Anxiety seeped into her as each minute passed during the lecture. Her friends watched her in confusion. Yang sat in her assigned seat, staring at the vacant chair in front of her.
Why isn't she here? Yang asked herself. Usually she's punctual.
Typically, Weiss was in class right before the bell rang.
But then it did. And she never came.
Casually, Yang glanced at the clock on the wall. It'd been about an hour and she couldn't focus at all. Thoughts of Weiss enveloped her mind, poking at her.
As Ms. Goodwitch continued the lecture, Yang sank deeper into her seat.
What was bothering her last night? Could that have to do with her absence?
Something deeply bothered Weiss last night. So much that she left dinner early. Yang let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. She wanted to get to know Weiss, but that was difficult with her walls so high. It was like ice jutted around her heart, not allowing anyone to get near.
But that only made Yang determined to melt it away.
She didn't even answer her door this morning. Maybe she's out of town?
"... you will work in groups of four on this project."
From the sudden information, Yang stiffened. The last thing she wanted was a project, but groups of four were perfect. This was a great opportunity to interact more with Weiss. It seemed Ruby was thinking the same thing as her sister. Ruby raised her hand and blurted before she was called on.
"Weiss can be in my group," Ruby said.
Ms. Goodwitch briefly glanced at the empty seat and nodded. "Very well, Ms. Rose," she said and faced the whole class. "You have a couple of weeks to finish this project..."
When she talked about instructions, Yang zoned her out again.
She was too worried about Weiss…
Some otherworldly force told Yang to check her phone. Puzzled by the sudden urge, Yang peaked at her phone under the desk. Only for her adrenaline to spike. She swallowed a gasp and leaned forward in suspense.
A text from an unknown number. It read:
Yang, I need you
Without thought, Yang stood. That had to be Weiss. She knew it. She could feel it deep in her bones and through her heart. The chair screeched on the floor, catching other students' attention. All eyes landed on her.
Ms. Goodwitch questioned her. "Do you need something, Ms. Xiao Long?"
"Sorry, bye!"
Faster than a rocket, Yang shot out the door.
Did something happen to her?
In record time, Yang finally made it back to the apartment building. This was the only place she could think of where Weiss might be.
"Weiss?" Yang called loudly and knocked on her door. "I got your text. Is everything okay?"
No reply caused the blonde to grow even more worried. With a plan, she pulled out a bobby pin that was hidden in her stocking.
Good thing Blake taught me this.
Before trying to pick the lock, Yang wiggled the doorknob for the hell of it. She was shocked to find it was unlocked even though it wasn't this morning.
Maybe she unlocked it for me?
"Weiss?" Yang called again. When there was no reply, she warned. "I'm coming in!"
What threw Yang for a loop was how empty the apartment was. It was barren like the desert.
"Woah…"
This is... minimalist.
Since the room was dim, it was harder to look around. Eventually, Yang found a small mattress that blended into the floor in the corner of the room. On it, Weiss was sprawled out and her phone rested in her loosely curled hand.
"Weiss?"
Relieved to find her, Yang knelt next to her on the floor.
Under the disheveled, thin sheet, her chest frantically rose and fell, her breaths uneven through her mouth. A layer of sweat coated her face and her cherry complexion told Yang that she was ill.
To confirm the fever, Yang leaned down to press her lips on her forehead. That's what came naturally to her since Summer used to check for fevers that way. The close contact set her cheeks alight.
"I'm here now," Yang soothed and frowned from confirming her suspicion. "You're gonna be okay."
To comfort her, Yang combed her fingers through those light blonde tresses. Wisps of hair clung to her face and splayed around the pillow. To her, Weiss looked as helpless and weak as a kitten abandoned in the rain.
You poor thing… How long have you been like this? Did you leave dinner early because you felt bad?
Feeling the urge to protect her, Yang coaxed the sick girl to rest in her arms. Upon closer inspection, Yang noticed that Weiss was almost fully dressed in her school uniform. Her skirt was ruffled, her stockings uneven, and a few buttons were loose on her white blouse.
Did she intend to go to school when she's like this?
Her disheveled clothes caused Yang to blush redder since more glistening skin showed.
"Weiss?" Yang called again in case she was listening. "I got you."
For a moment, Yang debated her next steps. Clearly, they couldn't stay here in her apartment. And she was willing to bet there was no medicine here, either.
Yang treated Weiss like she was made entirely of glass and carefully lifted her upright. She pulled her close, feeling like a heating pad rested in her arms.
A rusted orange swirled out from under the pillow where Weiss previously laid. Curious, Yang used one arm to hold onto the girl while her free hand grabbed the item.
Is this a…
To confirm her suspicion, Yang pressed the button on the side, revealing a sharp blade.
She sleeps with a switchblade? These are illegal.
Since that was unexpected, Yang pondered the reasons she'd have that with her even while asleep. But that wasn't important right now, so she folded the blade in half and put it back under the pillow.
When she leaned back, she noticed a brace wrapped around her wrist.
Did she get hurt? Yanglightly touched her wrist. How do you always leave me with more questions than answers?
So far, it felt like she was solving an intricate puzzle. But she only had so many pieces to work with.
Gingerly, Yang placed her hand under her knees and another around her back. When she touched a certain spot on the back of her knee, Weiss released a tiny whimper in her sleep.
She's hurt there, too?
To relieve the pain, Yang glided her hand to her upper thigh and her face fell from pain to peace. Satisfied with her reaction, Yang set the girl's cell phone aside and carried her bridal style to her apartment.
Abruptly, Yang paused before she entered her room and gazed down at Weiss. It would probably be best to put her on the living room couch so she could easily keep an eye on her. Gently, Yang laid her on the spacious couch and fluffed a pillow for her. When Weiss looked comfortable, she retrieved her favorite green fluffy blanket and draped it over her.
"Snug as a bug in a rug," Yang whispered fondly.
Tenderly, Yang patted a cold cloth on her forehead. The coolness battled the heat when Weiss released a thin sigh. Satisfied, Yang's eyes wandered to her legs.
I have to know why you grimaced earlier.
Since Weiss was now her patient, Yang felt an urge to heal all of her pain. She wanted to protect her from not only illness, but from bodily and psychological harm as well. A simple illness taunted her, but she could heal injuries.
Sorry...
Slowly, Yang rolled down one of her stockings. A thick, horizontal line of darkness devoured the back of her knee. Yang swallowed a gasp from how brazen the bruise appeared.
What the… it looks like she was hit by a bat or something. Who the hell did this to someone like her?
Concerned, she checked her other leg and it was normal. Utterly confused, Yang leaned back to ponder.
Her injuries, the switchblade, her dyed hair, keeping people at a distance…
Is she trying to hide from something? Someone?
While wondering, Yang fetched some ice and poured the cubes into two separate bags. She wrapped the bags with cold cloths and carefully put one under her knee, while the other bag settled on top of her bandaged wrist.
She might tell me eventually. She did text me, after all. That's major progress.
Smiling, Yang decided to make porridge for her. At last, the meal was prepared and left in the microwave to simmer. When Yang checked on her, she stopped in her tracks.
A tiny stream of droplets flowed down Weiss' cheek.
"Oh no, please don't cry."
More than anything, Yang wanted to be the light that shined down and enveloped all the darkness around her. To do that, Yang smoothed away her tears. Her touch was so gentle that it tickled. From the affectionate contact, Weiss flinched and opened her eyes with the grace of a garage door.
"Win… ter?"
From the name, Yang was left even more perplexed.
Winter must be someone close to her.
There was a swirl of haze in her eyes, so Yang spoke slowly for her to understand.
"It's me, Yang. I'm right here, Weiss."
Gradually, the haze faded away as Weiss became aware of her surroundings. The blanket was criminally soft and the couch felt like a cloud. Her body burned, but her forehead, leg, and wrist were spared. The ice absorbed any throbs that threatened to assault her.
"You came…?"
"Of course I did. This blonde brute has to watch out for her ice princess," Yang said and combed her fingers through damp tresses. "Can you do me a favor and take this medicine?"
Slowly, Weiss sat upright with the help of Yang. However, Weiss accidentally used her injured wrist to support some of her weight and winced.
"Try not to put pressure on it," Yang said and held her injured hand to prevent her from moving it. "Your leg's also not looking good. What happened?"
Weiss looked away. "I fell."
Knowing that wasn't true, Yang said. "I'll pretend like I believe you for now."
For some reason, Weiss wasn't going to tell her. And that was fine with Yang for now. Pressing her would only push her away.
Casually, Yang handed her the medicine and a glass of water. "Just so you know, I'm a hell of a boxer. If anyone's got a problem with you, they have to deal with me."
A light huff.
"I didn't know you box," Weiss swallowed the medicine.
"Jogging and volleyball's fun, but boxing keeps me toned," Yang said and grabbed the steaming bowl from the microwave. "I made you my famous porridge!"
Weiss stared at the hot bowl in her lap, her voice almost a whisper. "How are you so nice?"
"I want you to get better," Yang said like the answer was obvious. "Do you want me to feed it to you?"
After playfully rolling her eyes, Weiss grabbed the spoon. "Don't be ridiculous."
Fortunately, Weiss looked much more lucid than she did a few minutes ago. And she was throwing some sass, so she must be feeling a little better. Weiss ate a spoonful and didn't recoil, so Yang considered that a success.
"It's good," Weiss reassured and swallowed another bite. "Don't worry so much."
"That's impossible, but I'll keep that in mind," the blonde grinned.
For a while, the girls were content to sit in silence with the TV on in the background. A million questions poked at Yang. And she didn't know where to start. What to ask. Yang wanted to give her a little space, but she needed to know at least one more thing about her.
"Hey, Weiss? Who's Winter?"
The question caused Weiss to drop the spoon. It clinked loudly on the glass bowl.
"W-where'd you hear that?" Weiss asked.
"You mumbled it earlier," Yang informed and adjusted the blanket on her. "How is it that I know so little about you?"
Since last night, the guilt of lying to them ate at Weiss. It devoured her whole, swallowing her. Those lilac eyes shined with pure concern. She figured it was okay, to tell the truth, this once. The ice around her heart melted, but only a little.
"Winter is- was- my sister."
"Shit- I'm sorry," Yang covered her mouth, not meaning to curse. "I didn't mean to make you remember something bad. I can't imagine losing my sister."
She knows pain similar to my own, Yang thought. I'm glad she actually answered that.
"Winter's part of the reason I moved here."
That could mean a lot of things. And Yang wanted to know more about Winter since they both understand what it's like to have a sibling.
"Was she older?" Yang asked.
A nod.
"Older sisters are the best," Yang said and leaned forward to put a hand on the back of Weiss' forehead. "You're still warm. I think you should rest some more. The meds should kick in soon."
"I think I will," Weiss agreed and laid down. "Thank you for coming to help me, Yang."
"I'd skip school a million times for you."
From that, Weiss gave her a tiny smile.
Yang tenderly placed the cold cloth on her forehead and lifted the blanket to adjust the ice on her leg. While Weiss drifted off, Yang grinned down at her.
Despite a million questions swarming her mind, one thought stood out.
When she needed help, I was the arms she ran into.
She smiled so wide that her cheeks hurt.
She finally texted me.
Lyrics from My Dearest: "I'll become the light that shines down enveloping all dark you see." "When someone's hurt you, let me be the arms you're running to."
Stay dandy,
~Toto