"So let me make sure I have this straight..."
Ghira Belladonna leaned back, his arms crossed as he glared at Weiss and Blake, not sure which one he was angrier with. "Blake, you left the White Fang, coincidentally in the middle of a mission against the Schnee Dust Company. Six months later, passing yourself off as human, you enrolled at Beacon Academy to become a Huntress, where you met Weiss and were assigned to the same team."
Blake nodded. So far so good.
Her father continued. "Yesterday two friends of yours decided to get married. You got press-ganged into the wedding party and had too much to drink. And somewhere along the way, the two of you ended up getting married."
"That's correct, sir, "Weiss admitted, doing her best to be warm and friendly.
"Blake, I'm glad you've left the White Fang and come home, even if there was a detour or two along the way. I never imagined you becoming a Huntress, but it's a good way to put some of the skills you picked up with the White Fang to use and makes me proud."
The cat-eared girl smiled, but her face immediately fell as her father turned toward Weiss with a frown. "You, young lady, are another story entirely. Your family company is infamous for its shady business practices, especially its discrimination against Faunus, and its questionable business partners. I don't like you being teammates and partners with Blake, much less married to her. You can stay here tonight but you're not sleeping in the same room as Blake, and you have to leave tomorrow morning. If Blake wants to continue at Beacon, I'll talk to the headmaster about getting her moved to another team."
That was it, then. "Weiss, we're leaving," Blake said as she started to stand, checking that Gambol Shroud was still in place.
"Blake, please-" her father began, gesturing for her to sit back down, but Blake had already heard enough.
"You just don't get it, do you? How is judging Weiss for what her father's done any better than how he treats Faunus? Or the White Fang killing humans who are just doing their job? How, dad, how? It's acting like that that keeps the violence coming and coming."
"Ghira," Kali said, a warning tone in her voice, but Blake kept going. "Okay, Weiss's dad is an asshole, even she admits it, but that doesn't mean she's anything like him. When we met, she was an arrogant and spoiled rotten-"
"Hey!" Now it was Weiss's turn to interrupt.
"-but since then, she's… changed, for the better. Weiss isn't just a teammate, she's one of my best friends. This morning, after I told her why I was hiding the fact that I'm a Faunus, the first thing she said was that she'd keep my secret. And when I told her I used to be in the White Fang, Weiss let me explain. She didn't forgive me, but she said she'd give me a chance. And that, that's more than you're giving her, isn't it? Well?"
Kali was the one to break the silence that fell across the room. "Our daughter has a point, Ghira. I think you owe Weiss an apology."
"Kali, please-"
"Apologize. Or Blake and Weiss won't be the only ones looking for somewhere else to stay tonight."
Ghira knew that tone in Kali's voice; perfectly calm and reasonable, not a threat, but deadly earnest, and he knew when he was beaten. "I'm sorry, Weiss. Blake, you're right. I shouldn't judge her by who her father is. There's not really any way she could have stopped him, is there?"
"My father is… very strict. Defying him would not have gone well for me," Weiss said, her hand reaching up to touch the scar over her left eye without her thinking about it. "He tried to stop me from training as a Huntress, but I found a way around that. His last-ditch effort to keep me from enrolling at Beacon was to turn an Arma Gigas on me. It didn't work, obviously."
Blake scowled. Now she had another reason to hate Jacques Schnee.
"And I will admit that I, somewhat shared my father's opinion of Faunus, but I hadn't spent a lot of time around Faunus. Between Blake and the others at Beacon, I've spent more time around Faunus in the past few months than in my entire life."
"Oh?" Ghira raised an eyebrow.
"Even that didn't change my opinion of Faunus much, not until this morning," Weiss admitted, not wanting to look at Blake. "But finding out Blake was a Faunus, and a member of the White Fang, it, it made me rethink things.
"Blake was my teammate and my friend, and I knew she was a good person. S-so maybe I'd been wrong to judge all Faunus by the actions of a few. I'm going to start treating everyone fairly and judge everyone by their own merits. Or at least I'm going to try," she added, looking at Blake sheepishly. "Well, except Cardin. He's just a jerk."
"Yeah, he is," Blake said, and the two of them shared a laugh.
Ghira grunted, crossing his arms. "I suppose that's all I can really ask for, at this point. I suppose Weiss is welcome to stay for a while, then. At least until the two of you go back to Vale to get this marriage annulled."
"Who says we're getting it annulled?" Blake asked, giving her father a look.
"I just thought, since it was, um, not done while of sound mind or something like that-"
"You mean you assumed we'd handle it the way you wanted, and make it all go away." Like my father would have expected, Weiss added to herself, taking Blake's hand and sliding her fingers into her wife's. "Blake and I have decided to stay married, for now at least, and see if there's something more than drunken whimsy to this."
"You have, have you?" Ghira looked back and forth between his daughter and the daughter-in-law she'd unexpectedly brought home with her. Their uncertainty was plain to see, but he thought he also saw a shared resolve. As far as they were concerned this was their decision, nobody else's, and after a moment he nodded. "Fine. I'm not sure that's the best thing to do, but I'll let you sort this out for yourselves, and give Weiss a chance to show us who she is. We'll still set up one of the guest rooms. Just in case you need a little space," he finished reluctantly.
Weiss's eyes flickered toward Blake for a moment, then back to Ghira. "I think we can agree to that."
Dinner was served, the four of them eating in stony silence. Finally, Weiss spoke up. "Oh, for heaven's sake, you must have questions. About me, about our time at Beacon. Go ahead and ask them," she snapped at Ghira and Kali.
"How… how did you first meet?" Kali asked, a twinkle in her eye.
Blake laughed at the innocuous question, and she and Weiss told the story of their first encounter, both of them interrupting each other to add more details. That led into the story of their initiation into Beacon and their first battle together against the giant Nevermore. "That sounds like a very exciting first day together," Ghira said with a laugh as Blake finished describing the sight of Ruby standing above them on the cliff.
Weiss smiled. "It was, and since then, things have only gotten crazier. At first, I wasn't overly impressed with my teammates, but they've grown on me." She tilted her head to one side, thinking. "I suppose I've really changed too."
"You have," Blake said, giving Weiss a smile of her own. "Being out in the real world, meeting real people, it's done you a lot of good." Weiss blushed and looked away, not sure how to answer the praise from Blake.
"Now, it's been a long day, and I'm sure the two of you are tired. Let's get the two of you settled in for the night. Oh, what about your luggage? Did you leave it at the airship port?" Kali asked as she stood.
"Luggage? Blake said, panic in her voice as she realized that all the two of them had was the clothes they were wearing. At least they were lucky enough to have their weapons.
Her mother laughed. "I guess I'm taking the two of you shopping in the morning, depending on how long you're staying."
"I'm buying," Weiss said firmly. "We might as well enjoy my father's money to the fullest, while it lasts."
"Don't worry," Kali laughed again. "We'll find you something different to sleep in, and I'll get what you're wearing washed."
As they got ready for bed, Weiss caught Blake glancing at her. "Is something wrong?"
Blake shook her head. "Not wrong, exactly, but… should we be doing this? Should we be staying married, trying to make something out of nothing?"
Weiss finished donning the yukata Blake had loaned her to sleep in and stepped carefully over to Blake, wrapping an arm around the other girl's shoulders. Weiss had never been big on physical contact, but months of living with Ruby had taught her that sometimes a simple hug could speak more clearly than words could ever dream of. "I don't know either, Blake. I just… when I look at you, when I think about you, there's something there that wasn't there before, and I want to know what that is. If it's nothing, then it's nothing, and we'll quietly get divorced and try to stay friends. But if it's not, it's not, and we'll work that out. Blake," Weiss's voice started to tremble, "I know I'm the one that asked you if we could stay married for a while, but I don't-I don't want you to feel trapped or obligated in any way. If you say so, we'll get this done away with the minute we set foot back in Vale, I promise."
Blake blinked. Where the hell had this side of Weiss come from? Had this been hiding under Weiss' 'ice queen' exterior the whole time? Or had last night's events broke something in the normally so self-assured heiress? Somewhere in between? Blake wasn't sure, didn't even think Weiss herself could have said, but she knew what she needed to do now. Blake turned Weiss around and pulled the white-haired girl into a hug, resting her head on the other girl's head. "Hey," she whispered, "I'm not sure about any of this either. But I will promise you this: we're going to work this out, together." Suddenly a giggle slipped out of Blake's lips before she realized it.
"W-What is it?" Weiss asked. What could be so funny about this whole situation?"
"I just realized how short you are without your heels. If we stay married, I'll always have my own personal chin-rest with me, wherever I go."
"That's not funny!" Weiss pushed Blake away, annoyed. "It's not my fault! We can't all be Amazons!" She turned around, her arms folded. "Maybe I should take your parents up on that guest room for tonight."
Blake laughed and pulled back the blankets on the bed. Weiss was so… cute right now. "I'm sorry, Weiss, I didn't realize how touchy you were about your height. Please, come to bed."
"No."
"I've got snuggles..." Blake said in a sing-song voice.
"N-Fiine," Weiss sighed, sliding into bed next to Blake.
Blake wrapped her arms around Weiss, feeling her tense up, and then relax. "So, tomorrow, shopping?" Blake murmured, her nostrils inhaling Weiss's scent. It was kind of… nice.
"Indeed. Assuming my accounts still work in the morning."
"Well, if they don't, I'm sure my parents will help out. It'll be our turn to treat you. You're part of the family, at least for now."
"Blake?"
"Hmm?"
"Thank you."
"For what?"
"For being here with me. For not, for not being all weird about this, and for being my friend."
Blake slid a hand over and gave Weiss's an extra squeeze. "Same goes to you. There are worse people to wake up accidentally married to."
Weiss laughed softly. "Ruby would have massively freaked out."
"Yang would… Yang would either have tossed me out of bed or wanted morning sex."
"And let's not even think about Jaune."
The pair shared a laugh, then shifted around, settling down to sleep.
Meanwhile, back at Beacon Academy…
"I'm not sure about this, Yang..."
"It's perfect, Ruby. Those two can barely stand each other. The first thing they're going to do when they get back is get divorced. And things are going to be all awkward and weird for a while between them. A good prank is the best thing to help smooth things over. Trust me. Now help me get this up the stairs before we get caught."
And back once more to Menagerie…
"And just what were you thinking, Ghira?"
It had been a long time since Ghira had seen his wife this angry at him. "Kali, please, I was only trying to protect Blake-"
"From what? Someone she cares deeply for? Or did you miss that Blake introduced her as 'Weiss, my wife'? Not her friend, not her teammate, but her wife? Granted, they only got married because they were drunk, but I'm wondering if there wasn't between them before that and they just didn't realize it.
"But you listen to me, Ghira Belladonna, neither one of us is going to whisper a word of this to either one of them. Whatever bond there is between them is deeper than friendship, but it's also more fragile than a soap bubble. Poke at it and it'll pop, and nothing will ever be able to put it together again. And you will break Blake's heart doing it."
He turned to look out the window at the city of Kuo Kuana. "You have a point. But I just can't see any way this is going to work out for them. There are too many reasons it can't."
"Maybe." Kali stepped next to her husband, looping her arm around his and leaning into him, savoring the steady strength of him. "But let's not add to those reasons. And I can think of two very good reasons it can work out between them."
"And what are those?"
"Blake and Weiss, of course, the only reasons that matter, in the end. So maybe the horse will sing. Maybe the horse will sing."
Ghira watched Blake and Weiss the next morning at breakfast. He had to admit that there might be something to Kali's thought about there being something more between Blake and Weiss. They were a little too comfortable with each other, sitting just a little too close to each other, for them to be 'just friends.'
He suppressed a groan as one of the girls' scrolls made a noise for the hundredth time, making them both jump. Word of their marriage was apparently still filtering through the student body at Beacon, and messages of congratulation or disbelief were still filtering in. "Still no word from your father, Weiss?"
"None," she answered absentmindedly as she scanned through the latest batch of messages. "Not even something nasty from my brother. It worries me more than if he'd cut me off that first night. At least then it'd be over."
"Have you two decided how long you're going to be staying?" Kali asked as she poured more tea into her cup. "Should we still go shopping this morning, or will you be flying out right away?"
"I'd like to stay at least a few days, spend time with you and Dad. If you're okay with that, Weiss?" Blake answered, then bumped Weiss with her elbow when the other girl didn't answer.
Embarrassed, Weiss put her scroll away. "Sorry. I think staying a few days is fine, assuming we won't get in too much trouble at school."
Ghira laughed, startling everyone. "If they give you too much trouble, I could always have a word with them. I'm sure that mentioning that the Chieftan of Menagerie wants to spend a few days reuniting with his estranged daughter before she returns to school might smooth things over."
Thankfully, that proved unnecessary. Ozpin told them that it wouldn't hurt their studies too much to take a week off from Beacon, introducing Blake's parents to Weiss as well as letting Blake and Weiss have some time together before adding the stress of school to their new relationship. "You're far from students to get married a bit hastily; I'll make things as easy on you as I can."
"So," Kali asked idly as the three of them wandered through the city's shopping area, "what sort of outfits are you looking for? How 'native' do you want to go, Weiss? I'll warn you, we're not going to find the high-end labels you're used to seeing in Atlas."
"That's fine; frankly, once I seriously started Huntress training, I found that the top labels were overrated." Weiss stopped to examine a caftan on display in a stall, running her fingers along the fabric. "Yes, they look good, but they don't hold up as well under extended combat. However, I don't imagine we'll be fighting any Grimm while we're here, so… surprise me."
Blake blinked in surprise as her mother laughed. Weiss had always looked so amazing in her combat outfit; she'd assumed the heiress either bought top labels or had custom-tailored clothes. "I see. You prefer substance over style, then," Kali said.
"When appropriate. There are times when looking good matters more, but on a field assignment as a Huntress, I won't always have the luxury of spare clothes. So what I wear has to last."
Weiss' words brought a smile to Blake's lips. This was a side of Weiss she hadn't seen before. The white-haired girl had always been fussy over details, but it was nice to know it was tempered with pragmatism too. Kali flicked an ear when she saw Blake's smile and continued on. "Well, Menagerie's pretty warm, so most people wear less than you're used to in Atlas, I'll bet. This way, I know just the place."
It ended up being a good thing Blake's mother had gone shopping with them; at first, the owner of the shop Kali took them to didn't want to take Weiss' credit card. Thankfully he knew Kali and she was able to convince him that even if the credit card ended up not going through, Kali would cover it.
Weiss stepped out of the changing room, feeling a little self-conscious as she shifted her skirt a bit. "How-how do I look?"
Kali smiled. Weiss was wearing a white halter top with blue trim, and an ankle-length skirt that was midnight blue at the bottom, fading to sky blue by the time it reached her waist. She glanced over to see the stunned look on Blake's face. Perfect. "That looks lovely on you. Let's see some of the rest."
As Kali fussed over Blake's wardrobe, Weiss stepped out of the open front of the shop and looked around. As sunny as it was in Menagerie, she was going to need a hat or else risk sunburn. Aha, there was a stand selling hats just across the street.
A voice startled her as she was examining a broad-brimmed blue straw hat with a white ribbon. "Something tells me you're not from around here."
Weiss bent to pick up the hat before turning to see who had spoken. "No, no I'm not. Is it that obvious?"
The speaker was a petite woman with spotted, tanned skin, leaning sideways against one of the supports holding up the stand's awning. The woman laughed. "Well, you are kind of pale for around here. Most people get a tan pretty fast. From your accent, I'm guessing… Atlas? High-class, even."
"Correct again. And you sound like you're from Atlas too." Weiss gave the other woman a friendly smile or at least tried to. Things like that mattered more to her the last few months.
"Ooh, busted. I grew up in Atlas, but work brought me here, you know how it is. I'm Liliana, by the way."
"Weiss," she answered, nodding her head.
Something flickered across Liliana's eyes for a moment. "So, what brings you to Menagerie, Weiss?"
"I'm here with… a friend, visiting their parents."
"Ah, family, the ties that bind and gag. Hopefully, you can find some time to yourself while you're here."
"I'm hoping so. I've never been to Menagerie before, and I'd like to see as much of it as I can while I'm here."
"Maybe we can hang out while you're here, get some dinner?" Liliana put her arms behind her head, stretching.
Weiss blinked. Was Liliana flirting with her? "Sorry, no. I'm married." Well, it was not exactly a lie…
"Oh, sorry, I didn't mean-"
"It's fine. I just… we're newlyweds, and… still working out boundaries."
Liliana nodded. "Got it. Well, the offer of hanging out is still on the table. Just hanging out, no strings attached."
"Weiss?" Blake's voice came from the shop across the street. "Where did you go?"
"I'm over here, talking to-" But Liliana was gone. What had made the other woman take off so fast? "I was looking for a hat," Weiss finished, shaking her head. "I'm going to need it in this sun."
