Chapter 34: Vale at Night
Winter suggested that since they would want to get an early start the next day, they all should head to bed early. The plan was to arrive at Beacon at 8 o'clock in the morning to meet Professor Ozpin and start working on Blake and Ilia's new weapons, then have a sparring session at the academy's training grounds.
Blake and Ilia's one-bedroom apartment did not have many options for sleeping arrangements, however. In fact, the only option for Weiss and Winter was the fold-out couch.
"It's the best we got," Ilia explained to them, apologetic with her nervous laughter. She was putting some spare bedding on the folded out mattress. "You could totally find a hotel to stay in instead."
"This will do just fine," Winter told Ilia with a cordial nod. She then glanced at Weiss. "If it's okay with you, too, Weiss."
Weiss nodded, even though the worn-out mattress seemed rather intimidating. "I should get used to it, after all, if I'm going to be living here."
"We could probably get you a better mattress," Ilia said, chuckling. "I mean, it's not the worst thing to sleep on."
Weiss' mind immediately jumped to her cell aboard the White Fang airship, and the cot she was left to sleep on. Not to mention trying to sleep in the wilderness while on the run from the Fang. So yeah, Ilia was right about that—Weiss had slept on worse.
"It's only for a little while, no need to buy a new bed for me," Weiss said with a shake of her head.
"Yeah, you're right. Buy your own mattress, rich girl," Ilia joked with a toothy smile as she tucked a corner of the sky blue fitted sheet under the mattress. "But seriously, Blake and I apologize in advance for the possible back pain this thing may cause."
Weiss chuckled and rolled her eyes while Winter leaned down to put the remaining corner of the fitted sheet in its proper position opposite from Ilia. "I appreciate the accommodations," Winter told Ilia. "This will do just fine."
Blake was in the shower at the moment. Ilia had showered earlier, and now she was wearing a one-size-too-big white t-shirt and black shorts. Her hair was still damp, leaving blotches of water on the back of her shirt. She looked pretty with her hair down, even with her wet locks clumped into dark brown strands. It was this moment that made the realization really sink in for Weiss, that she was living with Blake and Ilia now. From now until Beacon, she was Blake and Ilia's roommate. They would share this space for days on end, and Weiss would continue to get these domestic glimpses at them. Wet hair, thrown together sleepwear, walking around barefoot…
Even if it was for this short amount of time, these days in this apartment, they would share their lives, always together.
Weiss pursed her lips and turned her eyes downward for a moment, squeezing her hands into fists. Her face felt warm. She hoped neither Ilia or her sister would notice how flushed she probably was.
Ilia stood back up after spreading the top sheet and a blanket out over the bed. She put her hands on her hips and sighed. "Well, I hope you two sleep well enough. Tomorrow's a pretty big day."
"Indeed," Winter said with a nod.
"Are you nervous?" Weiss asked.
"Terrified," Ilia answered with a laugh. "But...in a good way?"
"Yeah, I can relate to that," Weiss nodded, smiling.
Ilia chuckled. Weiss got a small swell of pride in making Ilia laugh. "I guess I'll head to bed. If either of you need anything, just help yourself." She turned and walked to their bedroom door. "Uh…" She paused in the doorway, hand on the doorknob. "Good night."
"Good night, Ilia," Winter said.
"Sweet dreams," Weiss said with a small wave. Waving felt awkward, but she was doing it anyway, for some reason.
Ilia smiled at her, then shut the door.
Winter turned her head towards her younger sister, the corner of her mouth perked up in a faint lopsided smirk.
Weiss took in Winter's expression and knew exactly what she was thinking. "What?" She asked with a whisper.
Winter shrugged, walking over to her small suitcase. "You two just seem to get along well."
Weiss sighed, her shoulders slumping forward a bit. "I feel so awkward. Like...we've been talking to one another for so long over CCT call, and it was so easy then. But now that I'm here...I feel so…" She struggled to explain further. "I don't know."
"It's a sudden change in environment," Winter said. She unzipped her bag and pulled out her sleepwear. "Combine that with today being a day you've been looking forward to for so long, it's bound to be strange at first."
Weiss looked down. "I guess you're right. I just hope it won't stay strange for very long."
Winter came over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "However long things remain awkward, don't let it stand in your way. Besides, these two girls like you, despite how awkward you are."
"Am I always awkward?" Weiss asked.
"Not always. Just around them, mostly," Winter told her, nodding.
Weiss groaned, rubbing her eyes. "I don't want them to think I'm awkward."
"You're not doing anything wrong, Weiss," Winter assured her with a chuckle. "They're your friends. If there's anyone you ought to feel permitted to be awkward around, it's them."
"But what if I weird them out?"
Winter sighed, shaking her head, her usual fond big sister smile still on her face. "The more you seem to be growing up, the more you still seem like a child."
Weiss' straightened her back, blinking. "I'm not being childish!"
"That...that's not what I meant," Winter muttered, waving her hand. "That was poorly phrased. What I mean is...you're growing up, but you still have more to learn. Especially when it comes to relationships like what you have with Blake and Ilia." She sat down on the fold-out bed and began to untie her boots. "I know how growing up in our family stifles the kind of social abilities we need to keep relationships," she said, her voice dropping a bit, tinged with faint bitterness. "But the way you interact with those two girls...you're beginning to flourish. I can see it. So that's what I mean when I tell you not to worry about being awkward." She kicked off her boots. "If you just be your true self, you won't have to worry. They're your friends for a reason, you know?"
Weiss stared at her sister in silence for a moment, then sighed and nodded. "Okay, I understand."
Winter smiled at her and stood back up. "Good. Try not to dwell too much on it for now. You're not going to get much sleep otherwise."
"I'll try not to," Weiss nodded. "And...thanks. For the advice, I mean. You're right about the 'being socially stifled' thing."
Winter bowed her head and sighed through her nose. "It took me a while to truly grow as a person, and I never truly started on that growth until after I left home." She looked back up at Weiss and smiled softly. "But you've gotten an earlier start than I did, and you already have friends who care about you. I think you're going to be just fine, Weiss."
Weiss smiled, her sister's words sinking in and resonating. "Thank you, Winter." She stepped forward and hugged her, and Winter hugged her in return.
Their hug was interrupted by the sound of a door opening. Weiss and Winter parted from one another to look towards Blake and Ilia's bedroom door to find Blake poking her head out. Her hair was wrapped in a towel, a second towel wrapped around her body. "Just wanted to say goodnight to you two," She said with a chuckle.
"Goodnight," Winter said.
Weiss grinned and waved to her. "Goodnight, Blake." Again with the waving?
Blake smiled and waved in return, then shut the door.
Sharing this less-than-ideal bed with Winter took Weiss back to when she was little, when Winter was still living in the manor. Despite the rules about staying in their rooms after a certain hour, Winter would often sneak out of her room to Weiss' so they could have "secret slumber parties," as they called them. It was the closest thing either of them had ever had to a real slumber party, since making friends was nearly impossible as a Schnee child, and spending a night anywhere outside the manor was unheard of. They had gotten caught several times, and more often than not it was Winter who was punished, but with some help from Klien and a few other friendly staff members, they could have the occasional party in peace. At the end of a night of playing with makeup and each other's hair, reading books, and making up stories to one another, they would fall asleep in Weiss' bed, always back-to-back.
It was during one of these secret slumber parties that Winter told Weiss that she wanted to go to Atlas Academy instead of being heiress to the SDC. At the time, Weiss didn't understand her reasoning at all. Winter had tried to explain that there was a world out there that Winter wanted to see as a huntress, protecting people instead of being a businessperson. Weiss didn't understand why Winter would want that. The life of a huntress was dangerous, especially compared heading up the SDC.
"I want to do more to change the world for the better," Winter had told her. "And I can't do that here. But as a huntress, I can do anything."
Weiss thought she was crazy, but Winter's words stuck with her to this day.
That slumber party ended up being their last. But years later, here they were, in an apartment in Vale, having one more slumber party of sorts.
All the lights were off, but enough moonlight snuck through the slight gap in the curtains to allow Weiss to make out faint outlines of her surroundings. She lied on her back, looking up at the ceiling, nowhere close to falling asleep yet. Winter lied to her left, her back turned to her as her older sister rested on her side.
The bed wasn't very comfortable, but it was passable. It wasn't like they had any better options. Weiss felt cramped, this being smaller than her bed back at the manor and the one she slept in at Winter's house, and Winter taking up half didn't offer her much wiggle room. The sheets and blanket were nice, though, and she felt warm enough. But she just couldn't settle down very much, both because she didn't feel very tired, and her mind was far from quiet.
"Winter," Weiss whispered, just to see if her sister was still awake.
"Yes?" Winter whispered back.
"I can't sleep," Weiss said. They had been in bed for about half an hour by this point.
"Too much on your mind?" Winter asked.
"I guess so."
Winter rolled onto her back, making the spring mattress squeak. She tucked the blanket under her arms and rested her hands on her chest as she stared at the ceiling with Weiss. "What are you thinking about? Tomorrow?"
Weiss sighed, mulling over her response for a moment. "Why did we stop having our secret slumber parties?"
Winter seemed taken off guard by the question, judging by how long it took for her to answer. "Well...after I told you I wanted to go to Atlas, and that I would be leaving the family business, and the family itself, essentially...I figured I had to move on."
"Move on from me?" Weiss asked.
Winter shook her head, which Weiss saw out of the corner of her eye. "It wasn't just my wanting to be a huntress. It was...well, I wanted to get away from...Jacques."
Weiss noticed Winter's deliberate avoidance of the word father. "I can certainly understand that," Weiss said with a faint chuckle.
"I'm sorry I left you," Winter said. "I know you needed me." She took a deep breath. "It wasn't until after I was gone that I realized that I was really the only family you truly had. Mother was distant, Whitley wanted nothing to do with either of us…I…" She took another breath, slower this time. "I'm sorry I left." Her voice trembled with that last sentence.
Weiss turned her head toward her sister, surprised by the waiver in her voice. "Winter, you know I don't blame you for leaving, right? You did what was best for yourself, just like I'm doing now."
"Weiss, you didn't deserve what happened to you," Winter told her, that same tremor in her voice. "I wish I could have done something."
"You're doing something now," Weiss said. "Like you always told me…" She turned and looked at Winter, smiling softly. "I need to do what's right by myself, first and foremost. And you helped me do that. Now I know that I can be happy, at Beacon with Blake and Ilia. I can make a life for myself now. I never could have made it to this point without you."
Winter looked at her, and Weiss noticed the softness in Winter's eyes, like she was close to tears. "I know I always tell you that I won't always be there for you, but...that's not because I don't want to be there. If I could, I…" She sighed, pausing to hold back her emotions. "I don't want us to drift apart. You're my only family, too, after all."
"We won't drift apart," Weiss assured her, rolling onto her side and putting a hand on Winter's shoulder. "I'll keep in touch with you, okay? And if you're ever able to, you can come visit."
Winter nodded, smiling. "I guess...ever since I left home, I missed so much of your growth and a person. I keep reminding myself that you've already grown into a young woman. You're your own person. You aren't the baby sister of mine you used to be."
Weiss pressed her lips together. "It sounds so sad when you put it like that," Weiss said with a soft laugh.
"I wish I could have been there to see you grow into the young woman you are now, and I wish I could see you become the huntress I know you're capable of being."
Weiss nodded. "I'm sorry for going to Beacon instead of Atlas."
"No," Winter shook her head, smiling. "Don't apologize. You're going to Beacon because it's the best thing you can do for yourself. You're going to thrive here. And even if I'm going to miss out on most of it…" She closed her eyes, and Weiss noticed a tear escape, running from the corner of Winter's eye to the pillow beneath her head. "I'll still be as proud as ever."
Weiss smiled, feeling her own emotions begin to build. She moved closer and put an arm across Winter's shoulders, hugging her. "Thank you so much, Winter."
Winter clinged to Weiss' arm, holding close to it. "I love you, Weiss."
Weiss pressed her forehead to Winter's shoulder, tears escaping her eyes as she squeezed them shut. "I love you, too, sis."
Not much else was said between them. They maintained their semi-embrace for a while longer until they finally parted and agreed to take a second shot at trying to sleep. Eventually they did, lying back-to-back, like they always used to.
