A.N: Just a heads up, this will probably be the second last chapter I'll post before going into about a month to month and a half hiatus because exams. Don't loose hope though, I guarantee I'll be back before you know it. Til next chapter, hope you enjoy!

Weiss and I – Prequel – 7 – Downpour

The deafening roar of the torrential rain assaulting the pavement filled the air as I stepped out of the Cross Continental Transmit. Pulling my jacket closer around my body to fend off the soggy cold I pulled out my umbrella and took a look around.

Normally the communication centres, especially the ones in the City were packed with people from all walks of life, businessmen, travellers, even Huntsmen. Today however, it appears I was one of the only one walking. I'd expected as much seeing as I made it a point to arrive here in the least busy time I could think of: mid-afternoon on a Wednesday.

Since today there were no classes I decided to make a few calls to relatives residing in other Kingdoms. The reason for going all the way down from Beacon was simply to get away from the Academy for a while.

I had not expected the forecasted downpour to be this severe. The wall of water that descended had reduced visibility to little over several meters, anything beyond that faded into an unsavoury dirt brownish-grey mist, even the gaudy superstructure that was the CCT that I stood under seemed to meld with the clouds as it shot skywards into obscurity.

With my sights set on no particular place I sank my head down and began wadding through the thick rain.

It's been just about two months since I had really made friends and I use the term friend very loosely. The closest person I was to at this point was, sadly, the person I argue the most often with. Weiss wasn't a bad person, not at all, in fact, I've come to respect her as a skilled fighter and rather a precocious individual. But that doesn't take away from the fact that there is hardly a single day where we weren't at loggerheads.

With a sigh my back hunches even further down.

"How does someone so cute act like such a…"

I muttered underneath the rattle of raindrops hitting the umbrella. My mind was still reeling from what happened just a couple days ago: falling onto and touching Weiss like that…

I felt the back of my neck tingle at just the thought. Weiss and I didn't so much as make eye contact with each other yesterday. It wasn't like I was upset with her, heck; she probably got the shorter end of the deal when it came to that incident. She was most likely furious with me for what I had committed, however, how she acted the other day… it wasn't her being angry, at least from what I've experienced. There was normally shouting of sorts, an obnoxious pout and huff or her insulting me regarding any of my traits she noticed at the time.

Her short temperament wasn't at all present. It confused the hell out of me.

"Ugh… I don't get it…"

Irritated by my own train of thought I vigorously ran my hand though my dripping wet hair as if trying to physically shake the memories from my head.

I continued down the sidewalk which put me right in the heart of the City's wealthy district. The elaborate storefronts glaring through the rain like spotlights and the lavish cars darting through the flooded streets were the only fragments of civilisation outside as everywhere else lay vacant. I've come to expect that, only a fool like me would be out here in the weather.

However, it turned out immediately after that that wasn't the case.

Ahead of me was a Dust shop, a high-end one that bore the all too familiar Schnee name, the black snowflake logo placed, in contrast, over a blinding gold sign. Oddly, the entirely glass door was ajar, a blurred figure standing in the doorway. It was only when I walked closer did I realize who it was.

"Weiss?!"

I shouted over the rain in surprise. It was indeed the heiress, it was a miraculous coincidence that she decided to pick up some Dust crystals today.

She had on a thick white coat that stretched down to her knees, the lower part of her legs consumed by a heavy pair of high-end boots. Around her neck was a black scarf, not just any black scarf but the one I had passed to her when we were in the tundra.

"W-What are you doing here?"

She asked, her eyes failing to lock to me.

"I was at the CCT."

It occurred to me that Weiss didn't bring an umbrella with her, a big mistake now that the weather was the way it was. Her standing idly in the doorway made it clear she wanted to leave but was unable to in the torrent, that outfit probably cost more Lien then I'll ever be able to hold.

"Hey,"

She began, her face sinking into her coat.

"You're going back to Beacon?"

I nodded before giving her a slightly cheeky smirk.

"As a matter of fact, yes I am. What's the matter? Stuck here?"

Throwing her arms up into the folded position she glares at me.

"N-No! I was just…waiting for the rain to die down…"

I chuckle at the heiress's poor attempt at an excuse, drawing even more ire from her. I fought hard to mask the fact that I would, in a heartbeat, offer to share the umbrella with her and it looked like she needed it.

But if there was one thing both Weiss and I had in spades it was stubbornness. Shacking the black umbrella I said

"You know…one more person could fit under this thing, that is, if you don't mind shar-."

"Forget it!"

She rushes to turn down my offer, her cheeks boiled as she did. The far more cynical part of me wanted to just take off immediately, then again, I was going to have to see her again tomorrow, and every subsequent day for the next few years… making a dangerous enemy was something I didn't really want.

With a huff of exasperation I tilt the umbrella towards her.

"Stop complaining and just come with me."

Her stares darted between me, the ground, the umbrella and then back to the floor before, without a sound, she shuffles beside me.

"Don't get me wet."

With a roll of my eyes we continued down the rainy streets. Weiss and I were as far apart as both of us could be from each other without getting soaked, our bodies turning away from each other until we were almost back-to-back. The awkwardness was unbelievably intense.

"Nice to see you like that scarf Weiss."

I said, trying to dispel the discomfort. She looked at me for a moment before darting her eyes down to the scarf and she blushed pink.

"I-I'm only wearing it because YOU got mine wet."

With her bringing up me accidently pulling her into the frozen lake I made a judgement call and remained silent.

"You don't really like me do you…"

Weiss took half a step towards me.

"No… that's not it…"

Still refusing to avert her eyes from the ground she continued.

"You're…ok…very, very…very flawed…but ok."

If that was her idea of a compliment it was clear she wasn't at all a people person, we may just have something in common.

"Weiss…"

"Hmm?"

"I wanna apologize about that... you know…thing."

It suddenly got several thousand degrees hotter underneath the umbrella. Me, in my infinite wisdom thought that this was the perfect opportunity to maybe get some consensus on the aftermath of the events of the other day. Safe to say I've never regretted a decision faster in my life.

"I-I-I told you I don't want to talk about that!"

She scolded, tightening the scarf around her face. Her bright blue eyes almost seem to override my legs, temporarily making me trip over myself.

Giving myself a violent clearing of the throat I turned my head away from the heiress and out to the street to catch a breath. However, the large pair of blinding headlights ahead and the blaring horn almost immediately knocked the wind right back out of me.

Time seemed to slow down as the perfect storm of events unfolded before me. A large truck rumbled towards us and at our feet sat a massive puddle of murky water, pooling at the backed up storm drain. The outcome was inevitable and at this point, seconds away.

Without thinking, I reached across and pulled Weiss right up against me. Shutting my eyes I pulled my coat up to do my best to shield the heiress from the impending splash.

The whoosh of the truck was swiftly followed by a thick and spine-chillingly cold which caked my entire body.

We were both paralysed in place. Me, still reeling from the shower, took a second to assess the series of events while I felt the water make its way through my clothes. Taking a look to my side I immediately locked eyes with the heiress for she was looking up at me with just as much shock as me. However, unlike me, she was dry as a bone.

"Y-You alright?"

I hesitantly asked, my mud-splattered cheeks burning up.

"I…I…I-I'M FINE!"

She yells and shoves me away from her, nearly knocking me onto the street, her face turning a remarkable hot pink. Both our bodies seemed to shrink in the cold, my hands nervously fiddling with the handle of the umbrella and Weiss gingerly gripping to the brim of her coat.

Shifting uncomfortably in my pretty much ruined coat I let out a loud but convincing enough cough to get Weiss's attention

"C-Can we get going before I get a cold?"

"Oh…Um…sure…"

Neither of us would say anything to the other all the way back to the Academy. It was a strange feeling, holding Weiss against me like that, she was warm, soft to the touch, a polarising opposite to the heiress herself…or maybe not. Sure I was a little sour that not even a word of thanks had escaped the heiress's lips but with that said I wouldn't have been able to think of an intelligent reply if I did.

"Why'd you do that?"

I imagined the Huntress that turned her ahead away from as we walked, my shoes squelching with every ankle-high puddle I mindlessly trotted into. How was I going to reply to that when I wasn't entirely sure either.

Our grim silence remained for nearly fifteen minutes from the rainy streets to the empty airship as it soared over Vale.

I stood over at the opposite window from Weiss, shifting about slightly as the heavy coat got annoyingly scratchy but that wasn't the most unnerving thing in the ship, not by a longshot. I wanted to say something to Weiss, a thousand different things that I made-up in my head to say, none ever leaving my lips.

I took a long hard look at myself in the reflection of the glass. The streaks of water zipping nearly sideways along the window faded out of focus as I stared into my own eyes, as if they would provide an answer to the millions questions that made my heart beat painfully in my chest.

"Hey."

The heiress's voice startled me, turning to my side to see Weiss staring out to the same scenery I was standing before.

"Thanks for what you did, my coat owes you its life."

She, in a mildly joking, yet mostly sincere manner said. Taking that as a sign that Weiss had decided to put the events of two days ago behind us, I thought I'd do the same.

"Well, you're welcome."

And as came to a still hover and doors of the ship opened, I extended my palm upwards in front of me.

"Huh. It stopped raining…"

A.N: I wasn't all that satisfied with the previous chapter, I may consider redoing it and replace it after my exams are over, not too sure. Leave a Review or PM me if you have any suggestions, I know I haven't been replying lately but I try to reply to as many as I can next week. Thanks for reading!