Addict

The Great Weiss Shark

Takes place within the flashback featured in Chapter Eight of First Time at a Second Chance

Weiss tapped her pen to the beat of the song she was listening to as she did her homework… during lunch… which she hadn't touched yet. The library had a strict no food or drink policy which worked in her favour because Father subtly suggested she cut back a bit. He said her cheeks looked a bit "fuller" this morning during breakfast (which she was unwillingly excused from) and that was a no-no since she had a photoshoot soon.

Shaking her head, Weiss gritted her teeth and swallowed. Damn she was thirsty. Her stomach grumbled in protest next, begging for something other than air and what little spit Weiss had left in her mouth, but she ignored that too.

Focus on math, she told herself. Focus on math.

And she did focus for all of two minutes before the hunger pangs had her doubling over herself. Weiss groaned and rested her head on her textbook, arms clutched tight around her stomach. Why was this her life? Why was she born to such a wealthy family when something as basic as eating or drinking water was forbidden? Weiss would give it all up if it meant she could have at least one meal a day without having her father shame her.

"Whoa, you look half dead," said a dry but whimsical voice Weiss didn't want to hear. She especially didn't want to feel those lips on her head or those stupidly long arms wrapped lovingly around her body. "You're getting way to easy to find these days."

"Go away, Coco," Weiss grumbled. "Can't you see I'm self-destructing here?"

"All I see is you taking a nap on a book," Coco said as she took the seat next to Weiss. "You should take a nap on me instead. I'm much more comfortable."

Weiss pushed Coco's arm off and sat up straight, trying to regain what little dignity she had left. "Didn't I tell you not to touch me in public?"

"We're not in public," Coco pointed out. She put her arm back around Weiss' shoulders and leaned back into her chair. "There's no one around."

"You don't know that."

Coco ran a hand through her hair and grinned, making Weiss' traitorous heart flutter against her will.

"You think I didn't check before sitting here? Blue, I'm hurt," Coco pouted, but the hurt in her voice lasted about as long as she did in bed. "You know full well that I always do my due diligence."

"Uh-huh… so what did you say to get rid of your groupies?" Weiss asked, unconvinced. She drew her textbook closer to her chest and hunkered over it to keep it out of Coco's grasp. But that did jack shit because Coco still stole it away and closed it, keeping it just out of reach. Weiss glared at Coco but that easy smile on her stupid, perfect face stifled Weiss' fire before it could fully ignite.

"Told 'em I was gunna get high with some dudes over at St. Theodore's," Coco purred, shifting in her chair to face Weiss. "No one knows I'm here."

"I doubt that," Weiss rolled her eyes. "That one girl can sniff you out half a planet away. She's practically a bloodhound."

Coco held Weiss' chin between her thumb and forefinger and forced her to look at her. "There's no one," Coco sternly repeated before kissing Weiss. Weiss immediately pushed her away and shot out of her chair, holding a hand to her lips like she'd been violated. "Wha—?" Coco blinked and checked her breath against her palm. "I brushed my teeth and ate a breath mint."

"I don't care how your breath smells!" Weiss hissed, practically spitting the words out. "What if someone had seen that?!"

"Like I said," Coco groaned as she spread out on her chair and slumped in it, used to Weiss' angry tirades and lectures, "no one's near this section."

"We can't be too careful," Weiss said, clutching her fists tight, hurt that Coco was acting so flippant. "Why?" Weiss asked in a soft, scared tone. "Why can't you take this seriously?"

"I am," Coco said, her expression shifting to match the severity in her voice. "I take all the necessary steps to make sure we're not caught—I'm honestly offended you think I don't."

"And what happens if this—affair—is discovered?" Weiss asked, using the one word that perfectly described their relationship. Coco looked uncomfortable, but she couldn't deny it. "What are we going to do then?"

Coco shrugged and said the first thing that came to mind: "Get married?"

"I'm being serious here!" Weiss shouted angrily. She immediately clamped her hands over her mouth and sheepishly glanced around for any onlookers drawn in by her voice. But when no one stepped forward or shouted in complaint, Weiss dropped her guard and repeated herself in a much calmer tone. "I'm being serious here, Coco."

"So you've said a billion times. But so am I," Coco laughed, flashing Weiss a sly serpentine grin while her eyes told a story of hunger and desire.

Weiss shivered and nervously cleared her throat. "Well, you have a strange way of showing it."

"We'd have pretty babies," Coco continued. "I always told myself I'd never have 'em, but if it's with you? I think I'd be okay with it. I've always loved the name 'Dolce,' what do you think?"

"What?"

"Hm, no, nah… Oh! Oh, this is brilliant! How about—drumroll, please—Chrys Adel-Schnee?" Coco announced with a wide playful grin. "Now that's a name that rolls off the tongue."

"I—ugh!" Weiss hid her eyes behind a hand and sighed. This conversation wasn't going anywhere. "Why do I even bother?"

"What was that?" Coco asked.

"Nothing," Weiss muttered tiredly. "Do you ever get tired of hearing your own voice?"

"No," Coco said.

"Figures," Weiss deadpanned.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Weiss shrugged. "Nothing. Just musing aloud."

"Uh-huh, yeah."

"Look, Coco, I don't mean to be rude, but I'd appreciate it if you left me alone now," Weiss said, crossing her arms. "You already saw me. You even stole a few kisses. Are you satisfied yet?"

"Never," Coco wistfully replied, her eyes conveying the same woeful feelings. Weiss thought it was horse shit, of course. She was just waiting for the other shoe to drop. "There's no such thing as 'enough' when it comes to you."

And there it was.

Weiss rolled her eyes and sighed. "Smooth. Real smooth. How many girls have you used that line on?"

"Just you, beautiful," Coco winked.

"Oh," Weiss blushed, genuinely flattered—or was it a subtle insult? Weiss blinked, her blood running cold. Was she not good enough to satisfy the Great Coco Adel? Did her technique lack in some aspect?

"Whoa, whoa, Blue, you're making a really scary face right now!" Coco exclaimed as she sat up right.

"Huh?" Weiss blinked and touched her face. It felt normal.

Coco wryly smiled and awkwardly laughed, her hands held up in defence. "I meant it as a compliment. You're the best. No one can compare to you."

"Uh-huh," Weiss replied with her scarred eyebrow raised.

"I mean it!" Coco yelped. "You're the best I've ever had, hands down."

Weiss clicked her tongue and hissed, "Be quiet, someone could have heard that."

"Seriously? This again?"

"Yes, seriously," Weiss said, crossing her arms.

"Weiss, anyone with working eyes can tell we're hooking up," Coco pointed out with a hint of frustration in her voice, but she wasn't angry. She was never angry at Weiss no matter what buttons she pushed. "Your whole ice queen schtick kind of falls flat when you actively let me hang around you. Hell, you even greet me in the halls—you never greet people!"

"Well… t-that's because you're my only friend in this god forsaken school," Weiss sighed, her shoulders dropping as she stared off to the side demurely. "It's… less lonely here because of you."

"I'm honoured."

Weiss hung her head in defeat and slinked back to her chair, but she chose to trust Coco and leaned into her, wordlessly asking for the affection she so desperately craved. Coco didn't disappoint and immediately wrapped her strong arms around Weiss' frail shoulders.

"You feel lighter, Blue," Coco whispered, her lips gently brushing against Weiss' forehead. "Did you eat lunch yet?"

"No," Weiss murmured tiredly. "I haven't had dinner or breakfast for that matter."

"Wait," Coco snapped, her lean body growing ridged, "don't tell me the only thing you had to eat yesterday was the burger we got after school?"

Weiss didn't answer.

"Weiss," Coco forced Weiss to sit up and look at her. "Answer me." Weiss tried to look away, but Coco wouldn't allow it. "Oh, Blue, what the hell is going on?"

"Father says I've gained weight," Weiss hesitantly confessed, her eyes stinging with tears she didn't want to shed. "I have a photoshoot soon. I—"

"No," Coco hissed. "You're coming with me right now, and we are getting some food in you."

"Coco, I can't," Weiss resisted, pulling away from her concerned lover. "I can't risk Father getting cross with me again…"

"I don't give a damn about what that misogynistic asshole thinks!" Coco angrily shouted. "He's killing you and you're letting him!"

"Would it be so bad?" Weiss sardonically asked as she rested her head on her forearms. "He can't hurt me if I'm dead."

"God damn it, Blue, snap out of it!" Coco got down on her knees and unravelled Weiss' arms to pull her into an embrace. "I'm going to get you away from him someday. I promise you that."

Weiss wrapped her arms around Coco's neck and breathed her in. She was going to miss this.

A single tear slid down Weiss' cheek and it was quickly followed by an army that had no end in sight.

She hugged Coco tighter and kissed her neck. "I appreciate the thought, but you can't protect me forever."

"Huh?"

"When you graduate and leave for Vale—you can't protect me," Weiss clarified.

"We don't have to end things there," Coco said, the gears in her head churning for an adequate answer to their problem. "We can do long distance!" she lamely suggested. "I can fly in whenever I get the chance and we can—"

"No," Weiss said. "Once you get to that airport… we're done."

Coco froze.

"I'm not going to chain you down like that," Weiss continued, nuzzling her nose against Coco's neck. "You are destined for so much more than me."

"Weiss…"

"You're Coco Adel, no one can resist you!" Weiss laughed, pulling away to look at her lover. She could see her own pained expression painted across Coco's sorrowful brown eyes and it was clear she knew Weiss was telling the truth. "I bet when you get to Vale, you'll meet someone new and fall in love. No hiding or silly little games of cat and mouse… you'll naturally forget all about me."

"I could never forget about you," Coco said as she gently cupped Weiss' face and wiped her tears away. "Even if everything you say comes true, I will never forget about you. I lo—"

"Don't," Weiss said, cutting Coco off. She licked her lips, but her mouth was impossibly dry. "I-I don't want to hear any lies right now," she rasped. "You can lie to me all you want when we're in bed, but not here—not like this."

Coco closed her mouth and swallowed the words on her tongue.

In truth, Weiss wished she had let Coco tell her pretty lies. Aside from Klein, Coco was the only one brave enough to say those words to her, but they were addictive and each hit had Weiss craving for more. Love of any sort was a terrible, terrible drug, and Weiss hated that she needed it coursing through her veins to last another day under that man's tyranny. It was destroying her from the inside out. And it absolutely terrified her to think she'd go the rest of her life never taking another dose. She never should have followed Coco that night.

"Blue…" Coco whimpered.

"I still have you for the whole summer though," Weiss whispered in a lighter tone, caressing Coco's cheek with a tenderness she didn't know she was capable of.

"Run away with me," Coco begged, catching Weiss' hand. She kissed Weiss' palm and stared deep into her eyes. "We can start a new life together in Vale. No one has to know."

"You're delusional if you think you can smuggle me out of Atlas without my father knowing," Weiss smiled, wishing she could say yes. Whenever Coco looked at her the way she was looking at her right now, it was hard not to get caught up in her.

"We'll figure out a way," Coco insisted with a hopeful grin. "I mean, he doesn't know about us and we've done some nasty shit in his house."

Weiss snorted out a laugh and smacked Coco's shoulder. "Don't remind me!"

"I'm not letting you go without a fight," Coco said, nuzzling Weiss' cheek. "If we put our heads together, we can have it all by the end of the night. All you gotta do is misbehave a little."

"I think I misbehaved enough for two lifetimes," Weiss said, still laughing. "You are a really bad influence, Ms. Adel."

"Just call me little devil on your shoulder then, Ms. Schnee," Coco gallantly replied as she got up and stretched. "You have next period free, right?"

"Yes, why?"

"I'm feelin' a little naughty," Coco grinned. "Let's get out of here and do something wild after getting some food in you."

"What do you have in mind?"

Coco held out her hand and said, "Let's go play in park!"

"I am not fucking you in a park," Weiss deadpanned.

"Wha—no!" Coco recoiled in disgust. "Blue, you do know I genuinely enjoy spending time with you, ya?"

"Huh?" Weiss blinked.

"Like," Coco scratched the top of her head in confusion, "we've been together for almost a year."

"Okay, and?"

"I don't hangout with you just for sex. You're… you're… you're totally messing with me, aren't you?" Coco grumbled. Weiss nodded and thought Coco was going to hit her for the joke, but instead she grabbed Weiss' face and kissed her. "You're so infuriating! But—fuck—I am so addicted to you."

Weiss laughed out loud and said, "I'm one hell of a high, huh?"

"You have no idea," Coco purred. "Anyway, food. I don't want you passing out on me. Craving for anything specific?"

"A salad?" Weiss shrugged.

"Ugh, rabbit food," Coco said, sticking her tongue out. "Something more substantial than that, please."

"I really don't know," Weiss said, crinkling her nose. "Food isn't something I try to think about often."

"How about steak? Steak is good," Coco suggested. "We can even get you a side salad and some breadsticks. Maybe a cute, little braised lobster butt."

Weiss raised an eyebrow, her interest piqued. "That… that actually sounds wonderful."

"Really?"

"Yeah…" Weiss nodded, but she looked at her watch and frowned. "If we had time, which we don't. Perhaps we can go after school."

"What do you mean?"

"I have next period free, yes, but you," Weiss poked Coco's chest, "have class in fifteen minutes."

A sly grin crept up on Coco's face as she slipped an arm around Weiss' shoulders and pulled her in close. "I told you I was feeling naughty, didn't I?"

"Coco, no!" Weiss hissed. "You aren't skipping a class because of me."

"Why not?" Coco asked. "I've got straight A's across the board and near perfect attendance. I can miss an hour or two for you."

"I would rather you not miss any hours at all," Weiss said, crossing her arms.

"It's fine!" Coco laughed. "Just trust me."

Weiss paused at the request and numbly nodded her head, unable to say anything more on the matter. Coco had won and it was thanks to the fact that Weiss, against all odds, did trust her. Explicitly so.

"This better be amazing steak," Weiss petulantly grumbled.

"If it sucks, you can always have me for dessert to make up for it," Coco replied with a wink.

Weiss shot Coco an unamused glare, but dessert didn't sound so bad. And after playing with the idea some more, Weiss was okay with whatever Coco wanted to do with her. Weiss was addicted to this feeling and she never wanted it to end.