Weiss POV

It was late at night but for some reason I opened my eyes as I couldn't sleep. I sat up and I wanted to find a way to solve my sleeping problem. I decided to go down and drink a cup of water. That might help. I placed my feet on the ground to climb out of the bed. That's when I noticed the empty bed next to me.

I walked down to the living room to check if Blake was there. She may be doing the same thing that I'm going to do soon. But she was nowhere to be seen. She wasn't in the bathroom either. I had no idea where she went, so I decided to wait. I drank the already poured out water and went upstairs, sitting on my bed.

The others were sleeping just fine but I couldn't at all. Maybe because I felt Blake was not here. I don't think that's the case but I'm worried. I hope she won't do anything thoughtless. If she can't sleep, maybe she went outside for a walk or to train. Either way, I stayed on my bed, waiting for her to come back. Eventually, I will get tired and go to sleep, but now that's not happening.

Actually, I'm staying up at the worst time. Tomorrow, I mean, today we will go to our first job. Tori said that each team will go separately. Even she and Cyra, as it seems she doesn't have a team. I know about these situations but it must be hard. Well, everyone does what's best for them.

Blake should really come back already. I hope she didn't get into trouble. Knowing her, it's not hard to imagine that.

But then the door started to move as someone was coming in. Finally, that person is the one I'm waiting for. But not like this.

Every part of my body just froze down when I saw her appearance. Her clothes were drained with blood, even her face was. What did she do? I wanted to ask but I walked there instead. I reached my arm to wipe the blood away from her face but she stopped me. That's completely new what she did now. She would never refuse contact with me. I know she looks down and hurt but that's why she should accept my offering.

She walked into the bathroom and left me there. What happened that put her in this mood? And why is she drenched with blood? Her face looked beaten up. Did she run into a drunken group and got into a fight? I can totally see how she would fight back or put them into their place.

I couldn't wait any longer out there alone as I told her I would come in. I hope she is not naked. So I entered the small room and she was almost naked but luckily she still had some of her clothes on. I noticed that she tossed the rest to the floor and with actual light here I could see clearly the red tint the original color took in.

I kept looking at her, even when I closed the door because her body had some blue and green spots. And from the mirror I could see the blood dripping from her face. Her nose surely wasn't in the right place. I know how to put it back because I learnt about this. It seems my father wanted me to know about this but I had no idea why this was important as he didn't want me to be a fighter. Maybe my sister smuggled the lesson about this into that pile of books I had to know by heart.

I tried asking her if she was okay but she didn't even wince. She was staring at her reflection but now that I focused on it more I noticed her mouth was shaking. This is killing me. I wanted to know what happened, so I asked. Her only reaction was to… flinch?

She seems so hurt that I can't help but want to hug her. I pushed my body to hers from behind and wrapped my arms around her stomach. Her reaction was the least I expected.

Now I could totally hear her crying. That made me even more eager to get to know what caused her to act this way.

She started pulling her collar and I needed to stop her. It was hard looking at her when she was like this. I made her turn around and tried hugging her from the front.

Instead of getting one back, she pushed me back a bit by the shoulders, making me let go of her. Why is she doing this? I finally show something more to her and now she doesn't want it?

"Please… Don't… be with me…" What I heard almost stomped my heart. She replied to my advances with this but it looked like she didn't want me to stop being with her. She loved being with me so why the change of heart all of a sudden? What happened to her must have influenced her so I want to know the source of it.

"What are you saying? What happened to you?" I looked her in the eyes but it looked so lifeless.

"I did something horrible… I just… I don't want you to love me. Only be my teammate and nothing more." She turned around, showing her back to me. I had to touch it. I moved my finger on it as I went through her spine. She turned around fastly, making me touch the air.

"Weiss! Please… Don't make it harder." She was looking at my hand and I let it fall down.

"Why are you saying things that you don't want?"

"Because a person who killed many doesn't have the right to have pleasantries from others." This again. I already forgave her past. It happened years ago. She changed, didn't she?

"Blake, I already—"

"I didn't change!" I pushed my hand on her mouth as a reaction to her shouting. She slapped it away just as fastly, which surprised me.

"Stop worrying about me!" She crouched down and covered her ears. I followed her down to the floor and her whole body was trembling.

"What did you do?"

"I ended it. His life… My own species. He could have been a good person if I didn't end it. He was just trying to escape. Everyone would do the same…" She did kill that faunus who we held hostage? She… She killed someone again? I was in shock and couldn't process it.

I saw her getting something out of her pocket and put it between us. It was the control of her collar which was covered with blood.

"I— I'm going to leave… You can call the police on me. I won't resist." What is she saying? And why can't I feel hate towards her? Why does my heart keep following her? Do I… love her? But… She killed a person. What am I supposed to feel?

"You won't see me again either way. I… I wish this wouldn't end this way… I really… loved you." She said as she stood up, but I was looking at her legs as I couldn't get to a conclusion, making my body freeze down.

Did she leave? I can't see her anymore. How much time was it? Why do I feel so alone? Just like back in the day. Blake must feel this way too. Being alone… is my biggest fear.

"Don't leave!" I cried out to no one, because she wasn't here anymore. She didn't mean to kill him, right? He was a bad guy. He was the enemy. Why? "Blake…" I could feel the tears flowing down my face.

"I'm here…" I could hear her voice as my vision cleared out. She touched my hand with only one finger as she looked down on the floor. She was sitting so she didn't even stand up. I must have imagined that. "I didn't know this would hurt you this much… I don't… want that. What do you want me to do, Weiss?"

"Just… stay with me." I said, barely giving any sound out. Her reply was to come a bit closer and a silent nod.

We stayed like this for awhile. You could hear nothing, everything was so quiet. After I calmed down I checked on Blake and she had her eyes closed, and I could hear her puffing. Is she asleep? I then realized her hand on mine.

In this state, no one would ever imagine her killing someone. I'm sure it has something to do with the problem she is dealing with. Even if she says it's just her, I don't believe it. From the point we got to know each other, she never did anything like this. It only started recently, so she can't say it's a lost part of her. She can't change this quickly.

I'm already suspicious of this White Fang. How is that, that she doesn't remember things when she was with the cult? It's like they did something to her at that time that unleashed itself now. What if they weaponized her at a young age so she will be more efficient when she grows up? The thing that worries me the most is that she can't recall what happened. Only the memory of her murdering others. As if they want her to believe she is like that.

I looked up at her sleeping face and a smile appeared on my face. She looked so calm after all that crying that I felt at ease. I want to help her find out what's going on. But I have to make sure that we do it together and not alone.

I moved my arm up to smooth out the skin on her face. The blood already dried but her face looked full of scratches. She wasn't in a good shape anyway. After the fight with Yang and now this. And that blonde mentioned she also fell down from a tree. It seems she tried mimicking Sun but it didn't work out the way she wanted.

After feeling my touch on her face I saw her eyes opening slowly. She looked at me and we stared at each other which made me nervous but she was so emotionless. She moved her hand up to put it on mine but then she pulled hers back with mine in hand and lowered it from her face. It seems she doesn't want me to touch her. Although, she still held my hand and started biting her lower lip.

"May I put your nose back?" Now that was an emotion I couldn't miss. She looked so scared all of a sudden that even I'm surprised. After what she went through, this should be nothing.

"Relax. It only hurts for a bit." I said as she nodded. I scooched closer as I put my hands on her nose, preparing myself so it would work. To be honest, I have never done this, but I know the detailed technique and how much force you should put into it. And I also saw someone doing it before when they got back from a fight so it should work. But I'm seriously getting nervous here.

When I looked at Blake, she had a determined face. She looked prepared and she trusted me so that gave me courage. So not long after this, I relocated her nose back. You could hear the crack and her nose looked normal now with the wound remaining on it. She handled it great because she only closed her eyes when the sudden pain struck her but then she looked fine.

"I had no idea you could do this. You are really perfect…" My hands were still on her nose but her flattering got me as I pulled it back next to my body.

"You should… wash yourself." I suggested it because her body was bleeding everywhere.

"Will you stay here?" She asked but her expression didn't tell me much. She was still depressed. She would joke about this if she wouldn't.

"Y-Yeah… I won't look… just be here so you wouldn't feel alone…" Actually, I was the one who didn't want to be alone. I really am in love with her. I already was, but I just realized it.

"You don't have to be with me. I shouldn't get any of your attention after what I did." She stood up, looking in the mirror again. I followed her and walked next to her.

"Isn't this better?"

"Huh?" I could see her looking at me but I kept looking at us.

"When someone is next to you… doesn't matter what you do wrong… they always stay."

"But this is not just wrong… This is insane… I killed him… with my bare hands."

"But did you enjoy it?" I asked and she looked at me through the mirror.

"I hated it."

"Then you regretted it. Accident happens… It was either him or you."

"You don't get it, Weiss. It was either I bring him back or he escapes. I never planned someone's death."

"You didn't. So why did you do it?" We only stared at each other as we talked.

"I… don't know. I wanted to ask him about Salem—" She stopped suddenly and I knew she said something she didn't want to. How long did she plan to hide this from me?

"Who is that?" She wasn't looking at me anymore which told me that she doesn't want to talk about it. Why is she hiding this from me? "If this person is any way connected to your state, I need you to tell me." She waited for a little while before she finally gave in.

"She might be the source of all this… I need to find her."

"Then who killed that person?"

"What? M-Me…"

"Don't you think it was Salem?" She stopped to think about this.

"I hope you're right, Weiss…" At least now we can get a move on from somewhere. We need to find this Salem and end this for good. I want to see Blake, who would never do anything close to what she did today.

"I'm always right. Please… don't be so sad, Blake." It's easy to say, but it must be difficult for her. If someone would possess you and would kill someone in your body, everyone would think they did that. But I know that Blake wasn't the one who killed him. It was the one who is behind all this. That being Salem. It annoys me that she is playing with the feelings of the person I love.

"I will try… if you are willing to accept me."

"I do because I… I…" I sighed as I calmed myself. It's not that hard to say.

"I love you." I said it determinately and strongly. I could see the disbelief on her face but then that smile appeared that I missed. She immediately raised me up as I linked my legs around her waist and my arms around her neck. She held my legs so I wouldn't fall. She started to shed tears again but these were happy tears as she kept smiling at me. I smiled back and felt much better after I said those words to her. This might make her mind wander to a brighter place.

She pushed her head into my chest as I could hear her inhale. When she blew it out I could feel it on my skin and it made me shiver. She kissed that spot and her hand started to move up, almost touching my butt. But I didn't feel anything as she stopped.

"I should take a shower." She said as she put me down.

"Yeah…" I felt a bit unsatisfied but it's totally understandable if she doesn't want to do this now. We really don't need to rush, but after that conversation with Yang, I seriously started to yearn for her touch. I was still scared of it, but I wanted it. Yang said it's a feeling you can't forget so I want to experience it.

"Can you… look away?"

"Oh… yeah." I didn't feel awkward because I was with her. Although, she was, even though I saw her lower part before. Her upper half is basically the same as mine so that's not so nerve-wrecking. But I was sure she would make a big deal out of it if she would see mine. Which I'm not going to show her yet.

She got out of her clothes and I could hear the sound of water. I didn't turn around as I didn't want to go against my words. There will be a point when we will shower together, but we still need time for that.

Now, we should concentrate on tomorrow's job.