This chapter is both of their POVs, starting on Weiss'.
Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.
Chapter 3. Inside The Cabin
It was strange, feeling the world come back to her, feeling her senses trickling back into play one by one.
First it was sound, a soft crackling of sorts, something Weiss could draw connections to; it sounded like the fireplace in her living room area. She must've fallen asleep on the couch again...
She could smell the burning wood as well, but there was something else in the air she couldn't quite distinguish – a scent, but not one she recognized. Did they have a visitor over? She couldn't remember.
Her mouth was dry and her throat arid, so not much could be said for taste, but she could feel more than anything.
There was warmth enveloping her completely, and she needed to wonder if they'd ever had so many blankets in their cabin before. There was softness all around her, with a bit of weight on the side of her hip and on her chest.
She was too drowsy to open her eyes just yet, but something told her she should get on that as soon as possible.
After a few minutes, she managed the feat, her eyelids opening upon the sunlit, wooden rafters of a cabin - but not her own.
She gasped in a panic, making an effort to look around a bit, but her head was spinning with traces of vertigo. Having been supine for so long, sitting up was nothing short of disorienting and made her muscles ache in protest. In the end, she only closed her eyes once more, panting slightly as she tried to control the fear that was starting to fill her.
For Blake, waking happened with a groan when the pulse that had been steady beneath her ear all night suddenly spiked and went faster. She opened her eyes groggily and instantly remembered why it was she was kneeling on the floor instead of lying in her bed.
She sat up quickly, eyes scanning the girl in front of her whose eyelashes were fluttering and struggling to open. Blake willed her silent encouragement for a moment until at last the girl opened her eyes.
Blake was immediately captivated by the vibrant blue of them, like pools of water in the wintertime, reflecting the pure, cloudless sky.
It was strange but very pleasant to see this girl awake after the perilous events of last night. It was almost surreal.
She was lost for a second, speechless as the girl swiftly propped herself up on her elbows.
Weiss had been momentarily allured by the other girl's golden eyes as well, but the fright took hold of her faster than she could handle. She let out a short shriek, causing the cat on her hip to wake and leap off of her as Weiss pressed herself back into the far corner of the couch.
Blake's Faunus ears flattened instinctively at the sound, but rose up a second later as she reached out slowly.
"Hey, it's alright!" She spoke softly but urgently, as if trying to calm down a startled baby animal.
Weiss was still, staring at the other girl's hand as if it would burn her.
She'd always had to be wary of strangers. Her father really only let her out of the house to gather plants or take care of chores in the summer and spring, but Weiss rarely interacted with others for fear they'd try to hurt her, and she'd be too physically weak to defend herself.
She hadn't spoken in a while, and it showed when she tried now, her voice coming out raspy and croaked.
"W-Who are you?" She coughed once, bringing a hand to her mouth, but her eyes never left the strange girl. "Why am I here?"
Blake mentally smacked herself as she withdrew her hand. She'd gotten too comfortable touching this girl last night to help keep her alive, so it only felt natural to reach a hand out to her by means of comfort.
But she reminded herself the girl hadn't been awake for any of that, and she probably wouldn't be too keen on having a stranger touch her first thing after waking up.
"Sorry," Blake murmured, sitting back a little. "You deserve an explanation at the very least. You don't have to be frightened, okay?" She eased back a little, offering a smile. Blake wasn't much of a verbose person - she might've even classified her tendencies as taciturn - but this girl deserved to know everything Blake did.
Weiss was still trembling, but the Faunus girl's gaze was amiable and welcoming. Bordering wide irises, there was a tranquil gleam, shimmering with veracity. This girl didn't seem cunning in the slightest. Weiss assumed there was a good reason that she was here, and this person must have treated her kindly.
Slowly, Weiss' posture relaxed – just a tiny bit. She pushed herself up into a proper sitting position, clutching at the blankets around her as though to protect herself as the Faunus girl settled on the floor, covering her own shoulders with another quilt.
Blake waited a few seconds for the girl to adjust before she realized she was being waited on to start speaking. She considered herself somewhat versatile in most situations, but it'd been a while since she'd dealt with another person who wasn't just selling her fruits in town. Blake cleared her throat and began a bit awkwardly:
"I found you last night out in the blizzard-"
But she didn't get very far into her tale before a sharp gasp cut her off.
"T-That's right!" the white-haired girl cried. "Th-The frost root for Father! I needed to get them-"
"Calm down!" Blake couldn't stop herself from covering the girl's shaking hands with her steady ones this time. The distress was clear on her guest's face now, and Blake felt for her.
But more than sympathy, she felt anger – what kind of people sent such a frail girl out into a blizzard for a couple of plants? Judging by her clothes alone, this girl's family was wealthy enough to get by without the necessity of selling some herbs.
She'd be certain to ask later. But for now, the girl didn't seem all that unhappy about Blake's hands over her own. She didn't jerk away or shout at Blake to let her go - she simply looked down at the hands on hers and then back up to Blake's eyes.
A few seconds passed, and Blake liked to believe her smile won the girl over a bit, because she gulped down a few breaths before sighing.
"I'm sorry..." she murmured. "I was... supposed to go out to collect herbs and then... the storm hit early..." She coughed again, and Blake's ears flicked, surmising her discomfort.
"Hold on."
She let go of the girl's hands and crawled a few feet toward the fire, where she'd hastily dropped the girl's clothes and supplies on the floor last night so they could dry. She moved aside the white scarf that had lost its icy coating, unfolding it to reveal the dozen or so stalks of herbs.
She removed them all before moving back to the couch, placing them on the blankets over the girl's lap.
Weiss gasped when she recognized the plants.
"Th-These are..."
But another harsh bout of coughing silenced her again, and Blake recoiled at the sound. She could see tears clinging at the corners of the girl's eyes and immediately started stretching her legs so she could stand.
Until now, she'd stayed on the floor, a bit below eye-level with the girl. But as she stood now, she knew she must've seemed intimidating as she loomed over the couch, because the girl was petrified all over again.
Blake was all too used to people treating her like she was some kind of monster, but the pang that reaction sent through her chest wasn't any less unpleasant.
And yet, she couldn't blame the poor girl.
"Don't worry. I'm not going to hurt you," Blake said softly. "I'm just going to make you some tea, alright? Your throat hurts, doesn't it?"
Weiss looked up into that golden gaze and sniffled once before giving a small nod. The dark-haired girl nodded simply before walking around the couch and heading into another part of the cabin.
When Weiss found herself alone, she couldn't help but let her gaze wander, the occasional cough still slipping out every now and again.
There wasn't as much to this cabin as there was to her own, but it still seemed very cozy - homely. There was a spot across the room with a humble mattress, and she assumed all the blankets piled on herself at present had come from there.
A closet, a few little windows, a fireplace, cushioned chair, a small coffee table, and a writing desk that seemed to be handmade were all that made up the room, but it seemed like almost everything a person could need. There were a few shelves with organized books on them as well, in addition to a small, antique radio.
Past the spot where the Faunus girl had vanished, Weiss assumed it to be a kitchen, and a small door to the side of that was likely a bathroom. The cabin appeared to only have one floor to it, or perhaps there was a basement or a very small attic.
She'd been letting her mind wander a bit when she noticed the pair of green eyes leering back at her from a corner of the room. Recalling that she'd had a cat on her when she woke, Weiss clicked her tongue softly. She watched the ears perk up, head bobbing from side to side as he assessed whether or not she was a threat now that she was awake.
Gradually, the cat made his way back to the couch, jumping up onto one of the arms before licking a paw and drawing it up over his head. Weiss reached out a hand to pet his back, smiling a little when he let her make contact.
It was then her host re-entered the room, holding two steaming mugs. The Faunus girl noticed the cat and flicked a quick glance to Weiss.
"He's not bothering you, is he?"
"Not at all. I love cats," Weiss reassured her.
"That's good then. I'm glad you're not allergic or this whole ordeal could've been a lot worse."
Weiss noticed the feline ears upon her host's head as well. She was handed one of the mugs which the Faunus girl had wrapped in a small towel.
"It's still hot, so be careful," she cautioned.
Weiss nodded, accepting the mug, instantly relishing the heat in her palms. All of the previous discomfort had melted away quickly like morning dew under the summer sun. Weiss wasn't startled this time when the Faunus girl sat down on the floor beside her again.
As Blake curled her legs up beneath the blanket, she watched the white-haired girl turn into her shoulder and cough a few more times before her blue eyes flashed to the tea. Blake caught her gaze and nodded.
"Go on. It's not poisoned, I promise."
To prove it, she took a sip of her own, humming as the warm liquid trickled down her throat to settle.
Weiss stiffened, realizing she must have been being rude.
"Sorry," she murmured, pressing her lips to the rim.
The scent that reached her lungs was tranquil and leafy, and as she tilted her chin back, she tasted a bit of flavor she couldn't quite place. It was hot, but not enough to hurt, and she drank slowly - one, two, then three sips - before setting the mug into her lap once more. Another flash of her eyes sideways told her the Faunus girl was awaiting a verdict.
"It's delicious," Weiss said. "I don't have tea often at home. Thank you very much... ah...?"
"Blake," she offered simply.
"Blake..." Weiss spoke the name experimentally. "It's a very pretty name."
The Faunus girl was taken aback by such a compliment. She'd thought her name to be a lot of things, but "pretty" wasn't very high up on the list.
"Thanks..." She flicked an ear, and the white-haired girl seemed to understand.
"I'm Weiss," she introduced herself. "Weiss Schnee."
Blake couldn't stop her eyes from going wide when she heard the name. She'd heard Schnee's name around the village many times over the years, how he always had the best supply of frost root and materials around. He was also notorious for disliking Faunus.
She could vaguely remember seeing him a few times as well, and perhaps even bought from him when she was desperate. The dusty grey hair of the man had been transformed into shining alabaster on his daughter, and it wasn't hard to see the resemblance now. Her family name also explained Weiss' well-made clothes, but it didn't coincide with the dangerous task that had nearly killed her last night.
"Schnee, huh...?"
She took another sip of her tea, delving into her thoughts for a moment.
Weiss watched the girl on the floor, and she suddenly didn't feel like drinking her tea anymore. She felt her stomach clench a bit, and her gaze became downcast. She heaved a sigh, and Blake heard the way it trembled, so she looked up, about to ask the other girl if she was alright.
But Weiss spoke first.
"I suppose you could... fetch a nice ransom from my father," Weiss muttered. "I can be quite useful to him at times, so-"
Blake almost sputtered on her tea as she quickly shook her head.
"Hey, hold on!"
Again, she couldn't help but reach forward with one hand, placing it on Weiss' thigh.
Weiss cast her a weary look - it concerned Blake how quickly this girl could simply deprecate her self-worth as a person, and could only attest to her own significance with the suggestion of a price tag.
Blake's ears went flat, and she went on:
"That was never an option, okay? And just because I know who your father is now doesn't change that. I helped you last night because you needed it, not because I wanted to take advantage of you."
Blake's words were kind, but Weiss found them hard to believe. Blake could discern as much; it was clear in those blue eyes that Weiss had never trusted the outside world before, and she was still finding it hard to do as much.
Blake let out a short huff of a breath.
"There are good people in the world, you know."
Those words were the ones that had Weiss finally meeting Blake's eyes again, looking into them rather than through them.
She... wanted to believe those words.
"I'm sorry..." she sighed. "Thank you, Blake. I really do mean it."
"Don't apologize." Relieved now, Blake couldn't help but smile. "I guess there's a lot that can go on if you're more or less secluded from the rest of the world. Trust me, I know what it's like to be on my own. Being alone isn't so bad, but... you can only feel lonely if there are other people with you."
Her words hit Weiss hard, and the smaller girl curled her legs closer to her body, bringing her mug to her chest. She'd experienced all of that numerous times before, just never had it put into words until now.
Blake waited for a moment, until she could detect a slight curl to Weiss' lips, then allowed her own smile to return.
"So... may I ask why you were out in that storm? Was it just to get those?" She glanced down at the herbs in Weiss' lap.
The white-haired girl nodded.
"Yes. My aura prevents me from feeling the cold when it's activated. So my father sends me out to gather frost root in the wintertime, since there's a much lower risk I'll be affected by the cold temperatures than he or my sister would be. Only... yesterday, the usual spot had been ravaged and there weren't many plants left. I had to go farther into the woods to find more, and by then it was already snowing so hard..."
When she paused, Blake noticed that her own hand had curled into a fist amongst the blankets on Weiss' lap, and she quickly released her grip. But she couldn't stop the bile from rising up her throat.
Some father, sending such a girl out into the woods alone. And for what? A few plants that could've waited another day? He just wants the money. She's basically a slave to him...
Perhaps she was so upset because she knew what it was like to be taken advantage of - to be considered dispensable - hence why Blake had vowed never to do such a thing to others.
But remembering how she'd found Weiss last night, on the verge of death, so cold and weak...
She hissed under her breath just as Weiss spoke up again:
"I saw your cabin and I tried to reach it... but I fell, and then..." She trailed off helplessly, looking up to indicate she'd told all she could.
Blake took a long sip of her tea to calm herself down before she took over the storytelling:
"Actually, it was Schwarz who found you. I just did the carrying and everything after that." She nodded toward the black cat who had since slunk back onto the couch at Weiss' feet and curled up. "He was growling at the window, and I happened to see you lying in the snow. When I rushed out to you, I... I'd honestly thought you were dead. That's how bad a condition you were in..."
She paused, having noticed Weiss stiffen at the thought of herself almost dying. The hand Blake had on her thigh slid a little, palm upturned.
Weiss watched her and seemed to understand. She released her mug with one hand and placed her free one over Blake's. The Faunus girl nodded, rubbing her thumb over the girl's knuckles as she continued:
"I carried you in anyway, and realized you were still alive. But you were in really bad shape. So I changed you into something warm and dry..."
That was the first time Weiss thought to look beneath the blankets on her lap. She hadn't realized it before, but she was indeed now wearing foreign vestments - an azure sweater and an unfamiliar pair of pants. A red blush instantly ran to her cheeks, and Blake's ears flattened in embarrassment.
"Sorry about that. It was kind of necessary..."
"N-No. It's alright. Thank you."
After the blushes faded again, Blake went on with her story:
"You probably had some level of hypothermia. I'm not sure, but you were literally freezing, so I tried to warm you up. It took a few hours but it worked, though your aura was very feeble. I guess that makes sense now, since you said you used it to fend off the cold and everything. I gave you some of mine because your heart was very weak. And then... I guess I fell asleep hoping you'd wake up." She smiled softly. "I'm... really glad that you did."
Weiss' hand trembled a little beneath Blake's, and the smaller girl was silent for a minute, lost in her own thoughts. When she met Blake's eyes again, this time it was with a smile, the first full one Blake had seen from her yet.
"Thank you for saving my life, Blake. I... don't know what I could ever do to-"
"Don't even think about repaying me," she stopped her. "Just get better, okay? You're clearly still sick."
Blake stood then, finding that Weiss' touch lingered on the back of her hand like the tide, seeking to draw her back. Blake made a silent promise that she'd return to that hand before long.
She shuffled over to the fire to feed it another log before she made her way to the window and peered outside.
The sun was bright overhead, and the reflectance off the snow made her squint. There must have been over a foot of the white stuff covering the ground; it'd likely be a few days before it melted enough to be manageable.
Blake sighed and turned back to her guest.
"It's a mess out there. You can stay here and recover until the snow melts a bit."
Weiss tensed at the words. While Blake's offer was far more than hospitable and Weiss wasn't all that anxious around her anymore, she couldn't stand the prospect of being away from home.
"I-I can't..." she whimpered. "My father needs these plants to sell, a-and I'm sure my sister is worried sick about me-" She was cut off suddenly by more coughs raking her body.
Blake hurried forward and got to her knees again, steadying Weiss' hands so she wouldn't spill the tea on herself.
"Easy," she soothed. She slipped a hand onto Weiss' back and patted her shoulders until the coughing died away. "I'm sorry, but there's no way you're in any condition to be going outside right now. And quite frankly, even if you were, it'd be almost impossible to walk a few yards in all that snow. You'd never make it back to the village and I can't carry you that far either. So... I'm sorry, but you'll be stuck here for a few days, at least until some of the snow's gone."
That was just the excuse, though. More than anything, Blake wanted the girl to get well again.
And Weiss knew there was nothing else she could do but comply to those terms. She heaved another sigh.
"They'll think I'm dead..."
Blake scoffed.
"Good. They need to worry about you more and learn to take care of you properly."
"They do worry! Collecting the herbs is just one of the few ways I'm useful at home, so I do it whenever I can."
Blake felt a knot of disgust twist in her stomach; it was like listening to a kidnap victim defend her abuser. She growled a reply, though it wasn't Weiss she was angry at:
"Well from now on, if your father ever sends you out into the forest to do chores, you come to me for help if you need it." She was surprised at her own suggestion, and clearly Weiss was as well. Blake felt the need to keep speaking, toning down the vehemence. "I mean... this place is only half a mile away from the village, so if you'd ever need to-"
"H-Hold on!"
Blake was relieved when Weiss interjected; she'd certainly been doing herself no good with whatever direction her words had been taking her. Her ears perked up as she gave her full attention to Weiss now.
The white-haired girl's eyes were wide with shock again.
"How far from the village are we?"
"About half a mile."
"All this time... your cabin's been so close to the village? How come I never knew about it?"
She assumed it was a ways off her usual path, but even still, she'd never heard of a Faunus living alone in a cabin in the forest.
Blake's response was a small shrug.
"I don't see why people would talk about me much. I keep to myself most of the time, only going into the village when I have to. I don't bother people and they don't bother me."
Weiss blinked at her in confusion.
"Don't you ever get lonely?"
It was an unexpected question, but Blake had already asked herself the same one many times before.
"Not really. Like I said, you can't be lonely unless there are other people involved. I like being on my own." She saw the way Weiss' shoulders slumped a bit, and Blake smiled a little. "Although... I certainly don't think I'd mind some company from time to time."
The speed with which Weiss' spirits seemed to lift at that almost had Blake laughing in delight. She went on:
"As I said, you're more than welcome to stay here for now. And in the future, should you ever want to drop by, please don't hesitate."
Weiss took another sip of her tea before nodding slowly.
"Alright. I'll remember that."
"I'm glad." Blake got up once more. "You just take it easy. I'm going to clean up a bit. If you want more tea, just ask."
Blake returned to the kitchen to put her empty mug on the counter, keeping the pot of tea still boiling on the stove. She returned to the main room to pick up all the scattered articles of clothing from last night.
A small string ran from one wall to the other before the fireplace, and Blake pinned the clothes up onto it. They were already dry from having laid before the flame all night, but she wanted to un-wrinkle them as best she could.
Weiss watched her, taking a sip of her tea every now and again, sometimes reaching down to pet the cat at her feet.
There was... so much she wanted to talk about, ask Blake about.
And the Faunus girl had her queries as well. She finished with the clothes and then picked up the pot of warm water from last night, hanging the wet towels up to dry as well. She brought the pot into the kitchen and put it over another flame on the stove, beside her pot for the tea, just in case Weiss needed it to warm up again at some point.
When she next returned to Weiss, Blake took the mug for her and placed it aside on the small table. "Let me help you to the bathroom," she offered.
Weiss carefully slipped her feet away from beneath the cat as not to disturb him, leaving most of the blankets behind. Blake made sure to drape one quilt over the girl's shoulders as she coaxed Weiss to wrap her arms around her neck.
Blake hugged her torso lightly, supporting the girl as she wobbled onto shaky legs. Weiss felt the blood flow properly back into her legs after so many hours of being stagnant. It was a strange feeling, prickling her veins like thousands of tiny thorns.
Blake was patient with her, waiting for her to adjust to the weight of her own body. She kept one arm looped around Weiss' waist and helped her across the room to the bathroom where she finally let her go.
"Feel free to shower if you'd like. I get warm water here just like any other cabin in Vale. Just be careful, and if you need help, just call for me."
"Thank you so much." Weiss humbly accepted the offer.
Somehow, she felt as though she'd known Blake all her life, probably due to how hospitable and caring she was being.
Blake waited on the other side of the door for a minute, ears flicking as she listened to make sure Weiss didn't fall or hurt herself before the water started running.
When she felt confident enough to step away, Blake went to her closet and sifted through her selection of clothes, pulling out a new pair of thick, loose black pants and a purple sweater. She shed her old clothes and wrestled into the fresh ones, finishing up by pulling her blanket back over her shoulders again.
She then took all of her laundry – including Weiss' on the clothesline – to the kitchen. Filling a bowl with warm water from the sink, Blake crouched down at the cupboards and opened them, pulling out a large bucket. She poured the contents of the bowl into the bucket and refilled it, repeating the process several times until the bucket was full. She then cut off a fourth of a bar of soap.
Sitting down, she rolled up her sleeves, and started washing their clothes by hand, scrubbing and then wringing them all out before folding them in a pile. When she finished, she hung them all back in front of the fire to dry before going to her storage room.
She retrieved two green apples and a few thin slices of meat before returning to the kitchen. Blake cooked the meat and heated up a loaf of bread from the pantry, eventually cutting it up and compiling two simple sandwiches.
She wasn't sure if this would be to the liking of Weiss' superior palette, but Blake couldn't deny that it was... kind of fun to have something to do, to have someone else to take care of.
She took a bit of meat for the cat as well before she brought everything back to the main room and placed it on the small table. She turned on her old radio, pleased that it was getting a signal, and turned the volume down so the music was comfortable background noise.
By then, the shower had stopped and Blake sauntered back over, waiting until the door had reopened. She saved Weiss the blow to her pride that calling out for help would have cost her, and Blake led the girl back to the couch, glad to find Weiss' equilibrium seemed to have improved already.
Weiss thanked her profusely for the food, insisting Blake sit beside her on the couch to eat rather than on the floor. Weiss kept feeding bits of her meat to Schwarz, and by the time the food was gone, he'd curled up in her lap.
Again, Weiss was overcome with feelings that she'd lived like this her entire life. She felt guilty for brushing her father and Winter off, but with Blake, everything was just so warm, so natural somehow.
And Blake felt the same, felt as though Weiss had been at her side not for hours but for years now.
They talked for a while, about their respective lives.
Weiss told of how she helped her family business and worked on different tasks depending on the seasons. She told about how her father wanted her to marry, but was willing to let her choose her own spouse – Weiss assumed it was because he felt bad for her for being so meek, so he would at the very least let her choose her own partner.
She told of her sister, how Winter was engaged and would soon be moving in with her new husband, and would therefore be unable to take care of Weiss like she used to. Weiss was scared to live without her, but it'd be several more months yet before Winter left the Schnee's cabin.
Blake listened to everything with a mixture of distaste and interest in her demeanor. She didn't want to pity Weiss, but after all she'd learned about her, it was getting hard not to.
In return for Weiss opening up, Blake talked about herself as well.
She told of how her parents had been gone since she was a teenager, leaving behind the cabin, almost as though it was their gift to her. There had evidently been plans to cut down more of the forest in order to expand the Village of Vale, but the land was too unstable and rocky. The deforestation plans had been voided, hence why Blake's cabin was so far from the others.
Nothing had sequestered Blake; she'd simply been raised to live this way for as long as she could remember. But she never minded the isolation, and she told Weiss as much.
She told of how she'd found Schwarz quite some time ago, abandoned in the alleys of Vale, and taken him home with her. She told of the time she had had a family of raccoons living under her porch, but that hadn't been as bad as the skunk.
That story made Weiss laugh, and when Blake heard the merry sound, she felt her heart swell.
They got lost in themselves and in each other, revealing things to one another they'd never said out loud before, opening boxes of old memories hidden behind rustic, intangible keys.
But they could both tell this wasn't just because of the companionship. They wouldn't have opened up to just anyone.
Blake had an idea of what must've happened between them, and it wasn't long afterward when Weiss pondered the same.
Blake had saved her life last night by sharing her aura with Weiss. It had been a profound act, perhaps even somewhat sacred, and something neither of them had ever done with anyone else before.
But it was what linked them together now, body and soul, and they could both feel it in the other's presence. There was something special between them now that no one else could have.
And truthfully, neither believed they would have wanted any other person to have it.
They talked the day away beside the fire, and due to the little lamp on her desk and the light of the flames, Blake hardly even noticed that the sun had set hours ago.
It was a soft yawn from Weiss that alerted her to the time, and she too realized she was getting tired.
Blake looked to her mattress across the room; if she went to it, that would mean stealing blankets from Weiss who needed to stay as warm as possible. She wanted to keep the girl close to the fireplace, so moving Weiss wasn't an option, either.
A sneeze at her side had Blake's ears lifting quickly.
"Are you alright?" she asked.
Weiss wiped her eyes and nodded.
"I'm fine."
But Blake could tell she was shaking again. The nights were significantly colder than the daytimes, after all, and the girl's hair was still damp from her shower.
"Drink some more of your tea," Blake urged her, motioning toward the fresh mug she'd prepared for the girl not too long ago.
Weiss nodded gratefully and did as Blake suggested. The Faunus girl drank a bit of her own tea before she stood and went to the kitchen. Again, she took the pot of hot water off the stove, grabbing a few dry towels and bringing it all back into the main room.
Weiss had been petting Schwarz who had moved to the top of the couch now, dozing lazily just behind Weiss' shoulder. She tilted her head curiously to the side as she watched Blake set the pot down next to their mugs on the small wooden table.
"What's that?" she wondered.
Blake dipped one of the towels into the hot water and wrung it out in a fashion that was second nature to her now.
"You're shivering again," she informed Weiss. "This is what I did for you last night for about three hours. So let me help you again."
She reached a hand out toward Weiss', a silent offer to help her.
Weiss couldn't deny that she was feeling chilly again, and she didn't dare to activate her aura right now so soon after nearly depleting it. She wanted to let it recover, so she willingly gave Blake her hands.
The Faunus girl smiled and wrapped Weiss' fingers in the warm towel for a moment. She heard the girl sigh at the sensation, and before the water could turn cool against her skin, Blake replaced the damp towel with a dry one. She dipped the cloth again before pressing it to Weiss' forehead, dabbing at her hairline and temples.
Weiss shivered several times, feeling the warmth chasing out the chills. She closed her eyes as Blake continued to tend to her, running the wet towel over her cheeks and the sides of her neck before drying her off. The warm air from the fire settled in afterward, and the cold that had been assaulting Weiss dwindled before long.
Blake was glad this method worked even now, and she continued her treatment, holding the towel at the base of Weiss' neck to spread warmth through her chest. She felt Weiss relax beneath her touch, felt her breathe slowly until at last the shivering ceased altogether.
Blake got up one last time to put everything away in the kitchen once more, but stayed on her feet when she returned to the fireside.
"I'll sleep in my bed tonight," she offered. "But... I'm still a bit worried about you, even if it's not exactly my business."
Weiss pulled the quilt tighter over her shoulders.
"Not at all. Thank you for worrying about me, Blake. It's a nice feeling..." Weiss flicked her gaze all the way over to Blake's mattress and frowned. "Are... are you sure we both can't fit on the couch?"
Blake's ears perked up hopefully, though her voice was hesitant.
"I mean... would you want me to?"
Weiss bit her lip, avoiding her eyes bashfully.
"Your bed's so far from the fire. I fear you'd catch a chill."
They both felt it necessary to make up excuses, as if there would be anyone around to oppose them sleeping beside one another. But so long as each girl knew the other wasn't against it...
"Then..." Blake shrugged and sat down on the couch once more. "I guess I'll stay here. It'll keep us both warm and we won't have to divide the blankets. Or the cat."
Weiss chuckled at that.
"Alright then."
It was strange; when she'd woken up that morning, she'd been a bit scared of Blake, and now here she was eager to curl up at her side.
Weiss slid herself closest to the couch, pulling her legs up and stretching them out. Blake laid down beside her, facing the girl, though her back was close to the edge of the couch. Weiss could sense Blake was a tad uncomfortable like that, and hesitantly laid an arm on the dark-haired girl's side.
"You can come closer."
"Are you sure?" They were at quite an intimate proximity after all, and she didn't want to crush Weiss or risk suffocating her in the night.
But Weiss only nodded to her.
"I'm sure. If you don't move closer, you'll fall off."
It was easy to slip both arms around Blake's torso, and again, Weiss felt she'd been doing it all her life.
It took Blake a bit longer to warm up to the idea, but not because she didn't want to hold Weiss, simply because she feared hurting her if she was too fervent about it. She wasn't used to physical contact with other people, but for whatever reason, it wasn't so disconcerting right now.
She tucked her head beneath Weiss' chin, making sure the girl could breathe easily without having Blake disrupt her. Beneath the blankets, her hands found their way around the girl's small waist.
But another tiny sneeze from Weiss startled the Faunus girl, the sound so close to her sensitive ears, and she jumped. She almost rolled off onto the floor, and had it not been for Weiss' speedy and desperate grip around her, Blake would've suffered a very sore back.
"S-Sorry," Blake muttered.
"Are you alright? Maybe this is a bad idea after all..." There was regret in Weiss' voice, and Blake felt it just as sharply as a pang in her chest.
She was about to get up and go to her own bed after all, but before she could open her mouth to say as much, Weiss beat her to another idea.
"Last night... I slept here didn't I?" Weiss turned herself slightly and laid down onto her back instead. "Then tonight... you sleep here." She patted her stomach invitingly.
Blake's ears flattened, and she slid off the couch and got to her feet.
"Last night I sat on the floor. Most of my weight was there. I can't... lie completely on top of you. I'm too heavy."
"Nonsense," Weiss huffed, almost pouting, and Blake felt herself blush at how cute it was. She needed to look away quickly as Weiss went on. "If you don't, then you'll fall off, or have to go to your bed."
If someone had told Weiss three days ago that she'd be arguing about sleeping arrangements in a cat Faunus girl's cabin tonight, she would have reported them to the authorities.
But here she was.
She looked expectantly up at Blake, all but begging her now.
Blake was torn, but honestly, there was no way she'd ever leave the poor girl to sleep alone with the excess amount of cold seeping in through the walls. She did intend to lay down with Weiss, she just needed a moment to think about how she could do so without crushing her.
It was the violent shudder that ran through Weiss hard enough to make her jolt that was the final push Blake needed to take action.
With great care, she gingerly positioned her knees on either side of Weiss' hips and slid her arms around the blankets at the girl's sides, gradually easing her weight down onto her stomach. But Blake kept herself propped on her elbows, ears flat as she looked worriedly down at Weiss.
"Is... this okay? Let me know if I'm hurting you, or if it's hard to breathe."
"I'm just fine," Weiss reassured her. "...I'm ashamed I'm making you feel somewhat uncomfortable in your own home. But thank you for worrying so much." She blinked slowly up at Blake, holding her gaze for a second before closing her eyes with a sigh, resting her head on the small couch cushion.
Blake relaxed when she was certain Weiss wasn't uncomfortable, and she slowly rested her chest against the petite girl's stomach. Again, she made sure to keep her head beneath Weiss' chin so she wouldn't disrupt the girl's breathing.
Weiss wasn't stiff anymore, rather she was very relaxed now, bundled beneath the blankets with Blake's weight settled snugly against her, a gentle, steadying pressure.
It'd only been a day, and yet they had formed a relationship like no other.
It was a strange relationship, one molded from necessity rather than choice, and yet it hadn't been forced at all. They were both more than willing to accept the other for all she was.
The twilight was seeping in through the windows, shrouding them in long, dark shadows. The lamplight provided only a faint, diaphanous glow, while the fire's flames scintillated a tiny dance.
Blake closed her eyes and rested her head against Weiss' chest, Faunus ears flicking and listening just as they had last night. She felt a pair of arms wrap around her to prevent her from rolling off, felt each of Weiss' breaths as though they were her own, felt that indescribable warmth she'd been denied for eighteen years.
Weiss' heartbeat was much fuller now, her breathing stronger, and it calmed Blake enough to relax too. The rhythm beneath her ear was persistent, remaining even when the crackling of the fire faded or the music on the radio came to a stop.
Weiss welcomed the pressure of Blake's weight, shielding her from the cold. She made sure they were both wrapped in the blankets before she truly let her conscious begin to fade.
"Goodnight," she whispered. "Sleep well."
Blake couldn't remember the last time she'd heard those phrases, or had the opportunity to return them.
"Goodnight."
There were no more words between them that night, having woken up as strangers and fallen asleep nothing short of friends.
And perhaps more.
Chapter 4 preview: It was the kind of evening where past regrets came back to haunt the mind, and a person couldn't help but think of future ones to come. They both knew they could've changed things, but neither opted to make an effort to do so.
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