[Chapter Sixteen]
Expectations
[Weiss]
Date: Friday, March 26th
This Feeling - Chainsmokers
They tell me think with my head
Not that thing in my chest
They got their hands at my neck this time
But you're the one that I want
If that's really so wrong,
Then they don't know what this feeling is like


Weiss stirred awake and she opened her blurry blue eyes, finding herself lying beneath a vaguely familiar warmth; a pair of arms tightened around her body and soft, wet kisses were being delivered to the overheated skin of her back. Teeth gently scraped over her neck, sending tremors of pleasure up her spine, as her hair was brushed out of the way, calloused fingers tickling at her skin.

Taking a moment to relish in the feeling, she closed her eyes and let out a heavy sigh. Her fingers dug into the pillow below her as a gentle kiss was pressed against her neck, sending a faint tickle up her back. She hums in acknowledgment and opens her eyes, seeing the wisps of reddish brown and black hair just in front of her, Ruby nuzzles, in a very dog-like way, the older woman in greeting. She had to get up. Weiss moved and the woman behind her released their grip slightly, allowing her to wiggle out of her arms to sit up-

The world spun and Weiss toppled backwards, finding that her entire lower half was practically numb. "You okay?" Ruby asked worriedly, shifting so that she could comfortably hover above Weiss with one hand propped up and the other caressing the heiress' cheek. Weiss lifted her eyes towards the brunette's worried silver pair. "You were out for a few…"

"What did you do to me?" Weiss asked, her hoarse voice laced with exhaustion and annoyance. "I can't feel my legs."

Ruby giggled and leaned down to give her lips a sweet peck, Weiss let out a quiet sigh. "I only did what you told me!" Ruby said, leaning to the side of Weiss to lay next to her. Their eyes met and Weiss narrowed her brows as the younger woman continued, "I think you made a whole chorus out of just my name when I did that," she chuckled as Weiss' memory slowly resurfaced, "I don't got a bald spot, do I?"

Weiss' eyes widened and she reached out to pop Ruby's forehead, "Dolt! Are you implying that I'm-" She scolded as a blush spread across her cheeks. "When I asked to do that, I didn't mean…" She trailed off. "That!"

Her girlfriend frowned at her, amusement twinkling in her silver eyes. "Oh? What didja mean, then? Weiss whined and lowered herself back down, averting her gaze and clutching the sheets tight. "A'ight, a'ight, I'm sorry." Ruby giggled, sitting up to her feet as Weiss looked back towards her. She was ambushed by a front-row view of the younger woman's chest, she heard Ruby purr above her. "Like what you see?"

She looked away again. "Halt die Klappe."

Ruby raised a brow. "I don't know what you said, but I'm assumin' it's some kinda insult." She slid out of the bed and Weiss pushed herself up and reached to grab her girlfriend's wrist, Ruby pulled her up from the disheveled sheets. The heiress stumbled into her, her hands coming into contact with Ruby's chest to steady herself.

Ruby's breath hitched sharply, almost fearfully and the brunette tensed up a little bit, shaky hands grabbed Weiss' wrists and pushed her away, her hands coming to gently grasp at Weiss' as a silent apology.

"Sorry." Weiss murmured.

"It's okay… Are you okay, Weiss?" Ruby whispered, her hands resting on Weiss' hips.

"I'm fine." She said as the feeling returned to her legs, she leaned against Ruby's chest for a minute before mustering the strength to move towards her phone. "Whatever you did, never do it again." Weiss scolded, picking up the vibrating phone from her nightstand.

Ruby let out a hum, her brows furrowing together as Weiss blurrily tried to unlock her phone. "Actually," the brunette moved towards her, "I think I may have been restin' some of my weight across your legs, so… That might'a been why you couldn't move."

Weiss glared back at her over her shoulder, her breathing was still heavy. She gestured for Ruby to come closer, irritation brewing in the pit of her stomach. Ruby frowned and leaned in. Weiss popped her hand against Ruby's forehead with an audible smack, followed by a thump to the bridge of her nose. Ruby reeled back with a whine of protest and moved out of her reach, "What was that for?!"

"That was for seducing me," Weiss said.

"But I didn't- you-" Ruby's face turned into one of confusion.

Weiss interrupted her with another quick thump to her forehead, followed by the shadow of a smirk tugging at her lips when Ruby's expression morphed into one of complete bewilderment. "That was just for fun." She giggled and unlocked her phone, "Alright," Weiss whispered as she pulled the screen down, glancing up to her girlfriend when she leaned over to look. She sighed and opened her first text message.

Her heart stopped. "What is it?" Ruby asked from beside her.

There was a consistent ringing in Weiss' ears.

"Weiss?" Ruby's voice sounded distant…

"My father is coming home…" How much time did she have? Her eyes darted up to the side of the screen. She only had three hours left to prepare… No, that's what she'd returned to the manor for! She couldn't perfect her appearance in three hours! She glanced towards the sheets and Weiss let out a loud groan. She couldn't shower, get dressed and have time to refresh the sheets in under three hours!

"Damn it, Ruby!" Weiss shouted, spinning around on her heel and slamming her hand into the center of Ruby's chest, shoving her towards the door. The half-dressed brunette fumbled with her jacket and gave the heiress a weird look, holding her jacket to cover her chest area with a strange look in her eyes. A twist of guilt and hurt pangs inside of her. 'You should know by now that I won't hurt you.'

She shook her head. "You need to get out of here now!" Ruby hesitated and rage bubbled up inside of Weiss. Was she deaf?! "I said go!"

The brunette's face turned into one of confusion and she quietly exited the room, watching Weiss from over her shoulder. The heiress closed the door as quickly as she could and she faced her bed again.

'Agh!' The voice in her head groaned, she rubbed at her temples and released a heavy sigh. 'Okay… I can do this.' She glanced back at the disheveled bed sheets.

'Starting with a quick shower.'


The sheets were cleaned, changed.

Why were the sheets clean?

Panic rose up inside of her while she stood at the bathroom door, gawking in horror at the sight of the newly refreshed sheets and blankets on her bed. She'd only been in the shower for barely ten minutes! Someone had entered her bedroom without permission, and now they likely knew… It's not like the room previously reeked of sexual activity or anything.

Whoever changed the sheets definitely knew that something was up. Someone in the manor could reveal her secret. They could expose Ruby… 'No, no no.'

Maybe she could find whoever did this and bribe them into silence? Fire them? No, her father would ask why she wanted them fired. Actually, how much effort does it take to hide a body and leave no evidence behind? She'd need Yang and Blake's advice on that, and she would never hear the end of it.

Would it be worth it, though? She's already killed someone before…

Her entire body felt cold, an indescribable panic rose in the pit of her stomach.

Her bedroom door creaked open and Weiss' eyes shifted over, opening her mouth to berate whoever had the audacity to enter the room without her spoken permission.

Weiss' brows knitted together and her eyes widened moments after.

A familiar, tall redheaded man was standing in front of the doorway. His eyes unfocused, but staring directly at her. Every nerve in her body tensed as Ace slowly advanced towards her, seemingly becoming taller as he approached. Weiss remained frozen, her heart rapidly beating as her breaths became irregular. She swallowed hard and her mouth opened to tell him off, but nothing came out.

He lifted his hand towards her.

A knocking noise grabbed her attention and her eyes moved towards the door again, her breath hitched and her jaw clenched. "Miss Schnee?" A familiar voice asked quietly, it was Byzan. She shook her head and looked around her room carefully. Ace wasn't here.

She cleared her throat, forcibly relaxing her jittery nerves. "Enter." Weiss said loudly. It felt like her body flinched up as the door opened, she watched in masked horror as the woman poked her head in. She let out a heavy sigh upon seeing her assistant. "What is it?"

The woman met her eyes and stepped all the way in. "I just wanted to let you know that I have put your sheets in the-"

Rage spread through her veins and Weiss moved towards her, cutting Byzan off and backing the puzzled woman into the corner of her bedroom. "Did I grant you permission to enter my room to do so?!" She shouted, the anger she felt was almost like an endless pit of burning flame in her chest. "You knock and if I don't answer, then it's common sense not to come in! I could've been busy!"

Byzan smiled nervously and made a small gesture to the door. "Well, I, uh, I noticed Red leaving, so I figured I would clean up-"

Red. Ruby.

"Do not call her that!" The frustration rolling through her ignited, "That is not your responsibility!" Weiss slammed her hand against the wall beside Byzan's head, her eyes widened when the woman flinched. She let out a sigh and withdrew her arm back to her side. She rubbed her forehead and muttered an apology, much to the woman's surprise.

"How do you know her?" Weiss asked at last, having calmed herself enough to properly speak to her assistant.

Byzan cleared her throat, "Well, uh, she's pretty popular amongst Atlesian women. Especially the wealthy ones." Weiss glared up at her as a thousand buzzing thoughts raced through her brain, "I didn't expect for you to be-" Byzan visibly hesitated, "-into that kind of stuff."

Weiss' brows narrowed. "What do you mean?"

The woman clicked her tongue. "Well, I know how Red is-"

"So?!" The fire was returning to her chest. 'Her name is Ruby.'

Byzan tucked her hands behind her back, glancing away from the woman as if she expected to be lashed out at. "Well, you're dating Neptune, so…" She looked back up at her and Byzan's body tensed up as her words trailed off into a whisper. Her eyes widened as she stared at the heiress, Weiss' blood ran cold. "O-Oh."

'She knows.' A little voice pitifully whispered, dread coursing through her veins like an electrical shock. "Byzan." Weiss said sharply, almost pleadingly, "Please, don't tell anybody else… This needs to remain a secret."

The other woman offered a tiny smile and relief fluttered through Weiss' body. "Sure." Byzan said warmly, before slipping back into her assistant role. Weiss took a step back, straightening her posture and ridding herself of the humiliation she'd felt. "Your brother is waiting for you." Her assistant informed her.

Weiss let out a shaky sigh, cooling her nerves. Byzan wouldn't tell anybody… "Thank you."

Byzan left the room and Weiss approached her mirror to examine her appearance, quickly skimming herself over before exiting her bedroom to meet up with her brother at the front of the manor. She strolled down the hall and the staircase as fast as she could, having wasted a few precious minutes with Byzan.

The knowledge that her assistant knew her girlfriend rang at the back of her head, causing her to wonder just how she knew her… Byzan wasn't one of her clients, was she? She couldn't be. A pang of jealousy twinged at Weiss' heart, bile and irritation rising up in her throat upon imagining the image of her soulmate with another girl.

A girl who just happened to be Weiss' assistant. As likely as it was, she didn't want to think about that.

"There you are," Whitley said from the doors, grabbing Weiss' attention, "did you have a satisfying time?" He asked with a smug expression, adjusting his coat as he descended the steps towards the approaching limo.

Weiss frowned at him, following closely behind her twin, brushing her bangs back when the heavy wind swept them into her eyes. When did it get so windy…? "What do you mean?"

Whitley chuckled and said nothing as he stepped into the limo, seating himself across from Weiss and waiting for the driver to close the door before answering her.

He didn't give a verbal response and simply tapped his neck, he reached up to remove his scarf and offered it to her. Weiss' eyes widened and she grabbed the nearest glass object, observing her reflection in it as humiliation and dread pooled in her stomach upon noticing the dark mark across her neck.

She growled menacingly, accepting her brother's scarf and wrapping it around her neck to conceal the mark."I am going to kill a Rose…"

The rest of the ride was spent in silence.

Whitley tapped away at his phone and a smile tugged at the corners of his lips ever so often, while Weiss stared out the tinted window and watched the world go. A pang of jealousy pulled at her; her brother was allowed to do whatever he pleased on his phone without their father prying into it. Weiss, on the other hand, had her phone scoured every other day by her father. His excuse was 'he's protecting his baby girl.'

After she'd gotten out of the shower, she'd erased all of her message history with her girlfriend and reluctantly removed her from her contacts. She didn't want to block her number, though.

She couldn't risk her father discovering her girlfriend. He wouldn't be too happy… She was his perfect heir.

Well, backup perfect heir… Whitley was rather ill when they were growing up, and he was still undergoing treatment when Winter ran off to join the military. Weiss was his only choice, he'd said it himself that he would mold her into the greatest CEO the SDC will ever know.

In other words, he wants her to follow in his footsteps, and without her ill twin and her best friend, without Ruby and the others, she probably would have…

Her eyes shifted towards Whitley, watching her brother for a moment as he smiled at his phone. She remembered when he'd had his surgery, the days after were some of the best in his life- until they'd realized that the surgeon their father hired made a mistake… The incision became infected, and it affected him for years.

Now, it was like none of that had ever happened.

"How are you feeling?" Weiss asked curiously and Whitley looked up with a bewildered look on his face.

"I'm fine." He answered, knowing what she meant. He looked back to his phone. "I still say that damned 'doctor' should've been hung."

Weiss sighed. "Nobody needs to lose their life over a simple mistake, Whitley."

His brow twitched, "That 'simple mistake' could have cost me my life."

"Miss Weiss? Master Whitley?" The driver looked back at them and offered a smile. "We've arrived."

Weiss leaned over to look out the window and her brows creased together, noticing her father's familiar Schnee-registered private jet making its descent from the skies, the wheels unfolding to make for a smoother landing. The limo came to park at the entrance and the driver exited the vehicle, coming around and opening the door for the siblings.

"Your father will be-"

Whitley waved his hand dismissively, clicking his phone off and sliding it into his pocket. "Yeah, yeah, we know." He said without emotion as they approached the landing jet.

The winds seemed to be stronger here out in the open. Maybe she should've put her hair up in a braid.

A loud, whistling noise erupted through the private airport, followed by the engines of the plane hissing as the wheels came into contact with the pavement. Weiss and Whitley stood a few feet away from the landing pad, the wind from the plane rapidly blew around the two of them, Weiss having to brush her bangs back as her ponytail and scarf flapped viciously behind her.

She heard a stifled snort from her brother as the winds died down, she released a thankful sigh and reached up as an attempt to straighten her windblown hair.

"You look like you just walked through a windstorm, Weiss." Her brother said smugly from beside her, running his hand through his short, perfectly styled hair. "My haircut isn't so foolish now, is it?"

Weiss glared at him, finally having gotten her bangs brushed back. "You're right," she smiled, giving her brother's ego a boost, "it gets more ridiculous the more you look at it."

Whitley scoffed in offense, "At least I don't look like I have a horse's rear end hanging off the back of my head."

Before Weiss could retort her response, the latch of the private jet whisked open and their father made his way down the automatic, custom-made staircase. His hands were stiff at his sides and his cold gaze was locked solely on Weiss, his brows narrowed at a slight angle. Weiss could feel the pure rage radiating off of him from where she was standing.

Her brother moved from her side to approach their father, "It's good to have you back, Father." He said respectfully with a smile on his face. "Weiss and I have begun planning our-" Jacques walked away from him and Whitley's words trailed off, a brief face of disappointment flickering across his features. He straightened his posture to mimic the older man's and followed behind him.

Jacques didn't spare the twins a single look as they walked towards the limo, Weiss whispered a kind 'thanks' to the driver and ducked inside, attempting to sit as far away from the man as possible. Whitley entered behind her, he offered her a look of understanding and scooted himself next to her as their father sat at the door across from them.

A gentle swoosh echoed from outside as the door swung shut. The trio remained silent as the driver climbed in and slid the soundproof window closed.

"Father?" Whitley broke the silence. He sat with one leg crossed over the other and his fingers interlocked, his eyes glancing almost nervously between his sister and Jacques. "Did you enjoy your vacation?"

Ignoring his son's inquiry, Jacques leaned in close to the twins, his eyes fixing on Weiss again. His brows narrowed and Weiss felt a chill race up her spine, sending a cold wave of fear through her veins.

A scowl formed on the man's narrow features. "Care to tell me who your little girlfriend is, Weiss?"

"...What?"


They'd spent the rest of the car ride in an uncomfortable silence after Weiss refused to fess up to her secret relationship, Whitley had tried to make small talk with their father as an attempt to throw him off his sister's case, but the old man wouldn't budge and barely acknowledged him.

As soon as the limoscene pulled to a stop, Jacques firmly ordered for Weiss to return to her bedroom where he would meet with her. Whitley whispered a quiet apology to her as she exited the vehicle, she simply glared in her brother's direction and reluctantly started for her quarters.

A million thoughts were racing through Weiss' head as she ascended the staircase. wondering how he had possibly managed to discover Ruby. She and Neptune had hidden it so well! At least, she thought they did, was there something they'd missed? Perhaps an agent of her father's stalking them? That was very likely at this point…

Had Byzan given him a call and informed him of the situation?

She certainly would've had the time once she'd pieced things together.

No, she'd never gone behind her back before. Why would she start now? Jacques wouldn't give her a raise for it…

Tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. This likely meant that she would have to leave Ruby… All she'd been trying to do was protect her. Where had she gone wrong?!

She felt nauseated.

The results were endless, and not a single one of them was positive. He could destroy Ruby's life, everything she'd worked for. He could have her framed for a crime she didn't commit and have her imprisoned for life.

Weiss pushed the bedroom door open and entered, letting the door swing shut behind her. She heard it reopen and she looked over her shoulder to see her father glaring down at her in sheer disappointment, he left the entryway cracked and approached her, towering over the young woman.

She swallowed hard and straightened her posture, refusing to look weak in his presence. "Vater... bitte verzeih."

He ignored her apology. His voice was judgemental and cold. "You mean to tell me," he started slowly, "that one of my own blood is a disgusting dyke?" He stepped towards her again and Weiss moved away from him, meeting his eyes with a matching glare. "My own daughter?!"

It took every muscle in her body not to cower under his gaze. "How do you know?" She asked, her voice shaking lightly.

Her father rolled his eyes and his lip turned up into a scowl, "Oh my dear, you truly believed I'd give you free reign over your electronic device when you clearly cannot be trusted? Your move to Mantle was a test."

He'd read her texts to Ruby… He'd still had access to her phone… He knew everything.

"So what if I am with another woman?" She muttered flatly, allowing the insult to roll off of her back. There was a twinge of hurt inside her heart as she knew he wouldn't care too much if it were revealed that Whitley was gay. "You have a lot of gall addressing me as your-"

Time slowed down as her father's hand shot up, a look of pure rage contorting across his face and his jaw clenching. Weiss caught the blurred image of her father's hand coming up to strike her and adrenaline rushed through her, she reared back just in time and his fingertips came only a few inches from colliding with her cheek.

"Don't you touch me!" She yelled at him, a bit of pride twinging at her heart. "I am not a child anymore, Father!"

"My daughter, my heir, will not be a freak!" He shouted at her in response, drowning out the confident voices in her head. "If you act like an immature child, you will be treated as such!" The tall man handed her a familiar phone and Weiss' eyes widened, "She's using you, Weiss. Listen to me, daughter. Call that bitch of yours and-"

Rage shot at her again. "Do not call her that! Ruby isn't like that!"

Her father's face became eerily calm and he set the phone down on her bed, his voice was gentle. "Ah, young love is such a beautiful thing, isn't it?" He offered a small, endearing smile and Weiss' brows creased. "Love can blind you if you are not careful… Perhaps I shall see to it that those pesky roses are finally cut down, hm?"

A chill crawled up Weiss' spine and dread settled inside of her. No, he couldn't be… "You wouldn't." She said, trying to force the confidence back into her voice as her father approached the door with his hands behind his back. "She's innocent. Father, if anybody should be punished, it should be me! Leave her alone."

He sneered at her, "If you attempt to sneak out to see your Ruby again, if you even so much as call her, she will face severe consequences." The man said as he opened the door. "Ich werde dich genau beobachten, Weiss. Wenn ich etwas sehe, was mir nicht gefällt, werde ich dir alles nehmen, was dir wichtig ist..." He glared back at her. "Anfangen werde ich mit diesem Rose-Mädchen."

"Father!"

Without saying another word, he exited the door and closed it behind him, leaving the room in a deafening, unsettling silence.

"Ich Liebe sie…" Weiss whispered. "You can't do this…"

There would be no way to stop him.

"No…" Weiss' hand came up to cover her mouth, her body beginning to tremble as tears escaped her eyes. "No!" A surge of rage shot through her like a bullet and her fist collided with the wall, she grunted and retracted her hand, rubbing at her reddeningly knuckles.

He would have her Ruby killed. Why did she feel like, somehow, this was entirely her fault? It was… Had she never gone to the Mall…

A soft 'ding' sounded from her phone on the bed and Weiss tapped the screen, expecting to see an email. Her heart fell when she saw her text from Ruby.

'I'm home safe and sound! You okay, Snowpea?'

She couldn't answer her. She had to protect her…Her heart tightened, feeling as though it was being pulled in two different directions. If she attempted to warn her girlfriend, she could lose her, she'd never have a chance to tell her goodbye.

If she cut contact… Ruby would be hurt, but she'd be alive.

"I'm sorry, Ruby…"