in any way for this story and wrote it merely for entertainment purposes.
Weiss Schnee woke with a start and sat bolt upright in bed. She looked around frantically and realized she'd been having that damn nightmare again. It was the same as it was every time but it never failed to scare her to death. It didn't help that her oaf of a girlfriend still wasn't back from her mission to try and comfort her. Weiss caught a glimpse of the clock on the bedside table and groaned when she saw what time it was. While part of her was worried about where Yang could be, most of her was annoyed about why she hadn't returned yet or bothered to contact Weiss about why she was delayed.
As her adrenaline wore off from being shocked awake, Weiss crumbled back into a prone position. She propped herself up on her side and stared sadly at Yang's empty pillow. Weiss could smell the faintest whiff of Yang's shampoo on it and it made her heart clench. Just then, Weiss could hear the muffled sound of the front door opening and closing. Finally, Yang had returned home. Weiss immediately shifted to her other side and slammed her eyes shut to try and appear like she was still asleep. A moment later, the bedroom door opened and Yang crept inside as quietly as she could.
"Weiss? You awake?" Yang whispered into the room. Weiss gave her no answer as she tried to remain as still as possible and control her breathing to simulate her being asleep. Yang sighed sadly and walked over to Weiss's side of the bed. She knelt down beside her and looked lovingly at her girlfriend. Yang then brushed Weiss's bangs away from her face and gave her the gentlest kiss on the forehead possible. Weiss's eyebrows creased as Yang whispered softly to herself, "Dust, I have missed seeing that beautiful face. Although with how sweaty and clammy you are, it looks like you had a nightmare again. Poor sweetie."
Yang rose back to her feet and started shedding her clothes to prepare for bed. Weiss had to fight the primal urge to peek an eye open to watch Yang disrobe but managed to keep her base urges in check. Once Yang was in her pajamas, she joined Weiss in bed. But when she tried to snuggle up to Weiss's back, Weiss retreated from her touch and shuffled closer to the edge of the bed.
"Weiss?" Yang asked in confusion. She gently touched Weiss's shoulder only to have Weiss go tense and suddenly jerk it away. "Weiss, please don't do that," begged Yang as tears started to well up in her eyes. "I know you're awake so please tell me what's wrong."
Once again, Weiss ignored Yang and simply pulled the covers further up around her. Yang slumped down onto her pillow and began to sob loudly. Hearing her girlfriend cry like that nearly broke Weiss's resolve but she continued to lay still as Yang cried. Yang slid out of the bed and walked over to the linen closet to grab a spare blanket. She then returned to get her pillow as well before heading for the bedroom door.
"I know that you're mad at me," sniffled Yang before she took her leave. "And I wish you'd just tell me what's wrong. But I can tell you need space so I'll be out here. I'll see you in the morning. I love you very much. I really hope you still know that."
Yang quietly left the room and left Weiss alone. She couldn't hold it together any longer and burst into tears herself. Yang could hear Weiss crying through the door and it just made her own anguish intensify. She wanted to help and for things to be okay between them but had no idea what to do or even what was wrong in general. Defeated, Yang laid down on the living room sofa and tried in vain to force herself to sleep.
The next morning, Weiss awoke with a sense of dread, not wanting to have to see Yang so soon after what happened. But she was granted a reprieve as when she finally got out of bed to feed Zwei, she found the living room empty. There was a note written on the dry erase board on the refrigerator that read, "Left early. See you at Ruby's birthday tonight. Love, Yang." Weiss sadly wiped the message away with her hand and went to take a shower. As she stood under the hot spray, Weiss closed her eyes and thought back about how she'd found herself here.
This had all started way back during their first year together at Beacon Academy. Weiss was brand new in Vale having grown up in the kingdom of Atlas and was eager to start a new chapter in her life now that she was free from the clutches of her father and his destructive form of parenting. She was placed on a team with Yang, ex-White Fang operative, Blake Belladonna and Yang's half sister Ruby Rose, who was named the team's leader and Weiss's partner. After some initial friction, the four became extremely close friends and gave Weiss a more powerful family bond than she'd ever gotten from those actually related to her.
But none had done more for her than Yang did. The more time she spent with Yang and how perpetually cheerful she was, the more Weiss grew to admire her. Sure, Yang wasn't the most punctual or studious or reserved individual and those quirks frequently annoyed Weiss. But Yang more than made up for it with how supportive and caring and understanding she was. Tack on her absolutely stunning beauty and Weiss was a lost cause, completely helpless to Yang's charms. But someone else fell for her in a similar way and Yang was far more interested in them than she was in Weiss.
Yang and Blake hooked up towards the end of their first year and stayed that way for the remainder of their time at the school. Weiss was disappointed but kept her crush to herself, not wanting to interfere in their business. Even she had to admit that they were an outstanding couple together as they complimented each other perfectly. So instead, Weiss devoted herself to her studies and managed to graduate as valedictorian of their class. But the day they graduated was when things descended into chaos.
Weiss, Yang and Ruby had returned to their dorm room from a post graduation party to find all of Blake's possessions missing and a note on Yang's bed that simply said, "Thank you for a wonderful time. I'm sorry it has to end like this. Love, Blake" All three girls were devastated to some degree but Yang was completely heartbroken. The next few months were a fog for all three of them as they grappled with unanswered questions and suffocating depression. Ruby was able to deal with what happened under the care of her girlfriends, Coco Adel and Velvet Scarlatina. But Yang was left all by herself to try and cope and wasn't having much success. Weiss could see how badly Yang was hurting and did everything she could to try and support her. Whenever Yang needed a shoulder to cry on or a kind word of encouragement or reassurance, Weiss was always there to provide it along with anything else Yang needed for comfort.
As the time passed, Yang slowly came to grips with what happened and started returning to normal. Gradually, the times she spent together with Weiss transitioned from grieving to having fun. She was so grateful for Weiss and how much she was there for her on her worst days that she could feel some familiar emotions beginning to appear for Weiss. After the two had gotten drunk during a New Year's party and slept together, Yang asked Weiss if she'd be okay with having Yang as a girlfriend and Weiss immediately agreed.
The two had been together ever since and had formed a powerful bond together, one that their friends believed was even stronger than Yang's had been with Blake. And that bond remained unbroken for a few years. But then Yang started taking long missions away from home and Weiss began having her nightmares. And now they found themselves at an impasse in their relationship. Weiss could tell that she still loved Yang but there was a terrible feeling that she couldn't shake telling her that Yang didn't feel the same way.
Weiss could start to feel her skin prune up so she decided she'd spent enough time moping and should face the day. She stepped out of the shower and dried off before getting dressed in some casual clothes since she had nowhere to be today until later. Weiss then went to the kitchen and made some breakfast for herself. As she ate, she browsed through the morning news on her scroll but was interrupted by a call from Ruby. A slight pang of worry shot through Weiss's mind but she quickly dismissed it and answered the call.
"Hi Ruby! Happy birthday!" Weiss greeted her cheerfully.
"Thanks, partner. You're still coming to my dad's tonight for the party, yeah?"
"Of course I am. I wouldn't miss it for the world."
"Good, because we need to talk when you get here," Ruby said seriously, dropping all pretense of lightheartedness.
"Concerning what, exactly?" Weiss asked nervously, dreading the reason why.
"Concerning why when I woke up this morning, I found my sister laying on my couch, crying her eyes out and insisting that you hate her."
"Oh…that," replied Weiss lamely as her heart sank.
"Yeah, that. And Velvet was going to make me breakfast in bed while Coco ate me out but needless to say, having Yang suddenly there in the state she was in kinda ruined the mood."
"I really did not need to know that," groaned Weiss as she pinched the bridge of her nose. Dating Coco had definitely done a world of good for Ruby but it still took Weiss by surprise as to how brazen Ruby had gotten as time went on.
"Yeah, and I really wanted to cum this morning. Life sucks sometimes."
"Okay, ignoring all of that," Weiss said quickly, desperate to change the subject from her best friend's sex life, "are you sure you want to talk about it tonight? It's supposed to be a party for you."
"I won't be able to enjoy jack if you two are avoiding each other like magnets all night. We may not be in school anymore and we may be just a trio now but I'm still your leader. And I say we're fixing this now, got it?"
"Yeah, got it," responded a glum Weiss.
"Good. Have a good day. I'll see you tonight." The line went dead and Weiss groaned. She could already tell that this was going to be a rough night for her emotionally. To try and take her mind off of the impending confrontation, Weiss turned on the radio. A song from when Weiss was young was on as Dawn Celine sang sadly over a melancholy piano.
"But when you touch me like this…
And you hold me like that…
I just have to admit that it's all coming back to me.
When I touch you like this…
And I hold you like that…
It's so hard to believe but it's all coming back to me."
Weiss smashed the power button on the radio to shut it off. The contents of her breakfast churned uncomfortably in her stomach as she tried to get the song out of her head. But it was too late as images from her nightmares flashed before her eyes. Deciding that she needed some fresh air, Weiss got her coat and Zwei's leash to take him out for a walk. Zwei was perfectly happy with this decision and Weiss found herself envying the corgi and wished she could experience such carefree joy right now. Instead, everything had gotten so complicated and Weiss was not looking forward to having to confront the reason why so soon.
Later that night, Weiss stood outside of the house of Ruby and Yang's father, Taiyang, on Patch. She had brought Zwei with her and he promptly dashed into the house once Weiss let him free. But Weiss lingered for a moment before entering herself, trying to compose herself for the upcoming confrontation she was promised. Just as she was about to knock to be let in, the door swung open and Weiss was greeted by Qrow Branwen, Yang and Ruby's uncle.
"Are you coming in as well? Or are you just dropping off the dog?" Qrow asked her bluntly. Weiss didn't reply and simply scowled at him as she walked into the house. Weiss could see that she was one of the first to arrive as Taiyang was still busy in the kitchen getting everything prepared. Zwei was wrestling with Nora Valkyrie while Lie Ren watched silently. He looked up and gave Weiss a nod in greeting which she returned with a wave.
"Weiss, hello!" Taiyang greeted as he walked over and gave her a short hug. "Here, let me get your coat."
"Thank you very much," she replied politely as she handed Taiyang her peacoat.
"Ruby and Yang are waiting for you in the den. They asked me to send you right in there when you got here."
"And make it quick, would you?" Nora shouted out. "That cake looks delicious and I'm starving."
"We stopped for burgers before we got here," Ren sighed in frustration. "How can you possibly still be hungry?"
As they began to bicker, Weiss sighed and headed for the glass doors where the den was located. After hesitating for a few seconds, she pushed the door open and peeked inside. Ruby was inside, sitting on a couch with her girlfriends, Coco and Velvet. Yang was standing by the window, staring out at the forest outside. When they heard the door open, all four looked over to see Weiss slowly slipping inside.
"Hey…" Yang greeted with a sad smile on her face
"Hi," Weiss replied awkwardly.
"Hi Weiss!" Velvet greeted cheerfully, trying to diffuse the tense mood. "You look radiant this evening."
"Thank you Velvet. You look lovely as well," responded Weiss with her first genuine smile of the day. Velvet really was a miracle worker in making people feel at ease.
"Okay," said Ruby as she rose to her feet, "I hate to have to ask this sweethearts but we need to have a private Team RWBY meeting right now. We need to work some stuff out before we can party." Coco and Velvet nodded in understanding and stood up as well. Both gave Ruby short kisses and left the den. A tense moment of silence filled the air after they left before Weiss spoke up.
"Honestly, why do you insist on continuing to call us that?" Weiss asked in exasperation. "It's been four years since she left. Face it, we're not a team anymore."
"I refuse to let it go because I already lost one friend," Ruby snapped at her in response. "And I'll be damned if any other abandon us on my watch. Plus, Team RWY just sounds stupid. But that's not why we're here tonight." Ruby then walked behind the wooden bar that was against the wall and began grabbing various bottles. "Drink?"
"You bartend now?" Weiss asked incredulously.
"Please, with our uncle? Did you really think he'd not teach us about the finer points of alcohol?"
"Fair point. Gin and tonic, please."
"Coming right up. Yang?"
"Strawberry Sunrise. No ice."
"You got it." Ruby busied herself preparing the various drinks as Weiss took a seat on the couch where Coco had been sitting. Yang walked over and sat down as well but on the far side away from Weiss. When she'd finished, Ruby walked over with a tray and set it on the coffee table in front of them. Weiss and Yang grabbed their drinks leaving behind an Old Fashioned that Ruby had made for herself.
"Okay," began Ruby as she picked up her drink and began pacing back and forth, "you two both know why we're here tonight. So I'm going to politely request that you two both get off your chests whatever you need to so that we can try and work this out. I'll be here to moderate but ultimately, this is about you two. So, who wants to go first?"
"I would," piped up Yang. She downed her cocktail in one gulp before turning to Weiss with her eyes averted at her lap. "Weiss, lately it really feels like you're isolating yourself from me. But I don't really know why because you won't talk to me. And it's really starting to scare me a lot. I've already lost so many people I care about and I don't want you to become another one. I love you too damn much." Yang finally looked up at Weiss with a sad desperation in her eyes.
"Are you sure it's really me who you love?" Weiss asked bitterly as she took a long sip from her drink.
"Of course I'm sure," replied Yang, feeling confused. "Who else would I possibly love as much as I love you?"
"Well, if your dreams are anything to go by, my educated guess is Blake."
"What do you mean about my dreams?" Yang asked slowly.
"There's been at least a dozen nights where I've been woken up by you talking in your sleep, telling Blake how much you missed her and that you love her."
"You serious?" Yang asked as her face went pale. "Are you sure you didn't just dream it yourself?" Weiss didn't reply but simply pulled out her scroll. She selected an audio file and began playing it. Weiss could be heard softly weeping while Yang mumbled sleepily.
"Mm…can't believe you're back…missed you so much…don't leave me again…love you, Blake…" A glass was heard shattering and both girls turned to look at Ruby, who had suddenly went rigid and dropped her glass. After a moment, she went to go find a broom, cursing under her breath. Weiss turned off her scroll and looked forlornly at Yang, waiting for an explanation.
"Fuck…I had no idea…" Yang said in disbelief as she held her head in her hands, looking horrified "Is that what your nightmares have been about? That I'm going to leave you for Blake?"
"Yeah, that's what it's been," confirmed Weiss with a sniffle. "Can you imagine how scary something like this is for me? I mean, I love you to death, Yang. I've loved you since way back when we started at Beacon together. You completely turned my life around from what it was when I lived in Atlas. You made me a better person in every regard. I know I had some parts of myself that weren't very pleasant when we first met but you didn't push me away when you had to see them. You stuck by me and helped me fix the things I wasn't proud of."
"You loved Yang even before you two got together?" Ruby asked as she finished tidying up the glass she'd broken and went to make a fresh one.
"I did. I always held out hope that one day I could show you how much I did. But I never thought it would have happened because I was always overshadowed by Blake. And even now it seems like I'll never truly escape it. Every time you go out on a mission now, I'm so scared about if you'll somehow find her out there. And you'll forget all about us and try to get back together with her again."
"I can tell you exactly why Yang will never go back to Blake," Ruby said darkly as she grabbed a whiskey bottle and took a long draught straight from the bottle. She coughed and wiped her mouth on the back of her sleeve before continuing. "Because if Blake ever has the nerve to show her face around any of us again, I'm going to take Crescent Rose, slice off her legs so she can't run anymore, cut her heart out of her chest so we can all see how black and shriveled it is and then burn her alive. Then I'll feed her remains to Zwei."
"You know, you can be really creepy sometimes," Weiss said fearfully before gulping down the rest of her drink.
"You're just upset because I didn't say you could have a chance at her too," spat Ruby furiously. "When it comes to people who hurt my friends as badly as she did, I don't forget and I especially do not forgive. Blake Belladonna will pay if she ever tries to come back in our lives in any fashion. And if I have it my way, she will pay with her life." Ruby took another long swig from the bottle before settling it down on the bar. She then stared down at the floor, breathing heavily as she seethed in anger. Yang slowly got out of her seat and crept over to Weiss, kneeling down in front of her.
"Weiss," she began solemnly, "I don't know what's going on in my head when I'm asleep and I wish like hell that I could control it. Because I would never, ever lucidly think about getting back together with Blake. Yes, I loved her a lot and yes, part of me does still want an explanation for why she just up and left. But the bottom line still remains that she left me. She left all of us. She caused me more pain and grief than I ever knew was possible and the only reason I got out of that was you. You were the one who called me every day to check on me. You were the one who made sure I ate and slept and stayed fit when all I wanted to do was cry in the dark. You were the one who sat up with me and watched awful movies just to take my mind off things. You were the one who comforted me whenever I broke down. I don't think it's too much of an exaggeration to say that you saved my life. You were there for me when I needed somebody more than ever. And I could never throw that away, especially not for something as meaningless as an old lover who abandoned me."
Weiss could feel her heart soaring from Yang's speech. She had left zero doubt that she was devoted to Weiss and Weiss alone. It was so overwhelming that Weiss was struggling with all of her willpower not to break down again. Instead, she reached out and took Yang's hand before beginning to speak herself.
"I'm sorry that it came to this, Yang. I know I'm probably overreacting but I was too scared to say anything. I'm still getting used to being able to tell the people that I care about that I'm worried or upset and not get dismissed or judged for it like my family used to. You and Ruby and all our friends have done so much to undo the hell I went through growing up but it's hard to completely forget it. Please, will you give me another chance to trust you more?"
"Of course I will, Weiss," Yang said without hesitation as she reached up and gently traced her thumb down Weiss's cheek. "I love you with all of my heart. It may be worn and damaged but because of you, it is still whole. There's nothing more that I want than to be able to prove that to you. You gave me a second chance at life and for the first time, I believe I deserve to be loved. And I'll try harder to make sure you know how much you mean to me and that I'd do anything I possibly could to stay with you. Will you give me that chance?"
"Yes, I absolutely will. I'm sorry for ever doubting how much you loved me." Weiss then stood up and pulled Yang into a tight embrace. Yang was all too happy to reciprocate and held Weiss as close to her as she could. Ruby soon joined them and hugged the both of them, feeling relieved that her team wasn't fracturing any further.
"Thanks guys," said Ruby softly, "I'm glad you're back on the same page again. That was probably the best birthday gift you could have given me."
"Does that mean I can return the new Sasuke game that I got you?" Yang asked hopefully.
"Ha, fat chance. You just don't want Uncle Qrow to whip your ass in front of everybody. Again. Come on, let's get out there and have some fun."
The three teammates then left the room and rejoined the party outside. Lots more people had arrived and they all were quick to greet Ruby and wish her happy birthday. Penny Polendina scooped Ruby up in a hug that rivaled one of Yang's famous back crushers. The room was filled with their former classmates including the remaining members of Team JNPR and CFVY, Neon Katt from Atlas who immediately tried to drag Yang into a drinking contest and all of Team SSSN from Mistral.
Meanwhile, Coco was chatting with Taiyang and it never ceased to amaze Ruby how well she and her father got along with each other. They were so friendly with each other that Ruby had to remind her dad on a few occasions that Coco was her girlfriend, not his and do it in a tone far more serious than she would have liked to. But then she noticed Velvet standing all by herself in the corner of the room and looking very agitated. Ruby excused herself from her guests and walked over to her girlfriend.
"Velvet, you okay?" Ruby asked with concern.
"Huh? What?" Velvet replied, startled by Ruby's sudden appearance. "Oh, yes, I'm delightful, thank you. Would it be okay if I gave you your present right now?"
"Uh, sure. I'm cool with that."
"Coco," called Velvet, "Ruby said we can give her our gift now."
"Be there in a sec," replied Coco as she bid farewell to Taiyang. She walked over to where she left her bag and knelt down as she began rummaging around inside of it.
"What are you doing?" Ruby asked her.
"Velvet asked me to hold onto it for her," explained Coco over her shoulder. "Poor thing was scared she was going to lose it."
"Ruby," said Velvet as she took Ruby's hands to draw her attention away from Coco, "you are one of the most wonderful people on Remnant. You're so kind and loving and caring and strong and brave and you've completely changed my life. These years that we've spent together have been nothing short of magical. And Coco and I want to give you something to show you how much we both love you." Finally, Coco turned around with a ring box in her hand and handed it to Velvet, Coco stayed down on her knee and removed her sunglasses as Velvet knelt down next to her and opened the box revealing a shining diamond ring inside. Everyone in the room gasped in excitement as Ruby's hands flew to her mouth.
"Ruby Rose, will you marry me?" Coco asked.
"And me too?" Velvet added with her voice shaking.
"YES!" Ruby screamed as she lunged forward and tackled both Velvet and Coco to the floor. Everyone cheered and clapped as the newly engaged trio cried together in joy on the floor. Weiss dabbed at her own eyes before her hand was taken by Yang. She looked up and saw Yang's lilac eyes sparkling for the first time in awhile. Weiss closed her eyes and smiled as she snuggled up against Yang's shoulder.
"Maybe one day, that could be us," Yang said to her quietly over the din from everyone else.
"Maybe, but not for awhile longer. I think we both need some more time to be sure."
"Definitely. But still, I think I'd really like to be your bride someday."
"Yeah, that does sound nice. I think I'd like to be yours too."
"I love you, Weiss."
"I love you too, Yang."
Yang then put her arm around Weiss and kissed her softly on the temple. Weiss hummed happily, feeling so relieved that she'd made it through this conflict without wrecking everything. Ruby finally got back to her feet, still overcome with happiness and rushed over to Yang and Weiss.
"I'm so happy for you, Ruby," Weiss said as she hugged her partner. "You're going to make a beautiful bride. I'll make sure you have the most gorgeous dress in all of Remnant."
"Thanks Weiss," blubbered Ruby thickly with tears still leaking from her eyes. She then hugged Yang powerfully and told her, "I hate to change my mind so quickly but I think you've been topped for best birthday gift."
"Somehow, I think I'll be able to live with that," chuckled Yang. "I'm so proud of you, sis. I don't think there are two better people in the world that you could be marrying. You deserve each other so much."
"Thanks, Yang."
"A toast!" Taiyang called out as he and Qrow began passing out drinks to everyone. "To my lovely daughter Ruby and her new fiancées who have made my girl the happiest soul on the planet tonight."
"Hear hear!" Everyone called and downed their drinks. The rest of the evening was spent celebrating with drinks, cake, video games and recalling pleasant memories from the past. It was a perfect way to start the beginning of a new chapter in their lives.