At last, Ruby and Blake vanished into the sea of people. When they were gone, Weiss glared at her blonde teammate. Her scowl caused Yang to widely grin in amusement. Yang could've sworn her eye twitched in irritation.

Together, they sat and waited for the other half of their team.

Yang smirked, perking a blonde brow. "Do ya really hate me that much?"

From the question, Weiss leaned back in her seat. "Perhaps."

"That's cold. Weiss cold."

"And here I thought you gave up the puns," Weiss said in defeat.

The blonde shook her head. "It's all about timing. Knowing when to use them for max comedy."

"That means never," Weiss quipped.

Instead of retorting, Yang casually slung an arm around her shoulders. Rather than push her away, Weiss stiffly sat there since it was unexpected.

"Hey," Yang whispered mischievously, her voice low. "When are you gonna make a move on dear old Blake?"

Weiss almost couldn't fathom what she was hearing. The question came out of nowhere.

"W-what?"

Brief panic surged through her. She'd been careful to make sure no one would notice she had a crush. Then again, she couldn't stop watching Blake when given the chance. She was just too cute.

As if the stutter was confirmation enough, Weiss' cheeks flushed in a second.

I've never seen her so flustered, Yang thought.

Smugly, Yang grinned. "Don't deny it. Just admit it."

With a renewed poker face, Weiss glanced away. "Knock it off."

It was clear that Weiss was guarded at this moment. Icy walls sprouted dozens of feet high with the prickliest icicles protruding to prevent anyone from jumping in. Due to this, Yang decided to try a different approach. Rather than teasing, she switched to sincerity and removed her arm that'd been over her shoulders.

"Blake looks at you all the time," the blonde informed, casually leaning back in her seat as if she was stating a fact. "I see you look her way, too."

From hearing that, Weiss gripped the bottom of her skirt and gazed down. Sensing she was troubled, Yang tried to lift her spirits.

"I know it's none of my business," the blonde continued. "But when I see two people who clearly have mutual feelings toward each other, I can't just watch."

Thinly, Weiss sighed. Some of the ice around her heart cracked. Only partially.

"I'm aware of her feelings."

"What, really?!" Yang yelped in shock. "And here I thought you were denser than a rock."

That elicited a scowl from Weiss. "Keep it down, brute," she pinched the bridge of her nose, using a stoic tone. "Blake and I… we won't work."

"Why not?" Yang tilted her head like a curious puppy.

"I'm a Schnee," Weiss said slowly, hoping she would catch on. "I can't be with a woman. I- I can't be with a faunus, either," those words were difficult to choke out. "That sounds horrible, doesn't it?"

Cleary, Weiss despised saying such things. She wanted to be with Blake more than anything. But at the same time, she had to uphold the expectations of a Schnee. The pressure from her father and society forced her to stay in her lane.

Yang frowned when she noticed how troubled she looked. There was a yearning in her eyes for what she perceived as unattainable.

"If you weren't a Schnee, would you be with her?"

Weiss replied without missing a beat. "Absolutely."

It's not about prejudice, Yang thought, concerned. It's the fact that she has expectations to uphold. Blake didn't do anything wrong.

From her eager reply, Yang smiled. "I see. I hope one day you can forget about what others think and do what makes you unquestionably happy."

Ultimately, I don't understand, Yang thought. I can't understand. Because I'm not a Schnee. But if she follows her heart… maybe she'll be a little more chill.

Those heartfelt feelings flowed into the icy cracks and somehow reached her heart. Little did Yang know, her words resonated within Weiss. That advice dug much deeper than she could know. With her being a hidden faunus.

"Me too."

They shared a smile.

Abruptly, the intercom boomed:

Flight 873 is about to board. Passengers come to gate 15 immediately.

Yang scanned the area for her teammates. "I hope they get back soon."

Suddenly, a pair of red and black blurs leaped out of the crowd of people.

"We're here!" Ruby announced.

They rushed up to them with a few bags in hand. Proudly, they handed them their lunches.

Meticulously, Weiss inspected the transparent bag. "A salad, perfect."

"It's not a sandwich," Blake said confidently.

"Hell yeah, a cheeseburger!" Yang said gleefully. "Thanks guys."

"No time!" Ruby exclaimed as she shoved a half of grilled cheese in her mouth. "We gwotta gwo!"

Shocked from the sight, Blake yelped. "Ruby, remember to chew!"

In response, Ruby chomped down on the sandwich as it slightly burned her mouth.

"Dolt," Weiss couldn't help but comment.

Together, the team grabbed their luggage before rushing through a small patch of people. Eventually, they successfully boarded the airship and found their seats.

"Safe," Ruby said.

Just as Ruby was about to sit next to her partner, Yang reeled her in and sat down next to her sister.

"You're with me, Rubes. We gotta discuss how our attack strawberry sunrise goes again. I forgot."

Easily distracted, Ruby explained. "It's actually really simple. All you have to do is…"

Blake blushed, knowing her partner was only trying to give them time together. Easily, Weiss sat and patted the seat next to her. With a smile, Blake sat next to her.

"Can you tell me about the book you brought?" Weiss asked as she watched the faunus pull it out of her bag.

Blake grinned, happy she could talk about books with her again. "It takes place after 'Ozma.'"

Right when she said that, Weiss almost choked on her salad. "T-there's a sequel?!"

"Ugh, yeah," Blake flushed, surprised Weiss was so shocked. "You don't know? It came out two weeks ago."

Weiss' jaw almost dropped as she stared at the cover. The art looked as magical as the first book.

"You can read it when I finish," Blake offered. "I should be done with it when we get to Marfa. You can at least start it when we head back."

The book was thicker than a bible. And Blake was confident she would finish it in a few hours.

"Thanks, Blake," Weiss smiled as she leaned back in her seat. "You must be a speed reader."

"It's the only way I can beat Ruby in terms of speed."

That earned a light giggle.

Stay dandy,

~Toto