Snow

It was a lovely day. The sun was shining, Yang was snoring, and our entire neighborhood was covered in snow. There was something about snow that I loved. Each snowflake was small and dainty, but a lot of them were able to create a gorgeous landscape.

"Yang," I whispered harshly, shaking her so that she and I could admire the beautiful scenery together.

"…What?" Yang moaned. She shook her shoulder to brush me off.

"It's snowing, Yang!" I squealed, feeling myself shake with excitement.

Yang half-opened one of her eyes and looked out the window.

"Oh it is," she said groggily. "Now let me sleep."

"But Yaaaaaang."

Yang took my pillow and used it to sandwich her head between both hers and mine. "Just stop talking and let me sleep," she groaned.

I made a pouty face at Yang and left.

Yang was usually the first person I went to for anything fun. Everybody else either didn't know how to have fun or wasn't very interesting to be with by themselves. The latter kind of applied to Blake. She was cool when the four of us were together, but she could also be very awkward when it was just her and one other person. Still, Blake was the only other choice. I knew for sure that Weiss wouldn't want to be seen outside in her fancy clothes.

I went to the door that lead to our place's lower level. I always made sure to leave the lights off for the lower level because Blake always wanted them to be off for whatever reason. She said it was because it made her comfortable or something, much to Weiss's irritation.

"Blake," I whispered, squinting my eyes so that I could get a glimpse of where Blake even was.

I turned on the lights after getting no response. There was a loud groan and the sound of feverish movement.

"Blake!" I called out. "Are you awake?"

"I am now," Blake growled. "What is it, Ruby?"

I ran down the stairs with a big smile on my face. "It's snowing, Blake!" I said cheerfully. "Do you want to come outside with me?"

"Not really," said Blake gruffly.

I wish I'd heard Blake say that before I impulsively leapt in the air and jumped right on top of her. She yelled in pain or surprise, perhaps both. I couldn't really tell.

"Agh! What are you doing, Ruby?" Blake asked, her eyes bulging.

"Trying to wake you up," I said.

"You've accomplished that much already."

I felt kind of bad slipped off the bed, both my eyes watching Blake carefully. Her piercing yellow eyes had the look of a cat fending off another cat. That was never a good sign.

"I..uh…guess you don't want to go outside after all…do you?" I asked, lowering my gaze so I wouldn't have to look much longer into Blake's eyes.

"No," said Blake. "Now please leave me alone." She turned around in her bed and continued sleeping.

I felt so bad. Nobody wanted to go outside.

Before leaving, I looked around to see if Weiss was going to yell at me again. She was nowhere to be seen. There was a good chance she went shopping or something. I never really knew with her.

My hopes of waking up and having a snowball fight or something fun had been crushed to pieces. Nobody wanted to play and I would have to walk along the snow all by myself. Not that I didn't mind doing that. It was just a lot more fun with other people.

I put on my boots, placed my hood over my head, and opened the front door. The snow's brightness was so strong that my eyes almost shut entirely at first. I took a single step into the outdoors and felt my feet sink into the snow's crunchy surface. The white brightness combined with the cool breeze made me feel relaxed. I took in a deep breath and inhaled the cold, finding myself at ease for a moment.

My mind began to forget all its troubles and concerns as I walked further into the outdoors. There was something else outside with me that I hadn't noticed at first. Somebody else was outside and doing what I was doing. They were wearing a thick winter jacket with a hood that covered the entire back end of their head. I was a little nervous at first to ask. People think I'm super talkative around people, but the truth is that I can get very anxious around people I don't know that well. Slowly, I made my way towards the person.

One step, two steps. My anxiety grew as I came closer to the person.

"Good morning, Ruby," said a familiar voice. It was coming from the hooded person. "I thought you'd be out here earlier."

It was Weiss.

I didn't even know what to say. She was the last person I expected outside in the snow.

"You look surprised," said Weiss. She turned around and smiled at me. "You know you're not the only one who occasionally enjoys the outdoors."

I didn't say anything. My mind had gone numb.

Weiss giggled warmly and raised her head towards the sky. "There's something about snow that make me feel at peace," she said.

"Me too," I said happily. It was nice to bond with Weiss, especially when she wasn't responding to what I said with the usual snarky remark.

"Can I ask you something, Ruby?"

"What is it?"

Weiss looked at me and asked, "Do you ever think about your family much?"

I opened my mouth and said nothing. That question came out of nowhere and it was so unexpected for Weiss.

"Excuse me if that was sudden," said Weiss. "I just asked because…well…I do it a lot during times like this."

"When it snows?" I asked, finally finding my voice again.

"Yes," said Weiss. She was now looking at the snow around her feet. "It makes me think of a fantasy I had. One that I still cling onto, even though I don't always want to admit it."

"What's that?"

Weiss paused for a moment. "I've always wanted my own family."

"Don't you already have one?"

"Yes. I mean that I've always wanted a family that I've felt a strong connection with."

I could tell this was something Weiss had been thinking about for a long time. Nothing I could think of saying would have really added much. Part of me felt that it didn't matter anyway, because all Weiss seemed to want was someone to confide in.

"I've always been proud of the Schnee legacy and what we've accomplished," said Weiss. She raised her head and looked out into the white distance. "At the same time…I've never had the best relationship with my direct family. It's weird saying this, but you and the others probably make me feel more like family than anyone else in my life has."

I could only look into Weiss's eyes and smile. My brain had become so overwhelmed with the emotions I felt that speaking had become nearly impossible. Only one thing came to mind. I took a step towards Weiss and wrapped my arms around her.

"Of course we're family," I said, feeling the warmth of her body against my cheek. "And I hope that never changes."

"Neither do I," Weiss said quietly.

We probably looked a little silly holding each other in the snow for as long as we did. It didn't matter though. Nothing did at that time. At that time it felt like Weiss and I were the only people who existed in the world. It's a moment that I'll cherish forever.