Weiss froze.
Maybe if she stood completely still the girl would leave her alone. Or at least Weiss thought she would. Instead, the silver-eyed girl pulled out of the hug, her hands resting on Weiss's shoulders. "Ahh, it's so good to see you awake and not passed out on our couch!" she cheerily told Weiss as she patted her on the shoulders.
From inside, a hand reached out, pulling Ruby's grip on Weiss away from her. "Sis, chill. The last thing we want to do is scare Weiss away." Yang's voice followed the action as she now made her appearance at the front door. "Sorry about that, Ruby is just really excited to meet you after all this time." Yang patted her younger sister on the head.
"Ruby Rose! At your service!" she gestured with her thumb pointing toward herself.
Weiss's eyebrows furrowed in slight confusion. Rose? Xiao Long? They clearly weren't the same last name, but was it in Weiss's place to ask why? She decided that there would be a better time for such questions.
"Come," Yang gestured as she turned, Ruby soon following in her steps. Weiss shrugged and followed them inside. The house was just as Weiss remembered. Small, yet homey. Except for the key difference of a rugged man that looked a little like Yang, who sat on the couch where Weiss had once rested over what felt like a lifetime ago. "Hey Dad, look who's here!" Yang proudly introduced Weiss, her arms outstretched like a showgirl, her fingers slightly wiggled as if something magical were to happen next.
Weiss covered her face and looked away, a little embarrassed. She knew Yang could be ridiculous, but this was something else.
"Ahh, the ghost girl." Tai grinned.
"Dad!" Yang scolded, her eyes wide at her father's comment.
"What?" he responded.
Weiss looked over at Yang and signed, 'Why does everyone keep calling me that?!' Yang chuckled in response, but Weiss kept a rather serious face about her. Yang froze, stumbling over her words. Had they all just messed up with Weiss?
Instead, Weiss merely smirked — she was playing along. Or something of the likes. Now it had been Yang's turn to cover her mouth, now lightly chuckling. "I see the ghost has some spooky tricks up her sleeve," she managed to get out as she crossed her arms.
Weiss smiled and shook her head. She felt… good. While she was still surrounded by two new people, these two new people held a similar aura to Yang's. Either way, Yang's dominating presence would keep Weiss's attention; she was here for a sleepover with Yang after all.
"Well, she'll fit right in with us here," Tai commented. "I'm Taiyang Xiao-Long, by the way. Ruby's and Yang's father." Ruby hopped onto the couch next to him as he spoke, the man's attention still glued to Weiss.
She'll fit right in here with us. The words momentarily echoed throughout Weiss's mind. Fitting in. Something she really had never done before. A girl whose voice was more than capable of talking, yelling, screaming, singing, and so much more, but hadn't been used past a certain age. But to Tai, she was just another friend of Yang's. Friend. Another feeling, or word, that Weiss was unaccustomed to.
But all these things she felt, right here. Right next to Yang Xiao Long.
Pulling her out of her wandering thoughts, Ruby spoke up. "You're probably wondering why we have different last names." She turned her attention toward Weiss, who just nodded at the statement.
"Pulling the trigger so soon, I see." Yang scratched the back of her head, looking a little unsure, but she gave a smile, one that seemed to be a bit forced. "Better to get this question out of the way now, I guess. You mind if I tell her?" she asked Ruby.
Her sister nodded, now giving the floor to Yang. "Well, Ruby's mother passed away when she was young. It was due to sickness, but don't worry — we're all alright. It's been quite some time since we had to mention her. Telling you this is in no way a burden, but everyone asks some point or another." Her arms were crossed as she looked expectantly toward Weiss, anticipating her reaction.
Weiss simply frowned and nodded. It was an unfortunate situation, but it still didn't account for who Yang's mother was. Only that Ruby had a mother, who had since passed away. Weiss was a little more curious about Yang's own mother. Every puzzle had its missing piece, and it seemed like Yang and her family were no exception.
"Shouldn't you at least allow Weiss to settle in before telling her this kind of stuff?" Tai began. "Yang, why don't you—"
Yang, who had seemed to space off into her own little world, now shook herself out of her thoughts. "Oh yeah!" she interrupted before Tai could finish, and she gestured for Weiss to follow her down a small hallway that split off into different directions. "Now, you can have the guest room all to yourself, or you can sleep on the floor in my room. If you choose my room, I promise that it'll be comfy. Though, the guest room does allow for your own privacy." She paused, giving Weiss a curious smirk. "But what fun is a sleepover if you're not in the same room, huh?" She chuckled as she led Weiss to both rooms, briefing showing them off before allowing Weiss to make her own decision.
Of course, Yang's bedroom seemed inviting. It was a lot livelier, with strange posters, school notebooks, and other various objects scattered around what seemed to be a pretty normal teenage girl's room. Plus, Weiss couldn't deny that Yang's room was very cute. Then again, this was about the first time in many years that Weiss had ever been inside someone else's room.
The guest room, on the other hand, held no appeal. Weiss didn't feel inclined to spend the night alone in a strange room.
'I'll stay in your room.' Weiss signed with ease.
Yang grinned, now signing back, 'Cool! You can set your stuff in my…' Yang paused, trying to find the sign for 'room', "Ahh, room. I know you just signed it, but my scatterbrain just forgot it! Good thing you're here, right?" Yang shook her head, a little unsure of herself.
Weiss smiled sweetly at her. 'Didn't you want to learn more about signing?' she signed slowly so Yang could keep up. She was capable of signing faster, much faster.
Yang nodded, signing back to her before they entered into Yang's room. 'Yes! I hope you don't mind. We don't have to do just that though!'
Weiss finally entered the room and dropped her stuff near Yang's bed. She turned to Yang who seemed to be shuffling through her closet. Yang turned around, her arms holding several blankets and pillows.
Weiss walked up to Yang, taking some of the blankets from her. "Oh, thank you," Yang said gratefully with a smile. "If you want, you can set it down next to your stuff. I'll make your bed. If you want to go wash up before dinner, you can."
Weiss followed Yang's directions, placing the sheets next to her stuff, then grabbing her backpack and pulling clothes out of it. "Here, I'll take you to our bathroom." Yang led her out to the bathroom. There was nothing too special about the room, unlike the large, overly-sparkly and decorated ones she was used to seeing back when she still lived in Atlas. This one was quaint, clean, and it smelled fresh. One could tell it was shared between the two sisters as it was adorned with red and yellow decor. Yang entered the bathroom, reaching into a cabinet beneath the sink, now pulling out a fresh towel. "You can use this if you want to shower. When you're done, we can eat dinner, and then we can begin the fun." Yang grinned and winked, leaving Weiss to her own devices.
Weiss closed the door as soon as Yang had left. She had suddenly become aware of the unknown noises in the background. Happy chatter. Laughing. Noises that came from an unwatched T.V. Happiness. There were no hard feelings. Nothing negative to prepare for when she left this bathroom.
Instead, three people waited for her who were happy that she was there. There would be no avoiding spiteful gazes as she walked through the house. For once, she had finally felt… welcomed.
Leaving the bathroom, feeling refreshed and clean, Weiss was met with Yang, Ruby, and Tai, all waiting for her so they could share a family dinner that Yang had apparently prepared for the four of them.
Together, they sat at a table. This experience itself had been so simple, so casual, yet it was something that Weiss hadn't ever experienced. Sitting together, with Yang's family, they all looked so happy. And Weiss, for the first time in a long time, felt happy.
Of course everyone went around the table, talking about their Friday. Ruby had excitedly talked about the foreign-exchange student who had also lived in Atlas — a girl named Penny. Ruby even asked if Weiss was familiar with the girl, but Weiss shook her head. This answer hadn't deterred Ruby from continuing to speak about her new best friend, and all of the hubbub of the middle school world. While Ruby and Yang didn't look anything alike, they certainly acted like it.
Tai, on the other hand, discussed his work life and his, surprisingly, own school life. Weiss had discovered that Tai worked many overnight shifts and then worked on his own college education during the day. Either going to classes or taking online ones. He declared to Weiss he wanted to be a teacher, as well, a hopeful dream for a hopeful man. "It's never too late to start doing what you really want." Tai's words really struck a chord with Weiss.
Yang spoke about her studies, and told a story about Sun — to which Weiss remembered as the glistening abs boy — and how he had practically made a fool out of himself by nearly slipping on a banana peel, and looking like a wild animal while doing so. Yang also proudly spoke about her high performance on the latest test in their first period class, to which Weiss had earned a similarly high grade.
This had now brought the attention to Weiss as Yang had also shared the fact that Yang, Pyrrha, and Weiss had all earned the top marks in the class. Weiss had merely looked down at her plate as the Rose-Xiao Long trio congratulated her and Yang boasted about her, about how well Weiss was doing. Weiss could only blush and try to hide her face in embarrassment. While she was usually averse to such attention, she couldn't deny that people complimenting her for once rather than ridiculing her, felt really good.
The dinner ended on a light note. Tai had prepared himself to get ready to leave for one of his night shifts — to which he wouldn't come back until the early morning. It was Ruby's night to take care of the dishes, and she mentioned that she had a myriad of comics and discussions with Penny to catch up on. She had promised not to bother Weiss and Yang. Much. Weiss and Yang returned to Yang's room, where Weiss came upon a freshly-made makeshift bed right next to Yang's own.
"Sorry if it's not in a good place. I can move the bed around the room, if you'd like," Yang offered as they stepped into the room.
Weiss shook her head and signed, 'No, it's fine. I wanted it here. Thank you.'
Yang nodded and her eyes widened as she visibly seemed to have an idea. "Oh, you wanna watch a movie to start off the night?" She grinned, her eyes still lit-up with the sudden thought.
Weiss nodded. She was here for this. She was here for all of this. While the option of no had always played around in Weiss's mind, and as much as she wanted to use the word in the past, she no longer found it necessary. Not in this situation. A situation she had wanted. 'Sure, what movie are we going to watch?' Weiss signed, thinking about the movies she had seen.
Now, Weiss didn't exactly have the biggest film repertoire. She'd spent most of her time studying, sleeping, cleaning, and as a fun, yet odd activity, she liked to spend most of her time making origami. A small, silly secret that she kept, among others. So, whatever the movie was, there was a very small chance that Weiss had already seen it.
"Guardians of the Relics!" Yang proclaimed. "Y'know, it's that cool action movie starring Glynda Goodwitch as the heroine, and Tyrian Callows as one of the evil villians? It's the best action film, and you can quote me on that." As per usual, Yang excitably spoke as she seemed to grab Weiss by the hand, and dragged her to the living room. "Come on!" she exclaimed, her enthusiasm seeming to get the better of her.
Weiss allowed herself to be dragged along, fighting a smile as she did so. If Weiss didn't know any better, Yang seemed to resemble a scruffy golden retriever. Always excited and happy to see her. But this moment took Weiss back, back to when Yang showed a glimpse of… whatever that was she saw earlier that afternoon. Weiss's face scrunched up as she stood in the living room, Yang's back still facing her.
Yang let go, now shuffling through a shelf near the TV that held a wide array of DVDs. Yang pulled one out and popped it into the DVD player, simultaneously setting up the TV. Yang's head turned toward Weiss who had been standing there watching Yang's animated movements. "You're not going to stay standing the whole movie, now are ya', Weissy?" She grinned and turned her head back, continuing to set up the TV.
Weiss blushed at the newly-adorned nickname that seemed to be less-insulting, and more endearing. She sat down on the couch she had laid upon back when she passed out in the Xiao Long's lawn. It was a lot comfier than she had originally presumed. Now taking a good look around the house, she saw several picture frames on the walls. Most of Yang, Ruby, and Tai. Other things, like odd trinkets and decor, filled up the room. Several awards stood proudly on a shelf, with what Weiss could make out to be 'Spelling Bee champion' and 'Little League Softball Champion'. Yang's family seemed to be as normal as they came. Or, at least, what Weiss could assume to be normal.
Yang hopped onto the couch next to Weiss, remote in hand, as the movie began to play. "I really think you're gonna—" Yang began, but was cut off by the ringing of a phone. "Huh..." She paused the movie, furrowing her eyebrows. "Who calls at 8pm?" she muttered, then yelled toward the empty hallway, "Don't worry about it Ruby, I got it!" Yang hopped up from the couch and walked toward the kitchen where the phone had resided.
Weiss slightly flinched at Yang's harmless statement, knowing it wasn't even a negative statement, but there were things that were hard to unlearn.
"Y'ello, this is the Xiao Long Residence, who is—" Yang began with a casual tone, then a pause came as her eyes widened, then narrowed. "Oh... No... I don't care. You shouldn't be calling right now." Her tone was slowly changing, and her comfort level was visibly dropping as Weiss watched, listening intently. "You're calling about that? Seriously? Mo—No, you know what? This conversation is over. Goodbye!" She nearly slammedthe phone back onto its receiver.
Yang seemed to pause, her eyes drooping, her smile now completely gone. Weiss noticed every little detail about Yang, it was hard not to. Ruby seemed to enter the kitchen almost unnoticed. "Yang? Who called?" She asked curiously, cautiously. A simple glance from Yang was all it took for Ruby to get a clear answer. "Oh... Are you—?"
"I'm fine, thanks, Ruby," Yang answered in a rush, now looking over to Weiss who seemed to catch the whole ordeal. "We're just gonna watch the movie. Don't worry. Nothing's wrong." Yang smiled, a smile Weiss could tell was definitely forced. Somehow, Weiss knew that everything was wrong.
Ruby nodded, now pulling her headphones over her head, and retreating to her room once more.
"Sorry about that, let's just begin this fun night!" Yang's chipper attitude tried to shine through, but everything to Weiss now felt fake. There was an aura of unease that Weiss was all too familiar with, but she was not used to it coming from Yang. Yang took her spot, now away from Weiss in the armchair that was on the opposite end of where Weiss sat.
The movie had begun and as much as Weiss wanted to focus on it, her focus had been on Yang. Yang's eyes seemed to glaze over, as if she, too, wasn't watching the movie, but instead was in a far away land. Every so often, Yang would shoot a glance at Weiss, their eyes momentarily meeting only to fall back to the screen.
There wasn't a lot of talking, as Yang's eyes now actually focused on the screen after exchanging almost five strange glances with Weiss. While Weiss, by no means, felt little in this situation, her actual concern for Yang had begun to grow.
The movie ended, and Yang opted for them to return back to her room. The clock had struck ten pm quite some time ago. Yang kept a quiet demeanor about her, but whether it was for the sake of a supposedly-sleeping Ruby, or for some other reason entirely, Weiss did not know.
"Hey, Weiss, I hope you don't mind, but can we maybe practice some sign language tomorrow?" Yang asked as she started shuffling through her drawers. "You don't have to go to bed, but I think I might check in early after I finish showering and cleaning up." Her words were monotonous, expressionless, as she grabbed a set of clothing.
Weiss simply nodded as Yang left, trying to keep her own negative thoughts at bay. There was no way that Weiss had caused this, and yet, Weiss could only feel some sort of undeserved blame that she put on herself. She wanted to help Yang, but it was always hard for Weiss's words to actually reach people. For her to be heard, that actually required a voice, but she knew with her signing that Yang was always willing to listen.
Weiss looked around Yang's room, but refrained from touching anything, not wanting to be too nosy. Notebooks of history, science, and math that probably held a lot of Yang's work still laid scattered around the room. There wasn't much to make of Yang's room without being too personal, so she opted to wait in her makeshift bed.
Minutes passed and Yang returned, looking a little worse for wear. The bags underneath her eyes looked a little heavier, her eyes shot with a little hint of redness. A look that Weiss, too, was all too familiar with. Yang had been crying in the shower, but feigned as if she hadn't done so. "Oh, you're still awake. I thought you'd get bored or something and just fall asleep. Sorry about today, it was supposed to be a lot…" Yang paused and sighed, "better than this, but I guess not every sleepover can be perfect." She chuckled absently as she ruffled her own hair, and made her way to her bed.
'It's okay. I had a good time already. I'm sure tomorrow will be better.' Weiss slowly signed and mouthed.
'Thank you. It means a lot to me, sorry about today.' Yang returned with her signing, though, Weiss had found it unusual that Yang was so apologetic over what felt like nothing, 'Time for sleep.'
Weiss raised an eyebrow. 'What?'
Yang matched Weiss's expression in return. "Time for sleep? What? What did I say?" she repeated, her tone more curious this time.
Weiss shook her head with a smile, as if she we are laughing. Yang had spoken complete gibberish. 'We're definitely working on your sign language tomorrow.' Weiss signed back.
Yang smirked and nodded. "Yeah, sounds about right. Goodnight, Weiss." Yang quickly got up, turning off the lights, and retreated to her bed, now diving underneath the covers. Weiss silently watched and did the same, her back never turned toward Yang. Instead, she watched the movements of the sheets.
Weiss had an unusual amount of trouble sleeping in an unfamiliar setting, and as comfortable as she may have thought she was with Yang, her body seemed to tell her otherwise. Yang, too, seemed to suffer with restlessness.
Weiss tried closing her eyes, if only for a moment, not knowing that an hour or so had passed when she was immediately woken up by the sound of a loud gasp. Weiss's eyes shot open, her head turned to see a dark figure, Yang, was sitting up straight in bed.
As Weiss's eyes adjusted, the pale moonlight that had fluttered in shone on Yang's figure. Weiss made no sudden movements as she watched Yang's hands bury into her face, a light sob escaping from her. Yang's chest rose greatly, and every time she exhaled, a small sob emitted from her.
A nightmare?
Yang now turned to the edge of her bed, toward Weiss. Weiss now pretended to be asleep, not wanting to surprise her. Yang, nearly forgetting that Weiss was there, froze. "Shit," she muttered, her tone sounding panicked, almost as if she were about to break into another sob. She quietly got up and stepped over Weiss, as if not to wake her.
She left the room, now leaving in the middle of the night. Weiss shot up from her bed, her body now moving on its own as she followed Yang. She wanted to know what was wrong. It wasn't fair that Yang had done so much for her, and Weiss could only feel useless. She didn't want Yang to be just like her sister, Winter — someone who had done so much for her, but Weiss never was able to give back. Weiss wanted to be more to Yang, she wanted to be a friend.
Weiss wanted to give back everything she had received, and more.
So she did what any good friend would do — and followed Yang out that door.
AN: Hey y'all! Thanks for coming on this journey with me! I'm so glad you all have decided to read this far and you guys don't know how much your comments and kudos really mean to me!
I wanted to share the idea on making this part of a series so I can create a new piece of work in this same series/universe. It's to share some conversations between characters here that we don't see - and that didn't really make the cut. Anyways, I just wanted to give you all a heads up and that may be something I do if I can get around to it.
To everyone who's made it this far and are continuing this story with me - prepare for next chapter because you're going to want to hug your local Yang Xiao Long. ;P