Author's Note: So, there's a flower called Helleborus Niger, also called a Christmas Rose. It's actually a kind of buttercup, but whatever. Anyway, along with being called Christrose and Weihnachtsrose (Weihnachten is Christmas Day, so again "Christmas Rose"), the Germans also call it a Schneerose. Just thought it was amusing that the German language itself ships WhiteRose. Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays, everyone.

Schneerosen

Flurries whipped by the windows as Weiss traveled down the unlit road, headlights gleaming out onto the snow-covered lane. The wipers swished back and forth, trying to keep at least some of the snow from blinding her. It was a futile struggle. She knew it. As soon as the plastic rods pushed aside the piling snow, fresh powder took its place.

At least she could still see the road. Mostly.

Weiss growled as another blast of snow hit the windshield, wipers working furiously to clear the glass. Maybe this hadn't been such a good idea. She should have left earlier, or called ahead, or ... something. There had to be a better plan than a four-hour, cross-country drive in a snowstorm.

At least she was warm – the radiator working overtime to heat the vehicle – and the roads were almost completely deserted. She hadn't seen another car on the road in the last hour, and only a few others before that.

Then again, of course they were clear. What kind of idiot would be driving in a near-blizzard on Christmas Eve?

Her kind, apparently.

Weiss sighed as she slowed to check her phone again, smacking it lightly against the dashboard when the map program refused to update. She shouldn't even be doing this. She wasn't supposed to be doing this. They'd agreed that seeing each other over the holidays would be weird. Well, Weiss had agreed. Ruby had sat her down and fumbled her words, trying to make it clear that Weiss shouldn't feel like they had to do Christmas together. That two months of dating wasn't really enough to push themselves into the celebrations, if she didn't want to. That there would be other holidays, and if Weiss wanted to take this one slow, Ruby would more than understand.

If anything, Weiss had felt relieved. It was hard explaining to people why her scowl refused to vanish until mid-January, and Ruby hadn't even brought it up. No explanations, no awkward questions, just a short break before everything was back to normal. They'd spent the last few days of term cramming for finals, hiding from the cold in the nearest coffee shop, Ruby constantly trying to make Weiss laugh at her antics.

They'd agreed to call each other on Christmas Day. Weiss had thought that would be enough, that just hearing the younger girl would let her get through the next two weeks. Just two weeks. Fourteen days. Three hundred and thirty-six hours until she could see Ruby again ... not that she was counting.

She'd gotten all the way to the driveway, staring up through her windshield at her father's house, and she couldn't do it. She couldn't bring herself to put one foot past that door. So Weiss had backed out, turned around, and took off to see the girlfriend who did not know she was coming. Who didn't expect her and probably would not be pleased to have an uninvited guest arriving on her doorstep. At least she didn't plan on staying.

She even had time to swing by the dorms and pick up Ruby's gift, hidden away after they agreed on no presents this year – a promise Weiss was cursing herself for agreeing to in the first place.

Especially now that she was going to break it.

She pulled off before the next intersection, the knot in her stomach growing until she was sure that this really was the right turn. The GPS on her phone was being particularly unhelpful, local coverage or the snowstorm itself making the connection unbearably slow.

Waiting for the map to complete, Weiss glared down at the radio, wondering if she could risk turning it back on. The constant loop of holiday songs had grated on her nerves for the first hour, until she finally gave up and settled for silence over artificial cheer. Christmas songs had quietly snuck onto the radio, into the malls, the coffee shops, and everywhere else that had a sound system. She wouldn't mind, except they'd played on a loop since October, the constant cycle of reverent carols mixed with upbeat jingles and sarcastic parodies only fueling Weiss' dislike of the season.

The phone pinged, and she was off again, turning onto small suburban streets, the houses decked out for the holiday. Twenty minutes later, Weiss found herself staring down at the little white rectangle, a mechanical female voiced informing her 'she had arrived.'

Weiss looked up, a lump swelling in her throat as she stared at Ruby's home. Someone had tied red ribbons around the lamps, and wreaths decked with holly hung from the garage doors. Small white lights ran around the roof, with smaller, colored sets ringing the second-story windows. One pane was covered by a crude rendition of a foil, little lights blinking down the blade, curving into the guard. It had to be Ruby's room.

Compared to some of the displays Weiss had passed, it was positively restrained. No giant Santas loomed over the lawn, no tacky plastic reindeer danced on the snow-covered grass. Light beamed out from curtained windows, making it seem impossibly warm and welcoming against the freezing cold outside. It was actually festive, rather than some illuminated red flag of the owner's possible psychotic tendencies.

Somehow, that just made it even more intimidating.

Weiss parked at the end of the drive, wrapping her coat tighter around her shoulders as she marched through the snow, Ruby's wrapped gift in hand. Before she realized, she was on the step, her hand hovering over the brass knocker.

She could go. They probably hadn't heard the engine, not over the sound of the wind. She could leave, find a motel or a car park to crash at, maybe a late-night diner to give her the energy to actually make it back to her father's.

At the idea of her family's home, Weiss' jaw clenched with determination, her hand shaking slightly before bringing the brass ring down in two sharp knocks.

"I got it!" a cheery cry echoed, even through the walls. Panic set in as Weiss heard rustling inside, her heart pounding in her chest as she waited, dreading the moment when that door opened.

A shape slipped past the shrouded glass, no doubt moving to look out through the peephole. Weiss smiled, nerves making it shakier than she would like.

"Weiss?" a muffled voice cried through the door, followed by metal scraping as the lock came undone. Ruby swung the door open, complete with a mug of coco and a Christmas sweater covered in wings of wolves and reindeer.

The shorter girl's eyes were wide with surprise as she stared up at Weiss, her mouth just a little open with disbelief. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm sorry," Weiss apologized, clearing her throat before Ruby could realize she hadn't said what she was sorry for. "I know it's only been a little over a month, and that I agreed not to do the holidays this year, but I..." Weiss paused, the woods catching in her throat as she looked down at Ruby.

"I wanted to give you this." She pulled the neatly wrapped tube out from behind her back, half-shoving it to the younger woman in her haste to be rid of the damn thing.

Ruby glowered at the present, before turning her accusing glare on Weiss. "Not fair. We agreed no gifts this year."

"It's not from your girlfriend – it's from your coach."

One dark eyebrow raised in blatant skepticism as Ruby gingerly took the long tube, cradling it awkwardly in her arms. "My coach is my girlfriend."

"Fair enough." Weiss said, her weight shifting onto her other foot. "Could you open it?"

"It's not Christmas yet."

"I know but ... I'd like to see you open it. If that's okay."

Ruby sighed, closing the door behind her and stepping out onto the welcome mat, pulling at the carefully taped paper around her present.

"Gee, thanks," she said, voice pitching with sarcasm, "A PVC pipe. Just what I've always-"

"Don't be a pest," Weiss scolded before she could catch herself. "Sorry. It's inside the tube.

Giving her a look that promised retribution, Ruby twisted off the cap of the large tube, pulling it aside before reaching her hand into the white plastic. Her brow furrowed as she looked down, staring at the foil that she pulled out. The blade gleamed a dark, metallic red, the colored steel glinting as Ruby drew it from the cylinder. The untouched hilt gleamed, an unmarred shine that only unused blades ever kept for long. The pistol grip's plastic was a deep, dark crimson that fit perfectly in the younger woman's hand, looking as if it was made for her. It should – Weiss had taken it apart herself, making sure the springs reacted perfectly, that the tang was solid within the grip.

"Do you like it?" Weiss waited for her answer, hand clenched to keep from trembling.

"Weiss ... it's," Ruby looked up at her in disbelief, awe and confusion plain on her face. "Why?"

"There's a tournament in January for unrated fencers. It'll just be people starting out. I thought you might want to try, but you need your own gear, so-"

"Weiss," Ruby cut her off, eyes still locked on the gleaming weapon. "It's perfect." She slid the foil back into its tube, looking almost reluctant to strap the hilt back into the protective plastic.

"Would you ..." the red-haired girl took a breath, an odd look on her face before the she smiled up at Weiss. "Do you want to come in?"

Weiss wanted to say yes. She really did. But they had decided to keep Christmas separate this year, and she had respect that. This was Ruby's family. Her home. Weiss shouldn't be here, shouldn't have come ...

"... no. I just wanted t-to give you your gift. You were right, it's still too early for something like this."

"How long did you drive to get here?"

Weiss hesitated. "... not that long."

Ruby's eyes narrowed, her lips pursing slightly as she arched one eyebrow at Weiss. "How long?"

"Four hours."

"Uh huh." She rolled her eyes, grabbing Weiss' hand and pulling her into the house. "In."

"Ruby, I-"

"You came all the way here after agreeing not to, so you could give me the gift we said we weren't giving. The least you can do is listen when I tell you to sit down and let me get you some coco."

"... okay," Weiss said.

Propelled onto the sofa, the heiress settled herself as well as she could, only half-seeing the room around her before Ruby rushed off to what she assumed was the kitchen. Trying to ignore the voices she could hear from upstairs, Weiss gazed around the room, forcing her breathing into a steady rhythm, trying to calm herself.

Homemade ornaments hung from every branch, Christmas balls and candy canes dangling between colored lights and miniature reindeer. A fire crackled in the hearth, the heat spreading through the room, banishing the blast of cold that had swooped in when Ruby opened the door. It was quaint, and cozy, but most of all, it was familiar. It deserved being called 'festive,' far more than the clinically dressed tree waiting for her at home.

A quiet cough came from behind her. Weiss turned, looking up to find Ruby standing behind the sofa, flanked by a particularly tall blonde woman, and a man that could only be their father.

Ruby smiled reassuringly down at her. "Dad, Yang, this is my girlfriend. Weiss, I want you meet my dad, and my sister."

Weiss moved to her feet, not quite jumping as she came up to her full height, still well short of the blonde woman staring down at her.

"Ooh. So you're Weiss. Nice to meet you." Ruby's sister grinned, leaning down to whisper about as quietly as a bullhorn, "Nice catch, little sis."

Ruby scowled, elbowing her sister in the side. The ghost of a smile crossed their father's lips as he looked down at Weiss,

"Let them be, Yang. I'm sure we'll have plenty of time to talk tomorrow morning." He shot Weiss a look that promised they would have the time, then ushered Yang back up the stairs, pausing only to look back at the increasingly nervous heiress. "It was nice to meet you, Weiss."

Weiss nodded, her throat working around a steadily growing lump. "You too, sir."

Ruby waited until they were gone before pulling her girlfriend back onto the couch. "It'll be fine," she promised, patting Weiss leg, squirming closer until she was flush against the taller girl's side, snuggling deep into the sofa.

"This is nice, right?" she asked.

"Yeah. It is."

"So," Ruby pulled just far enough away to look up at Weiss. "You wanna tell me why you don't like Christmas?"

"You knew?"

"When you answer every 'Merry Christmas' and 'Happy Holidays' with a surly grunt, it's pretty obvious. I know you're not religious, so ..."

Weiss paused for a second, her jaw working as she decided how much to tell her.

"I've never had a Christmas I remembered fondly, Ruby. So, let's just leave it at that for tonight, okay?"

"Okay." Ruby shifted back down against her, her head leaning against Weiss' shoulder. "You know, Dad will have put out a mattress for you."

"Thanks. I am sorry I just showed up out of nowhere, I-"

"But," Ruby cut her off, staring at her until she was sure Weiss was suitably chastised. "If we happened to fall asleep down here, it wouldn't be fair to wake us up until morning."

The redhead snuggled closer, pulling Weiss down until she could rest her head on the taller girl's shoulder. "I don't know about you, but I'd rather sleep down here, next to you. Now," Ruby looked up at her girlfriend, a smile on her face. "Are you gonna kiss me or not?"

"... sorry." Weiss leaned down, breathing in the scent from her hair, lips pressed against the top of Ruby's head. She felt the smaller woman stiffen beneath her, an annoyed little sniff coming from her nose.

Obedient, Weiss kissed her forehead, her cheek, her twitching nose, feeling Ruby wriggle a little before finally pulling the younger girl's chin and bringing Ruby's mouth to her own.

She tasted of gingerbread and chocolate, of childhood memories Weiss dearly wished she had, and new ones she desperately wanted to make. It was soft and giving, Ruby pressing up into her as she lingered on her lips. Weiss could feel her warmth through their clothes, the quiet beating of the redhead's heart pulsing against her side. It was comfort and joy, warm and welcoming, perfect in every way she could imagine, and when it ended, Weiss nearly groaned from the profound sense of loss. All she wanted to do was kiss this sweet girl, to spend every waking moment in front of this fire, this tree, with this gorgeous, forgiving person wrapped around her.

She settled for snuggling a little closer, tucking Ruby's head beneath her own.

"Merry Christmas, Ruby."

Weiss thanked whatever spirits had guided her here that the younger girl couldn't see the smile that crept across her mouth as Ruby's arms wriggled their way around her, pinning them together as Ruby yawned and laid her head down to rest.

"Merry Christmas, Weiss."