Hey guys, sorry about the wait. Here's chapter 25, for your enjoyment!
I don't own RWBY
Dusk Til Dawn had gentle indie folk music playing setting a calm atmosphere, one that Weiss felt matched Blake very well. Upon walking through the doors, they first saw several of the tables, as well as several couches spread out through the building. Rugs on the ground sported Escher patterns of a pale blue and faint purple alternating design. The tables and chairs were a dark oak with comfortable maroon padding. The coffeehouse had a dim lighting, but not so much so as to strain the eyes if one spent their time here reading. Blake was looking around the place, taking in the warm atmosphere. Weiss, on the other hand, let herself give a relieved smile, ecstatic that Blake had in fact liked the choice of location.
"Weiss, it's beautiful," Blake cooed. "I already wanna make this a regular thing."
Weiss blushed, her smile growing with her words.
"I wouldn't be opposed to that," Weiss said. The two of them stepped up to the counter, realizing with surprise that the barista was very familiar.
"Velvet?" Blake asked.
"Hi, Blake!" Velvet softly greeted, waving. "Hi, Weiss!"
"Hello, Velvet," Weiss nodded her head. "I didn't know you worked here."
"I've been needing part time work," Velvet said. "And honestly, I really enjoy coffee, tea, cocoa, drinks of the sort."
Weiss couldn't help but think of the innuendos Yang would crack off about her mentioning cocoa if she was here.
She's probably a bit preoccupied at the moment, Weiss smiled to herself.
"I'm glad you were able to get a position somewhere you liked," Blake smiled.
"What are you two up to?" Velvet asked, heating up the coffee machine.
"A date," Blake smiled, taking Weiss' hand. Velvet let out a wide and kind grin.
"I'm so happy for you two!" she said. "Well, what can I get you?"
"I'd like a green tea, with honey and a small spoonful of sugar, please," Blake requested.
"And I'll take a latte," Weiss added. "Thank you so much."
"Absolutely! That's gonna be... $8.77," Velvet said. "And if you'd like, I can split the payment."
"That won't be necessary," Weiss said, pulling out her card. "But thank you."
"Weiss, you don't have to," Blake objected.
"Please, you've been amazing in every way, and I'd really like to do the same for you," Weiss said.
"You already do," Blake said.
"Then allow me to continue to do so," Weiss said, swiping her card. "You've been helping me and taking care of me, through so much. It's my turn."
Velvet poured the respective drinks as Blake gave Weiss a warm smile.
"Thank you, Weiss," Blake said. "Where would you like to sit?"
"Well, I was thinking one of the couches," Weiss suggested. "But if you'd prefer, I wouldn't be opposed to a table."
"As comfortable as the couches look, I actually prefer tables towards the corner. The light is generally dimmer, and a bit more comforting," Blake said. Weiss smiled, stepping over to one of the corner tables. Blake sat against the wall, and Weiss sat across from her.
"So, what book are you on right now?" Weiss asked, leaning inward in interest. Blake's face lit up, eagerly.
"At the moment, rereading an old favorite," she said. "It's called Pendragon. It's kind of more YA than most people assume I'd go for, but honestly I like books meant for any age. It's kind of nice sometimes to fall back to less realism. And I love any series that can balance sci fi and fantasy well."
"I'll have to give it a read," Weiss said, before taking in a warm sip of coffee. "But, I love it when you sell me on a book, so tell me more."
Blake smiled, and Weiss felt her heart melt. She could tell that Blake didn't often get to splurge about books she loved, as after every sentence Blake had said, she seemed to slow down, watching Weiss' reaction to scan for annoyance. Weiss knew she would happily listen for hours just to see Blake so eager and happy.
Blake spent the next twenty minutes excitedly detailing the main characters and her favorite aspects of them, and what made the series so enticing. Every now and then, she started to stop, saying things along the lines of 'Sorry, I've been rambling a bit, we don't have to stay on this'. And each time, Weiss leaned in further, cutting her off. 'Blake, I love hearing you talk about this. If I wanted you to stop, I'd tell you'.
"Honestly," Blake said, as Weiss finished her coffee. "I would love to be an author, I just don't know how to get started."
"I would love to read whatever you write," Weiss chirped. "What genre would you start with?"
"I'm thinking dark fantasy," Blake said. "At least that's what I've been feeling eager to write lately. I've kinda written some short stories and that always seems to be the genre that flows the best for me."
"Wait, do you still have these short stories?" Weiss asked.
"I do," Blake said, a hint of nervousness creeping into her tone. "Why?"
"If it's something you'd be alright with, I'd love to read your stories," Weiss asked. "Only with your permission, of course."
Blake blushed, looking down at her tea.
"I don't know, I wouldn't say they're really the best, and I-" Blake trailed off.
"Blake, like I said, only with your permission. That being said, I think you're probably going to be harsher on your stories. You're your worst critic," Weiss said. Blake looked up, as Weiss took her hand.
"You really wanna read them?" Blake asked.
"Absolutely," Weiss said.
"Alright," Blake said. "I'll see if I can dig them up. But, you've been sitting patiently for most of the date. I wanna hear from you, too. How have you been?"
"To be honest, a bit all over the place," Weiss said. "I've been studying legal terminology to try to understand what's going on in the hearing when it happens. And that's been stressful. I also want to make sure I'm not neglecting my job. Yang got me this position and I don't want to take it for granted. She's been a wonderful friend. But if I'm being honest, it's been a lot, especially with trying to stay on top of my vocal therapy. Today, one of my dreams came true, though, which makes it all worth it."
"Oh?" Blake asked, curiously leaning forward, taking a sip of tea.
"Yes," Weiss said, smiling. Blake tilted her head slightly, before her face lit up in realization. Then she blushed even deeper than before.
"Oh," Blake said. "I really made that much of a difference?"
"You make all of the difference," Weiss smiled, giving Blake's hand a gentle squeeze. "I honestly still feel surprised that you feel this way."
Blake's blush vanished, replaced with concern.
"Weiss, it's not some bizarre occurrence," Blake said.
"In my experience, it is," Weiss sighed. "I'm not used to even the thought of people liking me. I never knew what it was like growing up."
Blake took Weiss' other hand.
"Well, that's done now," Blake said. "You're surrounded by people that love and care about you, okay? Ruby, Yang, me, Neon, Nora, there's so many people that want you around."
"Well, it's all thanks to you," Weiss smiled, refusing to tear up. "You were the one that fought the hardest for me."
"You're worth the fight," Blake said. "But for what it's worth, I didn't do all of that. You were the one that made things right. You got yourself out of there. I hope I helped, but you're still the one that took those steps."
Weiss took a shaky breath in, and let it out.
"I really appreciate that," Weiss said. Blake finished her tea, taking a moment to savor the flavor. Weiss took the teacup and the long since empty coffee cup and returned them to the counter, and returned to Blake.
"Thank you," Blake said, standing. "Would you like to go watch a bunch of Disney musicals with me?"
"I'd love to," Weiss smiled.
The two of them stepped back out into the cold, still warm from their respective drinks.
"So, we talked about my creative projects. What about yours?" Blake asked. "How's fashion coming along?"
"Actually, very well," Weiss said. "Coco has been relentlessly teaching me everything she knows. We've actually started talking about starting a company together. Adel & Schnee, we were thinking. She's more experienced with fashion, but, and I can't believe I'm saying this, but fortunately, my father made sure I knew just about everything there is to know about running a business."
"I'd say that's you, not him," Blake said. "He wanted you to run his company. You're not benefiting from him. You're being resourceful."
"Thank you," Weiss said, trudging through the snow.
"Hey guys!" a familiar voice called. Weiss and Blake looked down the sidewalk, spotting Yang and Neo exiting an ice cream shop.
"Hi, Yang," Blake said, as the two of them briskly jogged over. "Are you... eating ice cream... in the winter?"
"I know, right?" Yang asked, grinning. "I thought it was weird, too. But, hey, don't knock it til you try it. Her idea, and it's actually not bad."
Neo gave a wide grin, leaning against her significantly taller girlfriend.
"So, how'd it go?" Yang asked, looking specifically at Weiss. Weiss blushed deeply.
"It went very well," Weiss said. Blake smiled.
"You knew, didn't you?" Blake asked.
"Course I did," Yang beamed. "She wouldn't have had the courage to ever do it if I didn't push her to."
Weiss blushed even deeper, wanting to get swallowed up by the earth.
"Were you that scared to ask me?" Blake asked, giving Weiss a look of warmth and empathy.
"A little," Weiss muttered.
"Told you it'd work out," Yang said. "Well, we're gonna go ice skate, but you two lovebirds have fun!"
"You... ice skating?" Weiss asked.
"Hey! I'm graceful!" Yang scoffed. Blake, Weiss, and Neo all met her with inquisitive looks. "Okay, rude."
"I get to be rude," Weiss said. "You just made me blush in front of Blake."
"It was cute," Blake reassured her, before turning to Yang. "I just never pictured ice skating to be your thing. Maybe skateboarding, or snowboarding."
"Okay, maybe it's my first time," Yang said. "But, hey, first time for everything, right?"
"It was my idea," Neo said, again, barely audible.
"We need to ice skate sometime," Blake said.
"I'd love that," Weiss said. "But, we have some movies to get to. Besides, I don't know if our date can survive much more of Yang."
"Hold up," Yang interrupted. "Look, you're both on the newer side to this kind of thing. Are you sure you're ready for movies?"
"Why wouldn't we be?" Blake scoffed.
"It's not a huge step," Weiss said. Then, realization hit her. Yang was grinning ear to ear, and Neo let out a quiet snicker. Weiss blushed deeply. "We're just watching movies!"
"Sure," Yang said.
"Yang!" Weiss hissed, her face the same color as Ruby's hoodie.
"I'm not sure I-" Blake began, then stopped dead in her tracks, coming to the same realization. "Yang! That's our business!"
"Okay, okay," Yang laughed. "I just couldn't miss a chance to get Weiss flustered again. See you two later!"
With that, the two of them got into Yang's car, and Weiss and Blake continued their walk back to Blake's house.
"Unbelievable," Weiss said.
"Relax, Weiss," Blake said. "We've got a whole night of musicals ahead... plus, I want to drop that topic before we get back to my parents. The last thing I need is my dad trying to pull the whole overprotective bit, while mom gives me the talk for the hundredth time."
Weiss blushed deeper.
"Alright, then let's move on," Weiss stuttered.
"Right, so... have you seen any musicals before?" Blake asked.
"While Ruby and Yang have been catching me up on movies, I can't say I've seen any musicals yet," Weiss said.
"Then, I'll have to be your education on that," Blake said. "Some other time I need to show you The Greatest Showman and Rent. Bearing in mind, those ones get a bit more intense than The Descendants movies."
"I'd love that," Weiss said.
"Honestly, we could make this a regular thing," Blake offered. "Every other week?"
"I'd love- wait, are you asking me out on more dates?" Weiss asked.
"Absolutely, I am," Blake smiled.
"I'd love to," Weiss said, blushing yet again.
"I'd like to warn you, ahead of time," Blake said. "But, I am proud of us, and I'd like to tell my parents. That being said, I know that might have come out of nowhere, so I want to know if you're alright with that."
Weiss slowed, anxiety creeping into her.
"I'm not exactly opposed, but..." Weiss stammered. "Will your parents be alright with you dating a transgender woman?"
"They'd better be," Blake said. "Weiss, being your girlfriend was my decision. If they have anything transphobic to say, they're going to be getting an earful from me. I won't stand for that. That being said, they've always been very sensitive to LGBT topics before. I don't think that'll happen. After all, they raised me, one, as someone who is confident in my sexuality, and two, they raised me to be respectful to the trans community."
"Alright," Weiss said, letting out a sigh of relief. "Then, I have no issue with you telling your parents."
"I just really hope... well, I realize the irony of this after earlier, but I hope we don't end up with overprotective dad and the talk mom," Blake sighed.
"Well, we'll see soon enough," Weiss said as they turned a corner, Blake's house directly ahead. Blake nodded. They stepped up to the door and Blake let them in. Weiss made sure to get the snow off of her shoes, before taking them off as was preferred by Blake's family. Blake did the same, and then they stepped into the living room.
Ghira Belladonna read through paperwork related to his work, while Kali watched the news, her tea in hand. Both of them looked up as Blake entered the room.
"Mom, dad, I'd like to tell you something," Blake said, her voice slightly wavering with nerves. "You know Weiss. Well, Weiss and I just went on our first... date. And she's my girlfriend now."
The room was quiet for a second, and in that second, Weiss felt her heart rate seem to ramp up to maximum speed.
Then, Kali leapt up, a wide smile forming.
"I'm so proud of you!" Kali said. "I was worried after Illia you'd have a hard time-"
"Mom!" Blake squawked. "Do you have to bring my ex into this?"
Ghira set down his paperwork and stood, stepping forward to Weiss. Weiss' mouth went dry, seeing Ghira tower menacingly over her.
"Dad!" Blake sighed. "Can we really not do the whole overprotective bit?"
"I like you," Ghira said, ignoring Blake. "You've been kind and honest. And I don't need to intimidate you. I raised my daughter to be able to do that herself if she needs to."
He held out his hand, and Weiss nervously shook it.
"T-thank you, sir," Weiss stammered.
"I'm not a general," he chuckled, sitting back down. "Mr. Belladonna is fine."
"Now, if you two are done embarrassing me," Blake cut in. "I was hoping Weiss could join us for Descendants tonight."
"That'd be lovely!" Kali grinned. "I'll get some tea ready!"
"She prefers coffee, and we actually just went out for coffee and tea," Blake said, trailing after her. Weiss stepped into the kitchen with them.
"Then I'll start preparing dinner," Kali said. "Honestly, if you two would like to help, I'd appreciate it."
"I wouldn't mind that," Weiss said, washing her hands in the sink.
"What are we having?" Blake asked.
"We were planning on a dinner salad," Kali said. "I've been thawing chicken for it. I'm going to start cooking it, if you could get the lettuce ready. And Weiss, I've already prepared hardboiled eggs, if you wouldn't mind shelling them."
"Of course," Weiss smiled. Blake handed her the bowl, and grabbed a cutting board for the lettuce.
"So," Ruby chirped, as Weiss and Yang sat down on the couch. "How did it go?"
Yang grimaced, nursing a bruised knee.
"I ran into someone," Yang said. "And it hurt. But other than that, it was a lot of fun."
"At the movies, or the ice skating ring?" Ruby asked. "Actually, I don't want to know."
"The ring," Yang said. "Well, technically-"
"I said I didn't want to know!" Ruby said, fingers in her ears. Yang laughed as Ruby crossed her arms, giving Yang a 'humph!'. "And Weiss, what about your night?"
"It was amazing! Honestly, it was far better than I could have hoped. I also never knew I could get that full off of a salad," Weiss said. "But we've agreed to make movie night an every other week thing. Shut up, Yang."
Yang had been opening her mouth, undoubtedly to make some kind of joke Weiss knew only Yang would appreciate.
"Okay, okay," Yang said. "So, Ruby, what about you? You got your eyes on anyone?"
"Not really," Ruby said.
"Do you have to keep pestering her, Yang?" Tai asked, sitting down with a soda in his hand.
"I just wanna keep up to date on my sister's life," Yang said, flipping through channels.
"Well, if I ever fall deeply in love, you'll be the first to know," Ruby rolled her eyes, voice full of sarcasm.
"I'm glad your dates went well, though," Taiyang said.
"Hell yeah, it went well," Yang said. "We're doing go karts next week. And we're talking about going up to Bogus Basin for some snowboarding. Well, I'll be snowboarding. She'll be skiing. Still, sounds fun."
"And how are you going to afford a snowboard?" Taiyang asked.
"I've got a job," Yang said.
"Yeah, a part time job. And all the money you've saved up went to your car. Plus, weren't you wanting to save up for a motorcycle?"
Weiss pulled out her MP3 tuning out the bickering.
Hey, Winter, I've got amazing news!
She eagerly awaited a response, and in about a minute, she got one.
I'm always glad to hear that you're doing well. What is the news? Winter replied.
You remember Blake, right? Weiss asked.
Yes, Illia has also spoken of her often. Winter sent.
Well, Blake and I just went on a date, and it went well. Weiss couldn't help but smile, thinking back to the night.
That's wonderful! And to be perfectly honest, it's about time.
What do you mean? Weiss asked.
I mean that I hardly saw her and even I saw that you were head over heels for her. Winter replied. Weiss blushed.
Oh, god. Was it that obvious? Weiss asked.
Yes. Ciel and Illia both caught on as well.
Weiss sighed.
Wonderful.
Regardless, I'm happy for you, Weiss. You deserve every ounce of happiness you can get.
Weiss felt her sister's words warm her heart, knowing she'd always protect her little sister.
Weiss was woken up by the loud screech of excitement from Ruby.
"Wake up, Weiss! Do you know what day it is?" Ruby squeaked.
"Um..." Weiss slurred, sitting up. Her hair was messy, and she rubbed her eyes groggily.
"It's nondescript winter holiday!" Ruby chirped. "The best day of the year!"
"Ruby, I know your excited," Yang said, stepping out, wearing her pajamas. "But this is probably the first time Weiss can actually celebrate nondescript winter holiday."
Ruby's face fell in horror.
"You mean you've never woken up early to open presents?" Ruby asked.
"Nope," Weiss said, stretching.
"Or made a gingerbread castle?" Ruby asked, growing more alarmed.
"Nope," Weiss repeated.
"Or left out chocolate milk and pie for-" Ruby began.
"I can't say I have," Weiss said.
Ruby's jaw hit the floor, tears welling up.
"Never again!" Ruby said, tackling Weiss with a warm, yet powerful embrace.
"Ruby, I can't breathe!" Weiss gasped.
"You're going to be here every year when we celebrate, you're going to be part of the presents, and part of the big dinner, and-"
"Ruby, are you meaning to turn Weiss blue?" Yang asked, sitting down on the recliner. Ruby let go of Weiss, letting out a nervous chuckle.
"Sorry, Weiss," Ruby asked.
"It's alright," Weiss said, taking in a long breath. "Despite all of that, I still know what nondescript winter holiday is. Don't worry, Ruby. I've gotten you several presents."
Ruby's face lit up in joy.
"Alright, who wants cocoa?" Taiyang asked, walking in from the kitchen. He wore a fluffy red jacket, lined with fake white fur around the ends, and a pointed red cap with a white fluffy ball on the end. He carried in a tray covered in cocoa mugs.
"Weiss gets one first!" Ruby chirped.
"Wow, you're serious about all this," Yang said. She turned to Weiss. "I never thought Ruby would ever let someone go before her."
"She's never had a nondescript winter holiday!" Ruby said, handing Weiss her mug. Weiss sipped her cocoa, giving Ruby a warm smile.
"Thank you, Ruby. I appreciate you being willing to do all of this, but please, go first for everything else. I always figured this would be your holiday," Weiss said. Ruby scowled.
"Nope," Ruby said, matter-of-factly.
"I've seen her get like this," Yang said, sipping from a cup with golden patterns on it. "Trust me, there's no stopping her."
Ruby picked up a mug with rose petal designs on it. Weiss realized both of their mugs matched them, and she looked down at her own. It was white, with baby blue snowflake patterns on it.
"We all have our own mugs," Ruby said. "Kind of a family tradition. So we found one for you!"
Weiss felt tears well in her eyes.
"Thank you," she said, seeing the mugs sitting on the table.
"Of course," Yang said. "You're family, too."
Weiss fought hard against the tears, closing her eyes. She took in a shaky breath, then opened her eyes again.
"Okay, presents!" Ruby cheered. "And I know which one I want you to-"
"No," Weiss interrupted. "You said I get to go first. So I'm choosing to have you open one from me."
Ruby opened her mouth to argue, then stopped.
"Okay," Ruby said, letting Weiss have this one. Weiss picked up a box about eight by fourteen by three inches, and handed it to Ruby. Ruby tore through the paper in seconds, and her eyes lit up with joy. "Oh my gosh!"
A chrome red playstation 4 controller sat inside of the box, shining up at Ruby.
"Thank you thank you thank you!" Ruby cheered. "I've wanted one for so long!"
"I noticed," Weiss smiled.
"Alright, now you open one of mine," Yang said, handing Weiss a small present, that wasn't boxed. Weiss had a feeling it'd be a clothing item. She opened it up, and looked down in confusion, blushing.
"Let me explain," Yang said. "It's padded. I looked around online, and it turns out they're popular in the trans community. I had a feeling it'd help ease your dysphoria."
Weiss looked down at a grey padded bra. If the tears had been strong before, then this time they were with the force of an avalanche.
"Yang..." Weiss said, looking up.
"Sorry if it was a bit inappropriate. I understand if you're-" Yang began.
"It's perfect," Weiss interrupted. "Thank you."
Yang scooted closer, a relieved smile on her face.
"Always, ice queen," Yang joked. "Alright, who'se next?"
"Dad," Ruby said, handing him a present. "This one's from me and Yang!"
"Ooh," Taiyang said, leaning forward. He opened the present, and unfolded a large blanket with several dad jokes detailed on it. "What do you know, I guess I did raise you knuckleheads right."
"We saw it at the mall and knew it was your style. You're easy to shop for," Yang said.
"Alright, this next one's from Weiss to Yang," Ruby said, handing Yang a present.
"Alrighty," Yang said, opening the gift. "Oh, hell yeah!"
She flipped through several packets of bumper and window stickers, several with inappropriate jokes, puns, or various references to Yang's favorite shows, games, etc.
"I figured your car needed some personality," Weiss said.
"Thanks, Weiss. I'll slap these on in a bit, once we're done with presents. You're up next, this one's from Ruby."
Weiss took the present, a large box. Weiss curiously opened it to find a shoebox. She opened it up to find an absolutely stunning pair of heeled boots, baby blue with white jewel encrusted patterns.
"Wait... how did you find them in my size?" Weiss asked.
"It was a combined effort. Neon helped me find some trans-friendly shoestores, and then Coco helped me know what style you'd like," Ruby said. "Are they good? I have the receipt if you don't like them."
"No, they're beautiful," Weiss practically purred, wide eyes taking in every detail. "Thank you so much, Ruby."
"You never had a chance to collect stuff like this growing up, so I figured you could use some pretty shoes," Ruby said. "I'm just glad Coco could help, I know nothing about shoes."
They continued to unwrap presents for several minutes, with Yang receiving a few leather jackets, several albums, and other various memorabilia. Ruby got enough videogames to warrant a new shelf, as well as... a new shelf. Weiss also had gotten her new headphones, as her old ones were falling apart. Weiss had mainly gotten clothes, not that she was complaining. Four skirts, three pairs of jeans, and several tops. Taiyang had gotten her a warm, thick blanket to keep her warm on the couch as well. And Taiyang got a new George Foreman Grill, an apron, and a few puzzles. After about an hour, Weiss stood to get herself ready.
"I have loved every second of this, and I appreciate it greatly," Weiss said. "But, Blake wanted to have part of my first real nondescript winter holiday too, and I don't want to keep her waiting."
"I'll warm up the car," Yang offered. "I've got plans, too, so I can drop you off. Neo and I are hanging for the day, down at the park."
"What's at the park?" Ruby asked.
"A hell of a snowball fight, some peaceful walks, just some nice, leisurely time together," Yang said.
"OOH!" Ruby leapt up. "I wanna be part of the snowball fight!"
"Ruby, it's a date. We're having a date," Yang said.
"Oh," Ruby said, disappointed. "I wish I made nondescript winter holiday plans."
"Don't worry," Taiyang said, picking up a ps4 controller. "I had some ideas. I'm thinking you try out your new games and kick my butt."
Ruby beamed, turning on her new scarlet controller.
"That sounds awesome!" Ruby said. "Get ready to lose!"
"I've been losing to you since you had a playstation 2," Taiyang said. "I'm pretty used to it by now."
"Tell you what," Ruby said. "Beat me in any game, at all, for the ps4, and I'll 1v1 you in a game of your choice on the nintendo 64."
"Okay, now it's on!" Taiyang said. "That's my element."
Weiss couldn't help but smile at the adorable dynamic between the two of them. She couldn't believe Taiyang was willing to spend so much time making his daughters happy.
Weiss sat on Blake's bed, as Blake sat in her gaming chair.
"I had a few presents for you," Blake said, eagerly scooting closer to the bed.
"What a coincidence," Weiss said. "Because I've prepared several for you."
"Well, dibs on first," Blake said, handing Weiss a box wrapped in silver wrapping paper. Weiss took the gift, opening it to look down at a binder full of paper in plastic paper protectors. The front had an elaborate calligraphy design that read Blake's Short Stories, Vol. 1.
Weiss grinned wide, upon seeing the binder.
"You wanted to read them," Blake said. "And I have a copy for myself. I wanted you to have the originals."
Weiss' eyes went wide.
"Wait," she said. "These are the originals?"
"The very first," Blake smiled.
"I... thank you, Blake," Weiss stammered. "I'll keep them safe."
Weiss kept the binder on her lap, and grabbed one of the presents she wrapped for Blake.
Blake slowly undid the wrapping paper, carefully and meticulously, to see a collection of fairy tale books. The largest was a high quality Beauty and the Beast.
"I'm glad your present was personal and sentimental, to be honest," Weiss said. "One of the books in that is, too."
Blake curiously looked through the pile. Weiss pointed to a new copy of Die Größten Märchen Aller Zeiten, Band Eins: Rotkäppchen, Schneewittchen und der Jäger, und mehr.
"How so?" Blake asked, looking over the book with intrigue.
"Well, the first thing you should know about that one is that it has a translated version, which is why it's marked in the middle. And, second," Weiss said. She covered up most of the title, with the exception of Schneewittchen. "Schneewittchen is German for Snow White, as a name. A few years back, I was going through a rough time, and ended up throwing my backpack. In German, we were reading that. My last name being part of it stood out to me. That's when I kind of realized something. If it's not as a name, but just as words... Schnee is German for snow. And Weiss is German for white. Granted, in its original language it's pronounced Veiss, but-"
Blake stared down at the book, as if seeing it in a newer light.
"So, this book gave you your name," Blake said.
"In a manner of speaking," Weiss said. "I was hoping it would help remind you of me. I apologize if that's vain."
"It's not," Blake interjected. "It's exactly what I want. Weiss, I want things that make me think of you. I love things like this. Things that wouldn't normally stand out, but have personal meaning like this... thank you."
Weiss sighed a breath of relief. Blake smiled, handing Weiss her second gift. This one was in a small package. Weiss opened it, looking down at a shiny small tiara piece meant to hold a ponytail. Without missing a beat, she redid her hair to show off the new jewelry. Blake's face lit up seeing the miniature crown.
"Well, how does it look?" Weiss asked, enjoying Blake's happiness.
"You look so beautiful," Blake said. "Like a princess."
Weiss blushed deeply.
"Dare I say, my Snow White," Blake teased.
"If so, then you're my Belle," Weiss said.
"I'll happily agree to that," Blake said. Weiss offered her the next present, which she unwrapped in the same careful manner. Inside of this one was a sweater hoodie, black with white and purple designs.
"I saw it in the mall and couldn't help but think of you," Weiss said. "And it'll also keep you warm."
Weiss had not even finished talking before Blake had stepped behind the door to her closet, and returned a moment later wearing the hoodie. Weiss beamed, happy that not only was Blake comfortable, but the hoodie matched her from a fashion standpoint.
"It's lovely," Blake smiled, sitting back down. "I have one more for you."
She handed Weiss a moderately large box. Weiss eagerly tore into it, opening the box. Inside was an absolutely gorgeous white pair of ice skates.
"We're going ice skating at some point soon, and you're going to need them," Blake said.
"Blake," Weiss gasped, practically blinded by the beauty of the pair. "They're breathtaking!"
"I hoped they'd fit you. They contrast mine," Blake said. She pulled a pair out of the closet, showing off an almost goth pair, jet black with purple straps.
"I can't wait," Weiss said. "I actually have a third present for you, too. I just hope it's not too cliché."
Weiss offered a small box to Blake. Blake opened it, and grinned at the necklace inside.
"I already have mine," Weiss said, pulling hers out to go over her sweater. Weiss' was dark, and the design was half of a heart, black with a purple design. Blake's was a lighter silver with blue patterns. "Like I said, it may be cliché."
"Weiss," Blake interrupted. "We're teenagers, we get to be cliché. And I love it."
She donned the necklace, smiling.
"So," Weiss said. "What else were you wanting to do today?"
"Well, the ice skating ring is booked for the day, so that's not an option," Blake sighed. "So I was thinking something more relaxed. I'd love to go on a walk with you, if you're up for it."
"That would be wonderful," Weiss said. "I would love to."
Thank you for reading! Next chapter will be out soon!