Storming Inside

Finally they were someplace safe.

It has been a tiring journey. Between walking out in a snowstorm and still dealing with the aftermath of that emotional maelstrom, they were all exhausted. Weiss especially. Despite being raised on Atlas' frozen climate, let it be known that she was also raised in the comforts of her much warmed home. Even Ice Queens get cold too.

She was especially cold and tired.

At this point she'll take any abandoned house as long as she could finally get some much needed warmth and rest.

So it was with this comforting thought that she started her search. She thought of the satisfying warmth of a fire and the soothing feel of blankets. She thought that maybe this won't fix all their problems but it's at least one less problem for them to deal with. She thought of how despite everything at least she's here with her team even though everyone's lost on where to go from here.

After today's truth bomb, she didn't think that anything else could go wrong.

She heard the scream before she knew it was hers.

Weiss doesn't remember how she got here.

She doesn't remember standing up or if someone pulled her up. She doesn't remember taking those shaky steps down the stairs. She doesn't remember sitting in front of the fireplace or if her legs just gave away.

She doesn't remember ever looking away from what should have been a safe place but turned out to be a literal deathbed.

Weiss has never seen a corpse in her life, not this way. Nothing could have ever prepared her for walking into a bedroom— the safest space in a home— and see how death has invaded underneath the bed sheets. It was just so wrong.

No fire nor blanket could thaw the chill in her bones.

She was just so cold and so tired.

Everything about this place screamed wrong and yet against all the signs, they were still going to stay here. They had no choice. It was either possibly die here the same way those corpses went or definitely die out there as corpses too, just frozen. Neither was a pleasant option but it was grudgingly obvious where they had a chance that the other wasn't a choice anymore.

She knew they didn't have a choice here.

Just like how they didn't have a choice in saving the world. Just like how she didn't have a choice in becoming a Schnee. Just like how she didn't have a choice in Atlas.

Just like everything in her life, she didn't have a choice and she was just so tired.

She's so tired but not even exhaustion could stop the tremors wrecking her body. She couldn't even tell whether she was shaking from the cold or from fear, probably a cruel mix of both. Except now she feels more of the latter than just the superficial chill.

She didn't feel safe here. She wanted to go someplace, any place but here, yet again she was painfully aware that she didn't have choice. She could only bear with it and make do with what she had. There's got to be somewhere safe even in the most terrifying of places, isn't there? She could only hope so.

But maybe safety isn't in a place but rather in a person.

And right now Weiss is slowly making her way towards the person whom she feels safest with, second only to Winter and with every passing struggle she comes closer to ranking first.

She needs the comfort. If she would be allowed one moment to be selfish then please let it be this. Please, just let her have this. She needs the comfort and she wants no one else to comfort her but her missing partner.

However when she sees Ruby, the closest person who makes her feel the safest and who has kept her safe ever since they've been partners— Weiss hesitates.

She just stands there.

Not even Weiss understands where this hesitation came from. She's so tired and she just wants a hug more than anything but now that she's already here and with the person who will provide just that right in front of her, she hesitates. She can't seem to find the strength to ask for something so small and so simple as a hug.

Thankfully, Ruby notices her. She always has.

Silver has never looked as warm as in her eyes.

"Food always makes me feel better heh," Ruby offers with a chuckle that's more strained than the tension strung among all of them. "Just saying." She shrugs, another attempt to lighten the uneasy mood.

It's a poor attempt to cheer her up but an attempt that doesn't go unappreciated. It's just Ruby's way of comforting others.

"Right." Still, Weiss couldn't meet her attempt with the same strained optimism nor could she find the effort to meet her eyes.

She feels too tired to even lift her gaze.

But Ruby's trying and Weiss wants to try too. Besides, there's no one else she'd rather be with right now. Especially now.

So despite how heavy her body feels, she somehow lifts one foot after another without them dragging too much. She walks towards her partner already leading the way. She doubts that food would cheer her up but it should be a welcome distraction or so she hopes it would be enough.

She's so lost in her head that she doesn't even notice when her leader has suddenly stopped. She doesn't even register her twist her body until it gently collides with her own. The comforting scent of roses fills the air she breathes and she swallows as if she's been starved of such sweet air for months.

And suddenly the thick blanket she's been carrying on her shoulders feel obtrusive. Unnecessary. She shrugs it off as if it was a hindrance and it falls with a dull thud that she couldn't seem to care about.

What matters more are the strong arms now wrapped around her shoulders, firm enough to be protective and also tender enough to convey concern. It's the hug she never explicitly asked for yet she so desperately needed.

She needed this so badly that she doesn't even try to hide her tears anymore.

She doesn't even realize how tightly she was hugging back, grasping onto her partner as if she was the only safe haven here in this house pretending to be a home.

"Sorry you had to see that," Ruby murmurs on the top of Weiss' crown of hair.

Weiss couldn't even bring herself to feel indignant at how taller than her Ruby is now because she has never felt so small than in this moment.

Then she feels something else that's just as warm wrapped around her. It's only when she feels something light and soft brush against her lower back that she figures out what it is. Her own hands clutch tighter on the part where her fingertips rest and a content sigh escapes her lips.

How could a flimsy cape offer more warmth than that discarded thick blanket?

She already knows why and she's hugging the answer to that.

"Why are you apologizing? It's not even your fault," Weiss whispers just as softly and with the same concern Ruby has shown her before.

She doesn't see it because she doesn't want to pull away just yet but she does hear it instead. She hears Ruby smile that sad and trying smile.

The kind of smile that sounds just on the verge of falling apart.

"Maybe I should have gone with you."

Although Weiss could hear the guilt in Ruby's voice, she was having none of that.

"Ruby, what happened wasn't your fault. No one could have expected what we saw," She scoffs at first but there is no condescending intent. Instead her voice shifts to tender undertones, "I appreciate your sentiment but don't beat yourself up over something you couldn't control."

Don't try to shoulder all of this on your own.

"I know you want to protect everyone but you can't hold yourself responsible for everything."

What followed after was silence, silence that Weiss hoped Ruby used to process her words. Whether Ruby agreed with that or not, she didn't say.

Ruby has never had the greatest defense against attacks so it isn't surprising when she dodges instead.

"I just wish you hadn't seen that."

And Weiss is too tired to argue her point right now so she leaves it at that. She settles in the warm embrace instead and feels her chills thaw if only a little.

"Me too."

Weiss is tired but she's safe with Ruby right now and that's something to hold onto.

"Okay then, let's do something."

She has to do something.

Ruby has to do something or else they'll be doing nothing. Doing nothing means more time. More time leads to more thinking. More thinking becomes negative thinking. Negative thinking brings about hurt, doubt, hopelessness, and everything else that she'd rather not have them thinking.

She has to do something or else they'll be reduced to nothing.

She has to do something because she doesn't want to stop and think about how everything they've done and anything else they'll do after will ultimately amount to nothing.

She was a leader. She had to at least lead them somewhere in some way no matter how lost she was too.

"There."

The room lights up and in a way that banishes Ruby's dark thoughts into the shadows of her mind.

Only for them to resurface once she sees the room for what it is.

"On second thought, maybe we should keep this room closed."

"Huh?" Weiss looks at her, confused.

Wherein Weiss sees a recreational room, Ruby sees an unhealthy coping mechanism and then some more.

"I'm just—"

I'm just really worried about my uncle who has dedicated his life to the person who gave him purpose and acceptance only to find out it was a relationship built upon lies and deceit.

I'm just afraid of losing another parental figure especially the one I look up to the most after my mom and who has been the person who raised me for a while when my dad was still mourning over mom.

I'm just as lost as everyone else but I try not to show it since someone has to keep hoping and I don't want everyone to give up on hope.

I'm just doubting the entire purpose of this mission now I know the end goal is unachievable but I don't really know what else we're supposed to do so we have to do it still.

I'm just concerned on how everyone is dealing with this that I have to set aside my feelings about all of this and put others' priority before my own.

I'm just trying not to fall apart even though it's so hard because I don't want everyone to worry about me when there are more important things to do.

I'm just stepping up to be the leader because someone has to keep it together when everyone else is falling apart.

I'm just supposed to be the strong reliable leader and yet I feel like I'm barely keeping everyone together and much less myself.

I'm just not o—

"...Not sure how well my uncle is taking all of this."

Ruby lets that sentence hang and leaves the rest of her struggles unvoiced.

Her Uncle Qrow may bury himself in bottles of alcohol but Ruby buries herself with feelings she bottles up instead.

In a way, they're family like that.

"Oh."

The air becomes a bit heavier with that declaration but it's not like it wasn't already heavy to begin with. And just as expected, it's Ruby who tries to lighten things up— her own coping mechanism.

"Come on, we'll never get to Atlas on an empty stomach."

Little did Ruby know that she's too busy trying to look forward that she forgets to look back.

She misses the way Weiss looks at her retreating cloak. She misses how Weiss doesn't return her enthusiasm at the prospect of their journey. She misses the doubt that keeps her from moving onward, hesitating on following her.

And so Ruby moves forward because she has to.

All the while she doesn't see just how truly tired Weiss is too.

A/N: First of all, I have so many feelings so apologies about long author's note. Second, accept this longer than usual chapter as an apology. Moving on...

I was tempted to write about these two having parental figures with drinking problems but then I realized that I was writing the scene with Ruby's POV and as far as I remember, Weiss hasn't opened up to her yet about her mom. Missed opportunity right there but could you imagine what Weiss must be thinking? Qrow isn't on the deep end YET but he's getting there. And Weiss has seen how that plays out. Imagine her thinking how Ruby will take it if it happens to her too. These two need hugs I swear.

Also, excuse me but WHAT THE FUCK RT. STOP HURTING WEISS LIKE THIS. HASN'T SHE BEEN THROUGH ENOUGH? GIVE THE GIRL A HUG. JUST GIVE HER A DAMN HUG PLEASE.

You know what? Do you know just how much I've been anticipating what I should write for this chapter? I had drafts for sharing the cloak, sharing the bed, sharing the existential crisis. But then the episode aired and now I'm... Oof.

On a side note, her scarf went missing again and this time I'm honestly confused. RT please just keep the scarf and stop playing with my feelings.

There's so much I love about this week's episode! But since this is a whiterose fic, I'll keep my sharing strictly about them. First of all, even though Weiss is still shaken from what she saw, she was still concerned enough about Ruby and checks up on her. I'M LIVING FOR THAT SUPPORTIVE CONTENT. Then there's Ruby who tries to comfort Weiss in the only way she knows how- being positive, cheering her up. AGAIN WITH THE BEST PARTNERS CONTENT MMMMMMMMMM YES

Also, I am loving the direction so far. It looks like we won't just get a breakdown, we just might get a nightmare sequence! *crosses fingers* The part of me who loves the girls is concerned for their safety but the writer part of me is excited because I just love writing nightmare sequences. Here's to hoping that it will at least be worth it!

Update: If you have watched the newest episode feel free to scream in the reviews with me thanks

P.S. GET READY FOR A LONG CHAPTER NEXT WEEK I AM LIVING!