A/N: Sorry it's been so long since my last update! In all honesty, it took me quite some time to figure out where I wanted to go with this, and I decided that this will be the last chapter. I do plan on writing some one-shots to tie in down the road, but as far as this isolated story goes, I can't think of a better place to end it than here. I just want to thank you all for sticking with me and showing so much support. The reception I've received from this piece has been incredible, and you've all given me courage to explore more FTM!Weiss headcanons that really hit close to home for me. See you in the next story!

Everything was such a blur. Yang could still feel the warmth of Weiss's palm against hers, the gentle, lingering sensation of his fingers interlaced with her own. She couldn't even remember who had reached out first, or who had been the first to pull away when Ruby announced from the kitchen that dinner was ready. All she knew was that it hadn't lasted nearly long enough.

After dinner, Weiss had disappeared without a word while Yang remained behind to help Blake with the dishes. Although Blake remained uncharacteristically smug throughout the process, Yang couldn't help but worry she had done or said something wrong, or somehow hadn't done enough. Even during dinner, Weiss had trouble making eye contact with Yang, hurriedly turning away every time Yang sent a glance his way. She thought that maybe Weiss had just been playing the bashful little prince, but then he had excused himself from the table before anyone else had, and that was when Yang had started to panic.

Okay, so maybe "panic" was a little too strong of a word, but she certainly wasn't too confident in where she stood with Weiss right then. She absolutely could not deny her feelings for him any longer, and she didn't want to; but Weiss's own heart seemed to be on a different page, perhaps even a completely different book.

So why had he kissed her?

She had spent the majority of the evening trying to make sense of the gesture, but nothing she could possibly think of made sense, at least not when it came to Weiss. He had never really been an affectionate person, and even in the times he was, he'd only ever allowed a hug or simple hand on the shoulder to show his appreciation. Why would Weiss have kissed Yang if he hadn't had any ulterior motives? Why would he have put himself so far out of his own comfort zone?

"Hey, Blake…"

Her partner had just finished drying the last dish, and was about to return it to an upper cabinet when she turned at the sound of Yang's voice. She offered the brawler a smile, but it quickly faded when she seemed to notice the concern in Yang's eyes. She quickly put the dish away, and focused all of her attention to Yang. "What's wrong?"

"I…" Yang started, but she wasn't sure what she even wanted to say. She glanced down at the stainless steel sink that was still filled with warm water, and reached inside to release the plug. "I need your opinion on something."

Blake leaned with her back against the counter, seeming to study Yang's expression for a moment before she quirked an eyebrow. "Is this about Weiss?"

Yang huffed. "You should know…"

"Well, I won't know unless you tell me." Blake gave her another smile, this one smaller, more sympathetic. "But I heard your conversation earlier. For a fancy hotel, these walls are surprisingly thin."

"Right." Yang let out a sigh, and glanced toward the living area where the rest of their group - except for Weiss - were sitting around the lit fireplace, chatting and laughing. Where did he run off to?

He had to still be in the hotel, right? He wouldn't just leave them after all they'd gone through… would he?

"He seemed to like the scarf," Blake continued, meeting Yang's gaze as it returned to her teammate. "He seems to like you, too."

Yang's cheeks immediately reddened at her friend's words, still not quite used to having this kind of conversation with Blake. If it were anyone else but Weiss, it would have been a different story, but whatever happened between the two of them concerned their whole team, now, and Yang didn't want to admit that potentially messing that up scared her more than anything right then. "Does he, though?"

Blake furrowed her eyebrows. "Of course he does. It was written all over his face at dinner."

She blinked, clearly hearing Blake's words, but she wasn't sure if she was willing to accept them as truth. "How could you tell?" She dried off her hands and raised them to her chest, crossing them self-consciously as she gave the other girl her full attention.

"You mean you couldn't?" Blake let out an amused hum. "Usually you're the one who always picks up on this kind of stuff."

Yang narrowed her eyes. "Come on, Blake, just help me out."

"Okay," she chimed in mock-defense, beginning to lower her voice. "Well, for starters, he couldn't stop staring at you. And the way he turned away every time you looked at him? That's like one of the most classic signs right there."

"So I wasn't just imagining that, then."

Blake chuckled. "Yang, you've got nothing to worry about." She moved her gaze toward the main entrance to their suite, her feline ears giving a sudden twitch. "Though if you're really concerned about Weiss, I suggest you talk to him yourself."

Just then, the door opened, and Weiss entered the suite, his new scarf wrapped snugly around him, his nose and cheeks tinged pink from the cold. Yang held her breath as she watched Weiss kick off his boots, and round the corner into the living area where he greeted their friends.

"Oh, Weiss, you're back!" Ruby exclaimed, standing from her spot between Sun and Nora on one of the sofas. "Just in time, we're about to start a game!"

Weiss gave her a soft smile, and politely nodded his acknowledgment. "Thanks, Ruby, but I actually have something to take care of." He glanced around the room, seeming to search for something — or perhaps someone — before he finally met Yang's gaze through the paneless window that separated the kitchen and living space. "Good, you're still here."

Yang knitted her brows together, wondering what her teammate was getting at. "Here I am," she responded in a slightly awkward tone, mentally kicking herself for sounding like an idiot. She turned to Blake with a grateful nod, who gestured for her to leave. She took a deep breath, and stepped out toward Weiss.

He cleared the rest of the distance between them, his bright eyes gleaming with determination as he reached out for Yang's wrist. "Come with me."

Now that's the Weiss I remember, Yang bit back the urge to say, her stomach roiling with a strange mixture of relief and nervous anticipation. Weiss seemed like he was okay, but after having left out of the blue without any word of where he was going, Yang still couldn't help but feel like something wasn't right.

She followed him into Team RWBY's shared bedroom, all the way to the back through the open balcony. An icy wind blew past them as they stepped out into the moonlight, causing a small shiver to run up Yang's spine. She buried her chin into the insulated collar of her jacket, wondering just when it had gotten so cold. She was used to frigid weather back on Patch, as she and her family grew up in the more mountainous area of the island, but those winters were nothing in comparison to the entirety of the glacial continent that was Solitas.

"Are you okay?" Weiss asked her, seeming to sense her discomfort as he finally released her wrist. He shuffled over to the rail of the balcony, the wind catching the loose ends of his scarf, waving them gently behind him in the breeze.

Yang reached for the zipper at the front of her jacket, and pulled it all the way up to her collar, shielding her once-exposed chest from the cold. "I should be asking you the same question," she finally quipped to Weiss, the first words she'd spoken to him since before they'd eaten dinner. "You kind of just disappeared."

Weiss turned to her with a short nod, his expression more guarded now that they were alone. "Right, sorry I didn't tell anyone. I just… really needed to do some thinking."

"Can… can you tell me what about?" Yang asked, hoping she wasn't pushing him too quickly.

He offered her a small smile, and the simple gesture alone was all it took to undo all of Yang's anxiety. She let out a breath of relief, and waited for Weiss to continue. "You know these past few days have been quite the journey for me."

"Yeah, you've been through a lot." Yang stepped closer to Weiss, joining him at the railing. "But you've proven time and time again just how strong you are for not letting it tear you down."

Weiss's smile widened. "Thank you, Yang… really. It means a lot to me." He glanced down at her right arm, the one closest to him, and tenderly rested a hand upon her shoulder. "That's kind of what I want to talk to you about."

Yang followed his gaze to the hand on her shoulder, unable to find the words to respond. She wasn't sure what to expect, but having that small, but surprisingly steady weight there on her shoulder felt good, reassuring, and she didn't want to break that contact with Weiss.

"I… When you helped me come to terms with my identity, I thought it would be the only thing I'd have to work out," he continued, drawing Yang's attention back to his eyes, which were sincere and focused, the most confident she had seen him in a while. "Or, at least, it was the only thing I wanted to work out at the time. The truth is, I've known how I've felt about you for a long time, Yang. I just… didn't know what it meant."

She swallowed, her heart racing as she predicted where this conversation would lead them, but she was much too cautious to get her hopes up. "What do you mean?"

"I mean—" He glanced around Yang, and let out a sigh. He lowered his hand from her shoulder, the absence of his warmth filling Yang with the slightest amount of sorrow, but she didn't dwell on it long as Weiss reached for both of her hands, and led her over to a chair just outside the balcony door. He still held tight as she took a seat, looking up at him with intense, but somehow still delicate, violet eyes. "When you asked me about who I was attracted to back when we were on the ship, I kind of panicked. I… wasn't really sure at the time how to answer that question. And while I still don't really know how I want to label my orientation yet, I do know one thing that is for sure."

"What's that?" Yang murmured meekly, a part of her still unsure if she was ready for the answer. But this time, she had a good feeling. This time, she told herself she could handle the truth.

Weiss gave Yang's hands a tight squeeze, his expression beginning to falter. Maybe he wasn't as confident as he tried to make himself appear, but it was okay; Yang liked this softer, more honest version of him better. It was always when Weiss was at his most vulnerable that Yang found she could most clearly understand his heart. "I like you, Yang… I think I may even love you."

And that was it. Something about hearing those words, the words she had been secretly hoping, wishing to hear from her teammate for several months, now, finally broke the dam that Yang had built so high around her heart. She couldn't stop the tears of joy as they flooded her eyes, couldn't stop her lips from trembling as she tried to find the words to reply. "I-I… too…"

His smile widened, the sight of Yang in tears bringing the water to his own eyes, and he collapsed to his knees in front of her where he buried his face in her lap. "I'm so glad!" he cried, his hands moving from her own and reaching up to clutch her jacket. "That was so… so embarrassing!"

Yang leaned down to rest her chin atop his fluffy white locks, letting out the most pathetic laugh she'd ever heard. "I thought… I was worried you'd…" She stopped herself from returning to those negative thoughts, reminding herself that Weiss had already confessed, that he truly felt the same way. It was going to be okay.

They held each other for a few long moments, reveling in each other's presence as they slowly calmed back down. Yang had never felt so full, so overwhelmed than she was right then, but it was one of the best feelings she'd had in a long time. After everything they'd gone through together, every loss, every painful memory, every moment of loneliness and confidence in each other, they were finally together, on the same wavelength, sharing the same heart. And Yang never wanted to forget that feeling.

"Weiss…"

He raised his head, his eyes still shining with tears as he quietly sniffled. He was still smiling, but it was wavering, now, his red, tear-streaked cheeks very clearly displaying every emotion that poured out from inside.

Yang was stronger, now, more composed. She gave him the sweetest, most loving of smiles as she cupped his face with her left hand, and tenderly wiped away his tears with her thumb. When the tears finally seemed to stop, she helped Weiss to his feet, and pulled him just as gently into the space between her lap.

"I want you to know that there's never anything you need to be afraid to talk to me about." She interlaced her fingers with his, the warmth of his palms against hers the most comforting sensation in the world. "I've always cared about you, Weiss, so much, and I want to be here for you in every way."

Weiss nodded. "I know, Yang." He turned her hands over so they were palm-up in his own, glancing down at their hands as he began to trace little circles in her palms with his thumbs. "I… don't know what's going to happen once we leave Atlas. I don't even know how long we're going to be here. I don't know how much longer it'll be before Salem catches up with us, but… I don't want to worry about any of that right now. I just… want to focus on me… on us."

"I want that, too." She wasn't sure what kinds of battles were up ahead, but she knew, inevitably, they were ones they'd have to face. Yang still hadn't told anyone that her mother was the Spring Maiden, and she knew that sooner or later, the truth would come out. That they'd have to cross that bridge when they got there. Salem was an unknown threat, and Yang would be lying if she said she wasn't scared. But she didn't want to dwell on that. As far as she was concerned, Atlas was safe, and even if it wasn't the most accepting of kingdoms, she could at least live in comfort knowing that, for the time-being, the threats of Salem and her Grimm were outside, far away from them all.

"Do you think," Weiss started, a wistful glint in his eyes, "that there's a future for us after all of this?"

Yang furrowed her eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

He let out a sigh, his heart seeming heavy. "I mean, do you think this war will ever be over? Between the Grimm and mankind? Do you think we'll ever see the end of it?"

"I don't know," she answered honestly, but for the first time in a while, the truth didn't seem to bother her. Yang had signed up to become a Huntress knowing full-well that it was probably going to become a lifelong job. She knew it wasn't going to be easy, and that she would end up facing loss and hurt along the way. But she wasn't the only one going through it, and she never had to be. She had her sister, she had her team, and she had many friends and allies who were fighting the same fight. And they were all fighting to make the world a better place; so that, one day, when she finally did retire, she would be able to do so peacefully knowing that there were other Huntsmen and Huntresses like her working to keep the world safe.

She gazed up at Weiss, holding his concerned stare. "But I know that just because we're in the middle of all of this—" She removed her hands from Weiss's, and gently guided him down to her lap, the closeness bringing a light blush to his cheeks. "—It doesn't mean we can't build another life."

Weiss bit his lip, seeming to contemplate the situation. He glanced at Yang before turning his eyes away, and leaning into her chest, his head resting delicately against her shoulder. "It's weird… I'm in Atlas, the place I've been most terrified to return to, but with you, it doesn't feel so scary…"

Yang lifted a hand to his head, weaving her fingers through his soft hair. "The people here aren't that scary," she mused. "They're just ignorant and foolish. If anything, they're more afraid of us than we should be of them."

He grunted. "You haven't met my father."

"And I hope I'll never have to." She gave him an encouraging smile. "But if that day comes, I'm seriously going to have some words for him. Maybe a punch or two."

"Yang!"

"What?" She laughed. "It's true. You can't tell me you've been wanting to do the same."

Instead of answering, Weiss just nuzzled into her, hiding his face. He let out a muffled grumble into Yang's neck, his breath tickling her skin.

She grinned at the sensation, glad to see that Weiss seemed to be in higher spirits. "Why do you keep doing that?"

Weiss peered up at her, his brow quirked in confusion. "Doing what?"

"Hiding your face."

He raised his head, averting his gaze again as he sucked in his bottom lip. "I'm not hiding…"

"Then look at me."

Weiss let out a huff, but did as he was told. As he lifted his eyes to meet Yang's again, his cheeks flooded with color, and Yang had a feeling it wasn't from the cold. His eyes flickered downward for a split second before they immediately moved back up, and suddenly, Yang realized what he was doing.

A knowing smirk formed at the corners of her lips. Deciding to play Weiss's game, she mimicked his movements, glancing down at his lips before she met his gaze again. He picked up pretty quickly on what she was doing, because he looked away again, this time letting out a frustrated groan.

"You know," Yang started, warmth flooding her cheeks as she drew Weiss's attention back to her. "If you want to kiss me, all you have to do is ask."

He rolled his eyes, but Yang could tell he was fighting his own feelings of embarrassment. He had clearly reached his limit of taking initiative for the evening.

"But you don't have to," she added, reaching both of her arms around him into a gentle embrace. "We can just sit here and enjoy the peace and quiet if you want."

Weiss laid his head back against Yang's shoulder once more, nodding into the collar of her jacket. He closed his eyes, his breathing beginning to slow as the color in his cheeks started to fade. "I… I do want to," he whispered. "I just… want to figure this out, first."

Yang, too, closed her eyes, listening to the sound of his breathing. "Take all the time you need. I'm not going anywhere."

And she didn't need anymore than that. Just having Weiss there, being able to hold him close, knowing that he felt the same was enough. Whatever would become of them would be their journey together, their decision to make when they were both ready. Right now, all Yang wanted was to enjoy every moment and opportunity that she had, and for Weiss to do the same. They had come a long way since Beacon, and even since Haven. And they would continue to move forward the same way they always had — together.