"OPEN THE BOX!" Ruby chanted loudly as she had followed Yang back into her room. Weiss and Blake trailed quietly behind.
Yang held the box underneath her stub, and with her free arm grabbed Ruby, and pulled her into a sisterly headlock. "Ruby, what did I just say?" Yang playfully commented as she looked down at her sister with a glare.
"That we're going to your room to open the box?" Ruby replied.
"Yes… and are we in my room?" Yang stopped at the foot of her own door, giving her sister and her friends a not-so-threatening glare.
Ruby wiggled out of Yang's headlock and backed away, crossing her arms and standing up straight. "Well we would be had we not stopped in front of your door!" Her tone was higher pitched, one that Yang knew to be an annoyingly-mischievous tone. A tone she used just for the sake of poking fun at Yang.
Yang and Blake seemed to chuckle while Weiss silently giggled. "Alright, alright. You've made your point." Yang ushered them all in. Yang walked over to her bed and sat on it. Blake preferred the floor as Ruby took a chair from the desk. Leaving the only spot available to Weiss on Yang's bed.
"Is this the thing that Winter said she would send you guys?" Blake asked.
Yang eyed the box curiously, the symbol, a pretty, stylized snowflake, plastered upon the rectangular box. She then looked over at Weiss. The symbol and Weiss were apparently… related in a way? There was another symbol on the back, however. A combination of a purple-looking glyph layered under a red emblem with a space in the middle resembling a heart.
"Looks to be from the Snow Fall production line," Blake commented. "That's a technology conglomerate with the Schnee and Fall corporations. So, you got something pretty special there, probably worth more than we'll ever make in a lifetime."
The group seemed to remain open-mouthed at Blake's blatant knowledge that nearly all of them were unaware of. Nearly all of them but Weiss.
"How did you know that?" Yang asked, a straight look of confusion written upon her face.
Blake twiddled her fingers, a hesitant look on her face. She knew things; she knew a lot of things. She looked over at Weiss, a sudden need for permission to reveal everything that she had known about the Schnees and their long line of productions. Weiss merely nodded. They were all friends, weren't they? And soon enough, Weiss would have to share her own story. Her own story of how she lost her voice.
Weiss knew only the bare bones of Blake's story; maybe this was the time to scratch a little more beneath that hard surface. But not for the sake of Weiss.
But for the sake of Yang's and Blake's relationship as a whole.
"Remember when I ran away?" Blake began a little sheepishly, she knew that Yang already had dealt with her mother and their past memories, but now it was their turn to face the facts.
Yang, too, knew this would come eventually, she just didn't imagine so soon. "How could I not?" she responded with an eerily calm tone.
"I learned some things those two years I was gone. The world is… well, the world will always be messed up. At first, I thought I had found this underground group called the White Fang that would've helped me out with discovering who I was and what I could be. I learned that I wanted to help to do more than just sit around and wait. Long story short, we learned all about the corruptness of the corporate world." She took a deep breath and looked over at Weiss.
Weiss didn't realize how much Blake knew, but it seemed like she had known a lot. And soon enough, Weiss would hear things she probably already knew.
"There were rumors that the Schnees operated under less-than-favorable conditions. There were also rumors of a second daughter that 'mysteriously disappeared'. At first we thought there was a splinter group operating within our own midsts, that might've endangered you — a child at the time. Things inside the White Fang became dangerous. Whether the rumors were true or not, we learned that there were some within the White Fang that would've leapt at the chance to kidnap and murder just to get their hands on some high-tech weaponry that could revolutionize the way we see just about everything."
Weiss swallowed hard. The rumors weren't entirely rumors. She had disappeared from the public eye for a reason. It wasn't because she had been hunted or kidnapped, but because it was someone else's doing entirely. Her father's. But Weiss wasn't sure how much Blake knew about her father in general.
Not to mention, the group known as the White Fang had made her life increasingly difficult during her childhood. But Blake had been a part of the group. As much as Weiss wanted to say something, she kept her mouth shut. Like she always had. She couldn't blame Blake for what had happened to the corporation. Blake had been young and naive, and from the looks of it, Blake had grown into a much better person.
Besides, this was never about her and Blake. It was about Yang and Blake. The things that Yang needed to hear.
"Wow, uhh… that's a lot to take in," Ruby lowly commented, listening in. The whole group seemed to be entranced by the story.
"Yeah, I guess it is. And to think I was just sixteen at the time, realizing I was way in over my head. I left a lot of good things behind, and I wanted it all back. I'm sure you all know by now who got me back here — Sun. And while the White Fang no longer exists because of me, I thought I had brought everything back to normal." Blake had been fiddling with her hands, squeezing her own fingers in an attempt to fight the nervousness of her own words.
"I hardly told anyone the real story, and that includes you, Yang." She finally looked up at Yang, a small part of her seeming to tremble. "I thought for the longest time you and I were fine. That everything was fine between us, but deep down, I knew they weren't. I left you and… I can't take any of it back. The time that we lost, I know I can't give it back. Yang, we were best friends, and I couldn't even recognize your feelings at the time." She let out a big sigh. "Some friend I was to you all this time. Then again, parts of me wonder if it's fair of me to say we were 'best' friends. I'm… I'm sorry, Yang."
Weiss looked over toward Yang, trying to gauge her reaction. Weiss had been pretty apt at reading her emotions; even at the slightest facial movement, Weiss knew what Yang was feeling. There was reluctance on her face, but at the same time, Yang's concerned expression turned into a soft sudden sadness that hinted at forgiveness. Yang's eyes seemed to move back and forth, but in looking toward an empty space. She was searching her mind for the words that needed to be said.
Yang finally met her eyes with Blake, there had been a small moment of silence that Blake didn't want to break until Yang had spoken. Neither Weiss nor Ruby felt the need to speak up in their behalf. This was between them.
"I have to admit, you were right about the best friend thing. I wasn't… I really didn't believe you were back. At least, not for my sake. It was selfish of me to think so, and honestly it was selfish of me to have… put that burden on you. The burden of the past, when I said those things. Honestly, we were both wrong." Yang sighed, somber lavender eyes meeting with hesitant amber ones.
"I'm sorry, too. But honestly, all that matters is that you're here with me—no, with us—right now. And I wouldn't have it any other way." Yang stood up, placing the box in her hand on the bed next to Weiss, then she offered her hand to Blake, who picked herself up to her feet. Yang hugged Blake. "You're my best friend and a part of my family Blake, always."
Blake nodded as she returned the hug. "Thank you, Yang." Blake and Yang finally felt a long-forgotten relief between each other. They were both okay in parts of life, and while things hadn't worked out back then, they certainly had now.
"Aww, that's so sweet." Ruby added, watching the two hug. "Now can we please see what's in the box?" She seemed jokingly irritated as the pitch in her voice went up.
Yang and Blake pulled away from one another with a chuckle. "Yeah, yeah we'll get right on it." Yang stepped backwards and lightly fell back onto her bed next to Weiss and the box once more.
Weiss simply smiled throughout the entirety of the interactions, she was happy for them. Happy for all of them. They had become a simple little family even though Weiss and Yang were slowly starting to become more to one another.
Now handing over the box to Yang, Weiss grinned at her. Yang nodded, now opening the box. "Whoa..." Yang muttered as she opened the box — it was a prosthetic arm. Top of the line technology like Blake had mentioned. It came with a stud for Yang's stub that somehow gave Yang a fully-functioning arm. Though this would never truly replace the real thing, it was surely an impressive sight.
With the help of Weiss, she put the strangely light, metallic-looking stud onto her stub, Yang then attaching the arm herself. Immediately, it had begun to function. Just like a real arm.
"Whoooooooooooaaaa!" Ruby stood up, jumping to Yang's side, and grazed her hands all over Yang's new arm. "It's sooo cool!"
Yang chuckled. "Yeah, it is pretty cool. This will help me with a lot of things. Like video games." She grinned widely, remembering their earlier shenanigans.
"Oh, you guys won't be able to cheat, then," Blake chidely commented in an amused manner.
Yang glared. "You guys weren't complaining before!" Weiss seemed to soundlessly giggle at their nonsense.
The group had almost began another argument when the doorbell had ran for a second time.
"Ooooh! I'll get it!" Ruby said, finally prying herself off of Yang.
"I left my wallet in the living room, Blake can you help her please?" Yang asked, looking over at Blake, who nodded.
"Heyyy, I don't need help!" Ruby groaned as she walked toward the door. Blake shook her head and shoved Ruby out the door.
Now Weiss and Yang had the room to themselves. They seemed to look at each other, weakly smiling.
Weiss lifted her arms to begin signing, "That's a pretty neat thing you have there." She pointed to Yang's new arm. "I'm sorry for not… telling you about my history earlier."
Yang waved her off, shaking her head. "You don't owe me an explanation on anything. You're still the same Weiss Schnee I know." She looked at her own arm, moving it around and trying it out. "Doesn't really change the way that I feel about you."
Weiss's heart jumped. The way she felt? They hadn't even thought about this. Or even talked about their feelings... for each other. But Weiss fully knew what she felt.
"What do you mean?" Weiss seemed to shakily sign, her nerves getting the better of her. But it was a happy nervous.
"Well, you know earlier when we were about to… uhm, hah..." Yang paused, a fervent blush taking over her face. "You know we were about to… kiss. Unless that was my imagination, or something," she quickly blurted out.
She said it. She had said the word. Weiss knew the exact moment Yang had been talking about. Weiss's heart flipped once more. She had yearned for another moment like this. It was almost here.
As Yang looked over to Weiss with trepidation in her response, Weiss seemed to have been frozen as well, but her heart pumped her alive — she knew what she wanted to do. Weiss didn't respond.
"W-Weiss?" Yang seemed to slowly question, she knew just as well what they were about to do. Her fears had been suddenly washed away with the look that Weiss had been giving her.
All they just needed to do was close the gap.
All they just needed was…
"Yaaaaaaaang! WEISSS! PIZZAAA!" Ruby barged in, causing the two to fly apart once more.
...To lock the damn door!
"Get it while it's hot!" Ruby winked at the two and exited the room.
Yang and Weiss seemed to sigh in unison and shrug. Once more their moment had been interrupted. Weiss seemed to soundlessly grunt as they left the room to go join the other two girls.
Three A.M.
Yang quietly stepped over the three other sleeping girls as they had all slept in the living room in random fashion. The rest of the day for them had consisted of eating pizza, watching dumb movies, and a not-so secret pining for Weiss Schnee who had seemed to be attached to her hip as well.
After their second interruption, Yang was entirely sure that there would be no opportunities as long as the other two girls were around. She had filled herself with entirely too much soda and water, and now needed to escape to the restroom.
When she had exited, the last person she had expected to see before her suddenly appeared, nearly making her jump out of her high socks. "Weiss?!" she whispered, concerned and tired.
Instead of a proper response, Weiss had dragged Yang to her room and lightly shut the door behind her.
"Weiss? Is something wrong?" Yang yawned and habitually led them to her bed.
Yang sat down with Weiss in front of her. It was dark, but Yang could clearly see Weiss through the moonlight.
Weiss swallowed hard. She wanted this.
"Yang?" she finally said a little shakily.
Yang's brows furrowed in concern, but she felt her nerves heighten as the sound of Weiss's voice had always made her weak.
"Yes?" she answered.
"Kiss me," Weiss quickly said, her face burning almost as much as her heart was with desire.
"What?" Yang's eyes widened, she wasn't sure if she had heard Weiss correctly, but there was no denying what she had heard. And this wasn't some dream or her imagination playing with her.
"Kiss me." She pulled Yang by her shirt collar and closed the gap between them, without giving Yang the time to properly respond.
The only response Yang could give now was to slowly melt into Weiss and their shared kiss. Yang's one arm wrapped around Weiss's waist, and Weiss kept her hands pressed to Yang's cheeks, her fingers moving back and lightly caressing her head and hair. Weiss pressed her body into the sitting Yang, causing her, and then both of them, to fall on the bed while they continued to kiss.
This had given them a brief pause as both of them seemed to giggle at the fact. Weiss stared at Yang, who laid below her as her hands rested on both sides of Yang.
"Weiss?" Yang now propped herself up as she had taken this moment to talk to her. Weiss sat up on Yang, straddling her hips, her head tilted. "I was hoping… you and I could be… uhm, girlfriends?"
Weiss heartily nodded and answered her with a weak, "Yes." But instead of going in for another kiss, she simply laid on top of Yang, nuzzling into her neck and reveling in the newfound contact with her girlfriend. Yang lifted them both up and properly placed them into the bed, tucking them both in as Weiss seemed to latch onto Yang's neck and continuously cuddle into her.
Yang pressed a light kiss upon her head and nuzzled back into her. Content as she could ever be with this new status.
They were girlfriends, they had actually liked each other and now they had been official. Weiss and Yang were on cloud nine. They didn't dared to move from one another as they drifted off to sleep in Yang's bed.
"Where could they have gone?! This sleepover was Yang's idea!" Ruby yawned as both she and Blake walked from room to room.
"I'm sure they're here somewhere. Yang wouldn't just leave like that," Blake commented, rubbing her eyes.
Ruby had awakened Blake from her slumber as soon as she had noticed the two were missing from their makeshift beds of pillows and blankets on the floor. As usual, Yang was a late sleeper. Blake had reluctantly followed along with Ruby's shenanigans.
They had finally stumbled upon the closed door of Yang's room, Ruby slowly opening it and freezing with wide eyes. "Oh my gosh..." she whispered, pulling Blake in.
"Wh-Oh." Blake nodded, she looked fairly impressed with the sight before her.
Weiss and Yang were cuddled up in the bed, sleeping peacefully.
"We should let them sleep," Blake whispered to Ruby as Blake had begun to drag her back out of the room.
Ruby nodded. "They're soooo cute."
"Oh, you know we're never going to let them live this down, right?" Blake chuckled as she closed the door behind her.
"Hehe! Nope!"