Yin sighed and fell backwards, his back softly landing into his carpet and leaving him with a sense of contented comfort. His vibrant blue eyes stared upward, focusing on the ceiling fan as his mind wandered. Like most late nights around this time he was dressed in his sleeping wear, his nightly ritual all accomplished and his weary body more than ready for rest.

It had been a long day. A fun day, of course, but long nonetheless. Most would think there was a finite amount of fun to be had in the snow, but his sister was relentless in inventing games to keep them entertained and fooling around in that frigid air.

There were a few hiccups here and there, mostly having to do with the flare of pain in his chest, but he would still be bold enough to consider it one for the memory banks. The only reason it hadn't gone on longer was because of the encroaching blizzard that would overtake the forests soon. As he thought back on the day, he could only give a sigh of relief and close his eyes for the moment. Ruby had seen him in his moment of weakness, but thankfully- whether it be through scatterbrained forgetfulness or luck, she had not told his parents.

Fate was still on his side it seemed; though he would still have to be careful. If he got caught again then he may as well give up then and there. Perhaps he could venture off to the doctor while his parents were occupied?

He shook his head, groaned, and sat up irritably. Fat chance of that. Everyone in the nearby town knew his father well- the doctor included. They were fond of him and his sisters as well. If one person knew he was sick or… whatever he was… then everyone would know. His eyes roamed over to the small bookshelf in the corner of his room. Maybe one of them would have information on what was wrong with him?

Or, he could use the internet like Yang taught him to do. But he didn't fancy his odds with that. For some reason, the computer never really clicked with him. He couldn't make heads or tails of it at the best of times, and 'surfing the web' may as well have been impossible for him. Tech savvy, he was not.

These thoughts left a bland taste in his mouth. The illness would pass, there was no way this would keep him down for long. He was simply being paranoid.

Yin clicked the light to his room off and unceremoniously collapsed into his bed, his tired body working to tug himself under the covers. While he did, he thought on something different. Something less pressing, but still important.

Ruby.

After that close call, Ruby had been for the most part avoiding him today. She still eagerly joined their play, but her eyes could no longer meet his for long. Their relationship had always been tenuous at best, but it seemed his snapping at her was the final straw; she wasn't comfortable around him any longer.

That should have concerned him, or at least worried him, but Yin couldn't find it in himself to care as he crossed his hands behind his head- the pillow easily depressing beneath him. He didn't have such a high opinion of her either, so it stood to reason that the feeling might as well be mutual.

"..."

...That wasn't entirely fair. Yin was many things, but he strived to not be unreasonable or biased. He was not a fool- and his father had pointed it out many times- his veiled distaste for his sister was baseless. There was no reason for him to hate her so much.

She had never done anything to him, had never spoken ill of him, and had been nothing but kind hearted for the years they've known each other. If there was an image of a lovable younger sister in the dictionary, that picture would be Ruby. Even her infatuation with heroic actions thanks to their mother wasn't near enough grounds to dislike her; she was so naive that it was impossible to hate her for that. Like a baby deer.

Yin disliked the focus his mother and sister had on heroics. It felt shallow, and counter-productive to him. He would always listen dutifully when his mother came back home to tell those stories of hers, but internally he would scoff and roll his eyes. It all sounded too good to be true, fake. Stories of knights or selfless paragons were little more than childish fairy tales to him- ironic, considering his age.

Besides, those 'heroic deeds' of hers kept her from home most of time- an annoying time sink that kept him from ever truly understanding her. Ruby on the other hand ate them up, and would beg for more stories, but that was just how she was. No reason to hold that against her.

In actuality, his animosity was completely unfounded. So why… why was it that whenever he looked at her he couldn't help but seethe internally?

Something about her face? Was it her name? Her eyes? Did her naivety grate on him? Or was her overly heroic disposition just too great a sticking point for him?

"Damn it… I dont get it." He grunted, rolling onto his side with annoyance burning in him. He didn't want to hate her, not at all. He couldn't imagine the family without her, and she made Yang so happy. So his unfounded hate made him just as uncomfortable as it did his parents.

At least Yang was oblivious to all this animosity brewing beneath the surface. Yin was always careful to keep his troubles invisible to her. He could only imagine what his twin would do to get them on better terms- her brash personality brokering no doubt that she would take a forward approach to his troubles. Most likely she would lock them in a closet for an entire day.

...Whatever. This was a line of thought for another time. The way he saw it, things were this way for a reason. He was happy now. A little confused at times, a little scared yes, but happy. There was no reason to mix up the status-quo and endanger that happiness now.

Darkness crept into his room, his weary eyes pulling shut finally as he let sleep overtake him.

His dreams were… nonsensical at best. He had never had a nightmare, he had never woken up feeling weary or unrested. But there was always a keen strangeness to the imaginations that floated through his mind as he slept soundly

Images that he simply couldn't make out or decipher into familiar shapes. People of all strange guises and shapes that talked incomprehensible rubbish that sounded more like underwater gargling. Flashes of color, pounding of drums, and his own voice. Why he was seeing these things was beyond him, but he never questioned it. He simply let himself get washed away in a sea of arbitrary feelings.

There was only one constant. A familiar feeling that hovered just behind him. A comforting presence, like the heat of a hearth on your back on a cold night. No matter how his dreamscape fluctuated or warped, that feeling remained steadfast. Just beyond his periphery where he could never gaze upon it, but always present.

It filled him with a strength that he never experienced in the waking world. He felt… whole. Invisible arms wrapped around his midsection, lulling him deeper into his slumber as the comfort he felt only increased.

Long yonder, in the distance where his dream world met a focal point- the sky fractured, and his realm shattered into a million pieces.

Yin blinked rapidly, his tired eyes glancing about weakly as he felt the grogginess that wracked him. For the moment, he couldn't see, and he worried that he was still asleep- but the faintest sound at the far edge of his room disproved that.

His senses came back to him slowly but surely. He was still overcome with sleepiness, but his eyes slowly began to adjust to the supreme darkness of his room. Outside, the blizzard still roared on, and inside he felt the faint warmth of his room upon his exposed skin- pushing gently at the stray locks of blonde hair on his cheek.

Confusion was his chief feeling. He never woke up in the middle of the night like this, so his dumb glancing about was to be expected. He smacked his lips weakly, looking around for a moment longer before shrugging and collapsing back into his pillow with a huff.

Then he heard it again. A very light rapping upon his door. Soft enough that it could be disregarded as the wind, but also loud enough that it would catch his attention. With how quiet he kept his room, it was impossible to not hear it.

Yin blinked and slowly slid his blanket aside as got up from his bed. A visitor? This late at night? He couldn't have been asleep for more than an hour… Who would still be up so early? Carefully he padded over, his eyes never straying from the door as he neared.

He waited for a moment, his tired eyes watching the door with weak interest. After another second the quiet rapping came again, and Yin took the doorknob and opened up his entryway.

Surprise washed over him when the small form of his twin appeared. The girl was dressed in her own set of sleepwear, almost identical to his own. Her stance was a little antsy, her eyes darting from his face to the ground and back again- in the back of his head he noted that she didn't look as sleepy as someone should be at this time of night.

"Yang…? Wha- Why are you knocking on my door so late?" He yawned, nearly smothering his own question. A very valid question. Yang should have been out like a light a long time ago- and she was such a heavy sleeper that he doubted even a tornado on the horizon could rouse her.

"I… Well, um…" she stuttered, obviously unsure what she wanted to say. The two were comfortable with each other as siblings often were, so this moment of hesitation was more than enough to perk Yin up. "Look. Can you just let me in?"

"...Alright." He whispered, careful not to wake his parents and moved aside to allow her to quickly step into his room. He shut the door behind her, and turned back. Yang was looking about his room, taking in its stark appearance carefully. She giggled a bit when her eyes landed on the goofy picture she had carved into the drawers of his dresser long ago.

"Yang." Yin began, tapping her shoulder and making it clear he still wanted answers. "Why aren't you in bed?"

She looked up at him slightly before looking away and shuffling a foot. That was a big red flag; Yang didn't act embarrassed or hesitate about anything. He disregarded his knee-jerk instinct to tease her, a more concerned expression crossing his face.

Yang huffed at his look, "I just wanted to sleep together 's all, like we used to do! All that wind sounds like… uh, Beowolves! Mom always said we should stick together if there are Grimm around!"

Beowolves. Sure. And he secretly wore mismatched socks. "If you're scared why don't you go sleep with dad?"

"I'm not scared!" She whisper-shouted, shaking him by his shoulders.

"Right. Of course."

Yang scowled, "I didn't want to sleep with Dad because Ruby is already there. With all four of us, it would be so cramped… There's no way I could sleep!"

A likely reason, but to Yin it answered a question he hadn't asked. Ruby wasn't in the shared bedroom with Yang- likely because the younger sibling was afraid of the storm and had sought comfort from her parents.

The pieces began to fall into place slowly but surely. It wasn't that Yang was afraid of the storm, it was more that she was anxious. Ruby wasn't in the room with her anymore, and after years of sharing a room with somebody that must have put her on edge. Brash, tomboy Yang, wasn't comfortable with sleeping alone.

"Besides, Dad snores a lot."

"You know you do too, right?" Taiyang was a loud snorer, but Yang was a close second. Back when they shared a room Yin had found himself plugging his ears with cotton just to get some sleep on certain nights.

"I do?"

Ugh. Yin slapped his face and thought for a moment. Part of him wanted to turn her away. It had taken a lot of pleading to get a room to himself and he enjoyed the liberties associated with it. Plus, no part of him missed her tendency to snore the night away. At some point, Yang would have to learn how to sleep alone; why not start now?

But when he looked at her naked expression, clearly open and free of the usual rowdiness and mischief, he found himself caving. She was basically begging him- he couldn't imagine how crushed she would be if he denied her now. It must have been difficult enough to swallow her pride and come ask him in the first place. He wouldn't spit in the face of that.

"...Fine. Just don't make a habit of this, alright?"

Yang's smile lit up the room for a moment, and the only reason Yin didn't cry out in pain from the sudden hug was because he saw it coming. Yang held him for a moment longer than she usually did before releasing him and all but rushing for his bed. The groan of his bed springs as she cannonballed into his comforter was loud, and Yin let another withering sigh loose as he walked back around and got under the tussled covers.

His bed was big enough for two kids of their size, but still they were a bit close and Yang had no qualms with snuggling up to him with a content sigh. The feeling was a bit strange, but it was also familiar. They had done this many times in the past, and though he had grown accustomed to sleeping in solidarity he couldn't deny that some part of himself enjoyed this.

"Yin?"

Yin hummed, his eyes shut but sleep still a distant concept as he tried to adjust to the new arrangement. He made it clear that he heard her.

"You know dad's getting me my first weapon tomorrow… right?"

How could he not know? It was pretty much all Yang and Ruby had been talking about for the past week. Per her request, Taiyang and Summer would be taking her into town to get her fitted with a weapon of her own- something she could use when their father started teaching her the ropes of combat. For the better half of the month, Yang had been using him as a tool to bounce ideas for weapons off of- his own insightful comments helping to point her toward her final decision.

Taiyang had also offered to get him his own weapon, due to his age it was only natural that he get one too. But he had declined. Or, at least, he postponed the question. Simply stating that he didn't know yet and would think on it. But Yang had been ecstatic at the opportunity, and jumped on it as soon as possible.

He nodded, accidentally brushing the top of her head lightly. Where was she going with this?

Yang spoke in a whisper, her voice only loud enough for him to hear it with their close proximity, "I've been so excited for it for a long time. You know that i've always wanted to be strong like dad." She rambled. "But… Don't tell Ruby, but I've been feeling a little… worried, about it."

"Worried? What do you mean?"

"Owning my own weapons is just… A little scary. The more and more I think about it… The more worried I get."

She pinched his side, and he jumped slightly. "Don't laugh."

"Geez... I'm not gonna laugh Yang." Certainly not when she sounded this vulnerable. "Why are you scared?"

"Not scared! Just… worried." She pouted at him before pulling closer with a shiver, "You and Ruby… Dad wants me to protect you two. I'm the strongest, and with a weapon I'll be able to do that. But… What if I can't?" She was speaking so softly that he could barely hear her now.

So it was a matter of responsibility. She had never considered the gravity that having a weapon would entail- the promise of responsibility. It was no secret that she was the strongest of the three children, and protecting them was one of her chief concerns. The fact that she had realized that task may be beyond her was very indicative of how much she had matured these past years. "You don't think you can do it?"

"I don't know…"

He wasn't sure how to pick her mood up. How long had this been eating away at her? Despite her own strength, it was obvious that Yang looked up to him in some small way. His unruffable personality and directed lifestyle were admirable traits; the ease with which he spoke his mind and carried himself only solidified her admiration for him. Because of that, right now, he was the only one she was comfortable with being honest to.

He ignored his inclinate desire to simply brush the matter off. While the feelings may only be temporary, and would most likely vanish come morning, that didn't change what was happening now. He absolutely had to find the words to fix this. Comforting people wasn't something he had any experience in doing, but he had to try.

"Listen. Yang. Don't go worrying about that right now… okay? I know that getting a weapon can be a little… daunting. But it's not some big responsibility you have to shoulder right now. Dad and Mom will teach you how to fight and you'll learn."

"But-!"

"Yang." He cut off. "I know it can be uncomfortable. I know you're having your doubts. But you're not alone. Don't ever think you have to shoulder this burden alone. I'm going to support you the entire way."

"Yin…"

She was listening… Good. That meant he hadn't screwed up just yet. Every word he said was made up on the spot, but that didn't mean he didn't mean it. It was embarrassing to speak so openly, and he would gag at the sappy trash coming out of his mouth later, but he was too deep in to stop now.

He chuckled mirthlessly, "I… may not have been the best older brother. It's supposed to be me that keeps you safe, not the other way around. But that doesn't mean that I wont do my part."

"If you're ever feeling weak, if you're ever lonely or worried… I will always be right here. And if you ever think you cant do it, or that you're not strong enough… I'll be right here too. Either to guide you, or knock some sense into you."

"We're still just kids, Yang. Until you feel like you can handle the Grimm king himself- lean on me." As he said this he yawned again, completely unused to speaking so much.

Silence reigned for a long moment. Yang obviously thought on his words, truly digesting them as he spoke straight from the heart. For a worrying moment, he wondered if he said the wrong thing. Relief flooded him when Yang relaxed, pulling herself closer to him.

"Thanks… I think I needed to hear that from you." Maybe it was just reaffirming what she already knew deep down, but his word of mouth did wonders. Yin very rarely ever vocalized his care for his sister, so when he did the effect was only made all the stronger. She buried her head into his neck, tickling him with her hair. For the first time that night, all the tension left her body, and she could not bite back the truly exhausted yawn she gave. "Goodnight Yin."

Within moments, she was out. Obviously thinking on these matters had taken it out of her. Yin sighed, his twin's snores beginning to fill his room. He didn't become annoyed though, he simply held her closer and shut his eyes. "...Goodnight."

The meaning behind their names was not lost on him. Their differing personalities giving even more weight to that image of duality the olden symbol represented. Yin and Yang. Two things that differ so greatly that they may as well be black and white.

But they still lived in tandem. Yin didn't know why… but he felt that, if it weren't for his sister, he would be a very different person. A person that he wouldn't be nearly as proud to be. For all their squabbling and his own grievances, Yang truly did bring out the better part of him- and kept him from becoming something that he wasn't sure he wanted to ever face. He hoped that he had that same effect on her.

It was a cold night, and with their shared body heat he quickly found himself being pulled back into slumber. This wasn't bad at all…

A/N:

Another chapter out. Something I have to always keep in mind when writing these types of stories is to constantly build up and show the commerce of relations. A little difficult when RWBY characters have such varying personalities, but I hope I managed to at least keep them within their bounds for this very very short chapter.

To those who have noticed, yes, the title of this story is a queen reference- probably my favorite queen song as well.

Also, wow thats a lot of reviews. Its insane how big of a difference being at the top of search results makes. I'm glad to see you all at least enjoy this little pet project of mine. That makes it all worth it.

Up next, a really good chapter. You'll have to wait a week though ;)