Weiss groaned softly when she awoke to a throbbing pain in her head. Even the sun casting a yellow tint on the back of her eyelids made her feel like her brain was melting. Maybe she had overdone it a little bit with the vodka? She probably should've used a glass instead of drinking from the bottle.
Her bed was startlingly warm. A small part of her wondered why, but she ignored it's panic, choosing instead to enjoy the small blessing and lazy morning. They didn't have rehearsal today and she didn't think any of her roommates would notice if she didn't come out of her room.
Her warm bed moved under her, upsetting her headache further. When she wrapped her arms around it tighter and growled, it let out an odd squeak and stilled. Good. It was much too early for anything to be movi-
Her eyes flew open, only to meet golden skin and a dragon tattoo.
That was NOT her bed.
Almost dreading what she would find, her gaze traveled up over a tattooed shoulder and muscular neck until they found a pair of nervous lilac eyes.
The memory hit her like a semi-truck. The drinking, the hysteric crying, the dancing, the soft words and gentle arms, the begging. Weiss did not beg for anybody, no matter how lonely she felt. Or, that's what she thought.
"Please don't stab me, Weiss." Yang whispered.
She put a hand over the blondes mouth, returning her head to it's original position and closing her eyes tightly, "We're not awake yet." Being awake meant talking about her feelings. She wasn't quite ready for that.
"Oh, um… okay."
Weiss stayed that way for a few minutes, almost paralyzed by anxiety as she rose and fell with every breath the blonde took. She forced her breathing to stay even, though it didn't help the fact that her heart was pounding in her chest.
A stomach growling from beneath her made her heave a sigh. Finally, she cracked her eyes open to look up at the brute again. "Are you hungry?"
Yang gave her a nod, drawing another, heavier sigh from the pale woman. It wasn't Yang's fault she was an emotional wreck last night, the least she could do was let her get breakfast.
With a groan, she sat up. Weiss rubbed her eyes tiredly and let out a yawn, pressing a hand to her head when it began to hurt again. Unfortunately, last night's sleep transformed her from an emotional wreck to a physical wreck. She was already a mess before her coffee, but with an added hangover… no wonder Yang looked scared.
Yang reached over to the nightstand before handing a couple of painkillers and half full glass of water up to her. Weiss took it gratefully and downed them.
"Thank you." She grumbled. That was actually very thoughtful of her.
"Does this mean you won't stab me?" Yang breathed.
Weiss thought about it, Yang was the only witness to her embarrassing emotions, but decided against it. "I won't stab you." If anything, she would strangle her. Beautiful skin like that shouldn't be stabbed.
The blonde let out a relieved sigh, forcing Weiss to put a hand on her stomach to keep herself steady.
She froze as her hand met the woman's skin, an involuntary noise coming from her throat. Eyes wide, she looked down at the perfectly sculpted muscle where her shirt rode up. The sight of the blonde flushed and pinned beneath her was a lot more satisfying than she had imagined.
Not that she had imagined it. At all. Ever.
"W-Weiss?"
The heiress cleared her throat, all but throwing herself off the bed. It was too early for this bullshit. "Can we please just go get breakfast?" She groaned.
"Sure thing." Yang scrambled out of the bed, following close behind as Weiss trudged towards the door. She just needed some coffee. Hopefully, the caffeine would help her control her hormones.
As she opened it, the sound of another door swinging open made her pause, Yang bumping into her back and nearly throwing her off her feet.
Blake and Ruby stepped out of the excitable girl's room. They froze when they saw the other two. Weiss thought about explaining herself, but the remnants of sleep were still clouding her mind and she felt a little too hateful to communicate. Yang, however, seemed focused on something completely different.
"Blake, is that a tail?"
Ruby thought that Blake would be hard. The woman was always on guard. Blake was tense muscles and clenched teeth. Quiet and perceptive. Ready to run or strike at any second.
But, curled into the faunus' chest, Ruby realized that Blake was also soft. She wasn't as lean as Weiss, but wasn't as muscular as Yang, or even Ruby. Her face was relaxed and her arms would pull Ruby against her if there was even a hint of space between them.
Ruby had been awake for a while, cuddling sleepily and waiting for Blake to wake up. The thought of pulling away to get breakfast made the warmth that had built in her chest hurt a little, so she was content to stay in the embrace until the other woman was ready.
At least until she felt something very peculiar moving.
Something very peculiar moving against a very sensitive area.
Her cheeks flared a bright red.
What was that?
She squirmed a little. Both of Blake's arms were definitely around her, so those were out of the question. She tried to look down between them, but the tight embrace she was in kept her from separating them at all. It twitched again, causing her blush to spread and her pulse to spike.
What was that!?
"Blake, wake up!" She squeaked.
The faunus groaned and yawned, cracking an eye open to look at the girl in her arms. "Hm?"
"Do you have a dick?"
Blake pulled back, blinking sleepily with a confused face Ruby would've found adorable if she weren't currently panicking. "Ruby. What the fuck?"
"No, no!" She said quickly, hoping she hadn't made her self conscious. "It's totally cool if you do! I mean, there are a lot of people with dicks that identify as women and it's not like we're gonna love you any less for it or make fun of you, but I just really need to know if it's your junk that's touching my junk or something I should be worried about- not like I worry about what's in your pants or anything everybody has fetishes, I mean, I'm into some pretty weird stuff so I guess-"
Blake pressed a finger against her lips, shutting her up. Ruby was thankful. "Ruby, what are you talk-"
It twitched again, forcing the younger girl to bite her lip to stifle a groan. Blake's eyes were as wide as saucers as she scrambled back, face hot. "Okay, Ruby, this isn't what it looks like."
Ruby eyed the odd bulge in her pants."Blake, it's totally cool if it is! I really don't mind, I was just kind of surprised!"
Blake made a frustrated sound and stood up on her knees, "It's not! Look, I'll show you!"
"S-Show me!?" Ruby's heart rate sped up even more, "R-R-Right now!?"
"Yes!" She said, reaching around to the back of her pants.
Ruby put a hand over her heart, looking up at Blake with wide eyes. "Please be gentle, it's my first time!" She squeaked.
Just then, a furry appendage escaped the the faunus' pants and laid itself on the bed. Blake breathed a sigh of relief and Ruby stared at it, face neutral.
Blake had a tail.
They both stayed silent for a moment, Blake looking anywhere but at the girl and Ruby wondering if the universe loved seeing her make a fool of herself.
"It um… it kind of curls up wherever it's the warmest." Blake said, scratching the back of her head. "So… you're a virgin?"
"I-you-I don't-" Ruby buried her face in her hands, groaning. "How about this, you forget everything I just said and I'll forget you violated me with your tail while you were sleeping?"
"Deal."
Ruby let out a sigh, slowly peeking through her fingers. Blake's tail was long and fuzzy, the fur midnight black like the woman's hair. The end twitched every so often. "Can I… can I touch it?" She asked, voice uncertain. She didn't want a repeat of what happened the first day they met.
The faunus stared at her for a moment before the tail settled in Ruby's lap. "Please be careful, it's very sensitive."
She had to hold back an excited squeal as she held it gently, running her fingers through the soft, warm fur. Blake leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes with a soft sigh. Ruby couldn't help but giggle. It was so soft and Blake looked so adorable. Maybe the intense shame and embarrassment was worth it?
A loud grumbling alerted her to her stomach's needs, and she smiled. "You wanna go get breakfast?"
Blake's eyes opened lazily, looking just on the edge of sleep. "Mmm, yes."
Ruby hopped off the bed, Blake following a little more slowly.
As they stepped out, they were met by the other two stepping into the hallway. Yang looked as Yang always did in the mornings. A bright smile on her face and her hair an absolute mess.
Weiss, however, was looking a little more murderous than her usual lethargic self. She looked like she had been hit by a train. There were large dark circles under her squinting, bloodshot eyes and a hand pressed to her head.
Weiss was hungover.
"Blake, is that a tail?" Yang said, pointing a finger in it's direction and derailing Ruby's train of thought.
Blake sighed and nodded. "Yes."
"That's cool, where did it come from? I've never seen you with it before." Yang came over, looking at it closely, "Did you like, grow it or something?"
"No, I've had it my whole life." She said, flicking the blonde with it lightly. Ruby couldn't stop the mortified look at the memory of where that tail had just been. "It's very sensitive to temperature, so I keep it wrapped around my thigh. I… don't like showing it off."
Ruby half expected Weiss to launch into another beautiful speech about not hiding who you are, but she seemed a little too tired to do much of anything at all. She was proved right as the heiress turned and headed towards the kitchen, the sound of a coffee maker following shortly after. The rest chose to join her.
As Blake began to make her tea and Yang started on her omelet, Ruby retrieved one of the best inventions the world has ever known from the cupboard. It was technically cereal so Yang and Dad couldn't get angry at her for eating it so early in the morning, but it was actually a whole bunch of tiny cookies!
She dumped as much as her bowl would hold and poured in some milk. Ruby sat at the counter next to Weiss and smiled at her. Weiss twitched in her direction, but it was the closest thing to a smile she was going to get.
It was an unspoken rule that you didn't talk to Weiss before she got her caffeine fix, so Ruby turned to Yang instead. "What are you gonna do today? I'm going out to get a new piercing!"
Yang looked over her shoulder from her place at the stove. "Sweet! I'm taking Weiss somewhere today. Afterwards, I was thinking we could go visit dad."
Ruby squealed, bouncing in her seat. "How do you think he's doing? Do you think he remembered to take his meds?"
"He better have." She chuckled, bringing her plate to the counter.
Ruby thought it was odd that she and her sister were the only ones that ate breakfast. Going without food for a whole eight hours was hard by itself, but only having coffee or tea after that? It would be torture.
The rest of breakfast went on quietly, though Yang and Weiss got ready and left halfway through Ruby's second bowl. Whatever she was doing with Weiss must've been really important because Yang's shower only took ten minutes.
When the girl finally finished she looked over at Blake. The faunus was always quiet, but not this quiet. She sat in her chair, staring down into her tea in deep thought.
Ruby wondered what went on in Blake's head sometimes. Sometimes it looked like she was trying to figure out a hard math problem. Sometimes she looked like she was remembering happy things or sad things. This time she just looked kind of amused.
She pushed those thoughts aside. Right now she had a different matter to attend to. "Hey Blake, do you want to go with me to get my piercing? I-I don't really like going alone, and I'll get us some lunch afterwards."
"Sure. I don't have much to do today anyways."
Ruby pushed open the door of the parlor happily, striding in with determination. Usually she came here with Yang, but she wasn't going to act like a baby in front of Blake. Nothing could stop her now.
The Hidden Tiger tattoo parlor lived up to it's name, hidden in a small rundown neighborhood. Despite the shady environment, the shop was bright and welcoming. The interior was all brown, gold, and green, soothing Ruby's nerves every time she walked in.
"Ah, Ruby. Here to get your industrial?" The man behind the counter said with a smile. He was a little taller than Ruby and always wore camouflage for some reason. Not like he could hide from anyone with his bright pink mohawk and deep blue eyes. He'd been working at the shop for as long as Ruby could remember.
He cocked his head slightly, "Where's your sister?"
"Yang's busy today. I brought a new friend though! Her name is Blake. Blake, this is Kyle." Ruby said, giving Blake an encouraging smile. All the people here were really friendly, but she didn't want Blake to feel uncomfortable.
Kyle offered a hand to the faunus with a wide smile and she shook it quickly. "I like your piercings. It takes a special kind of person to pull off a septum piercing so well."
"Thanks. It takes a special kind of person to pull off a hot pink mohawk so well." Blake smirked.
He chuckled, looking to Ruby. "You have great taste in friends, Ruby. Now hurry and get in the chair before you can work yourself into a heart attack."
"I'm ready today, Kyle!" She said, picking out her favorite chair in the shop. It was right next to the window and she could feel the sunlight pouring in and warming her skin without the harsh wind to chill her. "I'm not even scared this time!"
After looking around for a bit longer, Blake sat down next to her. "Is this your usual place?"
Ruby nodded ecstatically, giving the girl a big smile. "Yeah, this is where I got all of my piercings. Yang got her tattoos here too."
"It seems nice. I got all my piercings from a little parlor in Vacuo."
"That's really cool! I heard they use a different method there." The faunus rarely volunteered information unless she was asked. It added another layer of excitement to Ruby's good mood.
"Yeah, they use scalpels instead of needles most of the time."
"Woah." Ruby breathed, bringing a smirk to the faunus' face, "That's awesome."
Today was shaping up to be amazing. She got to hang out with Blake, she was gonna go see her dad, and she wasn't even scared of her new piercing.
At least, she wasn't until she caught a glimpse of the needle Kyle was going to use out of the corner of her eye. It was big. Oh god it was big. Her confidence shrank into an uneasy, nervous fear.
"S-so that's the one you're gonna use?" She asked with a nervous laugh.
Kyle nodded, "Yep. I'm gonna recline the chair. Just keep looking at Blake, alright?"
The chair whirred and lowered her when she gave him a nod. Her eyes locked onto Blake's worried face. "Are you okay?"
"Y-Yeah. I always get a little nervous before a new piercing."
Kyle smiled at the girl. "Hey, you've come a long way. I remember when you used to make Yang hold you down."
Ruby grinned up at him, but it turned into a grimace when she caught another glance at the needle. She quickly glued her eyes back to Blake. The raven haired woman studied her for a moment before offering her hand. Ruby took it gratefully, giving the woman a small smile.
"Does Yang get this nervous, too?" Blake asked.
Ruby winced, shuddering.
"No, no. Yang doesn't get nervous." Kyle said, his face flushed. "She gets… well, she gets something else."
Blake raised an eyebrow, but both of them refused to elaborate.
Finally, Kyle had all of the needed supplies spread on a table near Ruby's chair. "Alright, just relax and it'll be over in a moment."
Those words were the opposite of relaxing. Her heart immediately began to hammer at her ribs, tears pricking in her eyes. That needle was big, what if it slipped? It was definitely longer than her skull was thick. A strangled squeak got caught in her throat. She knew that Kyle was a professional, but he was human. Humans made mistakes. Mistakes that could and would kill her.
"Oh god, Blake! I'm gonna die!" She wailed, trying her best not to grip the alarmed faunus' hand too tightly.
"Ruby, you're gonna be fine."
"Tell Yang and Dad that I love them and they were the best family I could ever ask for. And don't let them look through my laptop!"
"What? Why?"
"Better yet, smash it. Smash my laptop."
"Smash it?"
"Into tiny pieces. Then burn the pieces."
"Um…"
"And when you find a new guitarist for RWBY, make sure there name starts with an R. I don't want the band to have a weird name."
"Okay, Ruby." Blake chuckled.
"Thank you so much Blake I love you I'm so glad we were friends Blake you're the best!" Ruby sobbed hysterically.
"I'm glad we're friends too Ruby, but you can get up now. Kyle's done."
Ruby stopped mid-sob, head snapping towards the man who was now putting everything away. Her gaze slowly traveled back to Blake, who had a raised eyebrow and a small grin. Her cheeks burned and she groaned. That was the second time today she had horribly embarrassed herself. She could definitely go for a dark hole to hide in right about now.
Blake patted her shoulder, giving Ruby a small smile. "Don't worry about it. You wouldn't be you if you didn't ramble and embarrass yourself on a daily basis. And I like you just the way you are."
Ruby's heart kicked up it's beat again (though, it was for a different reason) as she looked up at Blake.
Blake liked her?
Blake liked her!?
Ruby thought she might die from pure joy. An odd noise that was halfway between a squeal and a scream escaped her as she lunged for her dark friend, intent on cuddling her to death.
Her world was suddenly turned sideways in a whirl of confusing motion. When she made sense of what happened, she found herself slung across Blake's shoulders in a fireman's carry. Again. How did Blake always do that so fast?
The woman carried Ruby over to Kyle and looked over her shoulder. "Don't forget to pay him. I could use that lunch right about now."
Ruby awkwardly reached across Blake to pull out her wallet, handing the money over to Kyle, who took it with an amused grin. "You guys have a nice day, alright?"
Ruby saluted him. "Can do."
With that, Blake carried her out of the shop.
The rain came down like an icy tidal wave.
Ruby and Blake sat next to each other on a small bench outside the restaurant they had lunch at, their stomachs full. The smell of petrichor was thick, even with it being so close to winter. The cold water blocked her sight of anything more than a few feet away. Ruby felt safe and cozy, even as goosebumps rose all along her exposed arms.
She may have felt comfortable dancing around in the puddles and having fun, but she didn't think that Blake (bundled up in her big purple sweater and thick pants) would appreciate the walk home.
But the way the woman gazed out at the wet pavement caught her eye as much as the rain itself. The small smile on her face and slight glimmer in her eyes made Ruby's heart flutter like she had a hummingbird stuck in her chest.
"Do you like the rain, Blake?" She asked softly, staring out into the grey nothingness.
"Yeah."
"Me too. It feels so safe and secluded. It's like you're in a whole other world where everything is simple. You don't have to think about anything farther than you can see." Ruby let out a soft sigh, looking at her friend. "Why do you like it?"
Blake hummed in thought for a moment, gaze turning to the sky. "It feels clean. It's like the rain sweeps away everything dirty and wrong and leaves a new, clean world behind."
Ruby watched as the faunus relaxed slightly, golden eyes looking to the ground that separated the dry sidewalk from the rainy street.
Blake always spoke of liberation. Of justice and righting wrongs. Of making things better. The way the woman talked about her past made Ruby wondered if Blake thought of herself as one of those wrongs. As something dirty and wrong, that she'd been working so hard to cleanse.
She took the faunus' hand gently, giving her a soft smile. "Come with me."
Blake said nothing, but rose with the silver eyed girl. Even as Ruby stepped into the rain, Blake followed.
It soaked them both to the skin in a few seconds, but Ruby walked with no set destination in mind. No rush. They didn't have anywhere to be or anything to do.
She kept a gentle grip on Blake's hand as they walked, and with the rain falling as hard as it was, it was easy to believe that they were the only ones in the world.
It was after a few minutes of silence that Ruby realized that Blake's eyes were closed, being led only by the hand in hers. Her head was tilted up towards the sky, wet hair sticking to her cheeks. It reminded Ruby of how soft Blake could be.
Blake reminded Ruby of earth. She could be cutting, rough and hard as stone. In this moment, she was more like soft soil being washed down a hill.
Blake looked free. And Ruby felt warm, even in the freezing rain, because she knew that what the faunus needed more than anything was freedom. She had been chained down by hate and anger, and when those were gone, by the memory of them.
Blake was free, and Ruby was glad to be free with her. Though she was the one leading Blake, she couldn't but feel like it was the other way around. It was then that she decided that she would follow Blake for as long as the golden eyed woman would let her. Whether it was to the peaks of mountains or into the darkest shadows. Ruby would follow her.
Because it was also then that Ruby Rose knew she was completely and undeniably in love with Blake Belladonna.
As they walked, the rain softened and slowed until all that was left of it were the puddles on the ground and the sopping wet clothes on their bodies.
"How do you feel?" Ruby asked quietly, almost afraid to break the gentle silence they walked in.
"I feel clean." Blake's voice was nearly a whisper, her eyes opening slowly to take in their new surroundings. With the rain gone, they could see that they were in an unfamiliar neighborhood. Though that would be frightening any other time, Ruby couldn't shake the sense that everything would be okay.
"I guess we're kind of lost." Ruby giggled.
Blake chuckled softly, "I guess so." Her ears perked slightly as she gazed at one of the restaurants, droplets of water shaking off of them.
"Do you think we should call Yang and Weiss?"
"No need." She nodded towards the restaurant.
When Ruby followed Blake's gaze, she couldn't hold back a laugh. Yang and Weiss were seated in the restaurant, right near the window. Although their expressions worried Ruby a bit. Yang looked angry, Weiss looked indifferent, and the waiter at the table had a wide grin on his face.
Ruby lifted a hand to wave, but was stopped dead as she watched three things occur in rapid succession.
The waiter said something, his smirk growing. Yang's face flushed a brilliant red, her eyes going wide. And Weiss stabbed the waiter with a fork.
Ruby and Blake observed silently as Weiss slammed the waiter's head into the table. He straightened up, stumbling a bit, only to be met with Yang's right hook.
Finally, Ruby spoke up. "What the actual fuck?"
"Should… should we go see what's going on?"
Ruby honestly didn't think they should get involved, they seemed to have resolved the issue themselves, but what happened next made her gasp and start towards the shop at a run.
Weiss looked down at the sidewalk, aggressively ignoring the presence of the blonde walking beside her.
They had been walking aimlessly for nearly an hour, but Yang hadn't pressured her into talking, much to the heiress' relief. She couldn't even begin to organize the swirling thoughts and feelings in her head. She could already feel a migraine trying to come into being.
Finally, Weiss took a deep breath and squared her shoulders, glancing up at the blonde. "I don't-"
"Weiss. Relax, please. I'm not going to make you tell me anything you're not ready to. I know you promised, but if it's something you'd rather not talk about, I'll understand." Yang said softly, giving Weiss a gentle smile.
Weiss' posture deflated immediately, her breath coming out in a sigh. "I… I'm not sure what I am ready to talk about."
Yang hummed for a moment, her lips pursed. "How about we play a question game? You ask me a question, and I'll ask you one. You can skip any question if it makes you uncomfortable, alright?"
"Is there a certain subject or goal?" Weiss asked, eyebrows knitting together.
"Nope. You can ask anything you want and I'll answer the best I can."
"Okay. I think I get it. Will you go first?" She wasn't sure what to think of this 'game' but it sounded simple enough.
"How are you feeling right now?"
Weiss was taken aback by how simple the question was. Did Yang mean physically or emotionally? She didn't know, so she decided to go with a little of both. "Well, my headache is gone and I feel a lot more human after that shower. I feel… stable, emotionally I mean. I'm not going to burst into tears at the slightest provocation."
Yang chuckled softly, "I'm glad."
It was the heiress' turn. She bit her lip in thought. There were a wide range of things she was curious about.
She could now understand why Yang chose this game. Weiss would not be baring her soul, and any vulnerability would be mirrored by the blonde. Yang could ask her any question she wanted, but Weiss could too. She didn't feel like she was under interrogation, and it set her nerves at ease, if only a little.
"Why do you have so many tattoos?"
In her tank top, all of the ink on her arms and shoulders were on display. Weiss was never a big fan of tattoos and she didn't understand the allure of having them all over herself. Piercings were a lot nicer and easier.
Yang traced the scales of the dragon's tail on her arm, a small smile coming to her face. "Well, some are memories and reminders, some are a form of self expression. The rose vines are for Ruby, because she's my little sister and I love her to death. This one here," She lifted her shirt a little, pointing to a paw print on her side, "Is for Dad. The flames and the dragon are for me, as well as this." She pulled the waist of her jeans down slightly to show Weiss a burning heart on her hip.
Weiss couldn't fight the small smile that found it's way to her face. Ruby was right when she wrote that song. Yang did burn.
Weiss pointed to her knuckles, 'BANG' was written across them on both hands. "What about those ones?"
"Those are from when I used to fight." She chuckled, "I won a few underground matches when we were low on cash."
Weiss nodded slowly. She had heard of those before, but had never really been interested enough to research it.
"My turn. Have you been eating enough lately? When I picked you up, I swear one of your ribs tried to stab me."
The pale woman found her cheeks heating up. The woman already thought she was a spoiled rich girl, telling her how picky she was with her food would only make it worse. But Yang had volunteered information so freely, Weiss didn't feel so self conscious about it. "I can't stand most of the food in Vale. It's a lot different than in Atlas, I have a hard time eating it."
The blonde beamed brightly, "Is that why you were so happy when we were in the grocery store?"
Weiss nodded, her cheeks growing even more red.
"Then I'm happy I could help." Yang chuckled. "Alright, your turn."
"Are you and Ruby really related?" She asked after a moment of thought, "You both look very different and you have different last names."
"We're half sisters, to be honest. I get my name from our father, and Ruby got her's from her mother."
Yang looked around for a moment before sitting on a nearby bench and beckoning Weiss to join her. "I lived with my mom until I was around six, but Ruby always lived with our father. When she was born, her mom just up and left her with him. When my mom died and I went to live with them, Ruby was sick and really thin, but he didn't give a shit. He spent most of the money he made on drugs and booze.
"I was only six at the time, but even then I knew it was wrong. I tried to make sure she had enough to eat, but child services eventually ended up getting involved and we were put in a foster home.
"We were there for about a year before Dad adopted us."
Weiss stayed silent for a while as she thought. It was miraculous that the sisters could go through all of that and still smile and make everyone around them happy. Weiss had been raised with everything she could ever want being bought on demand, yet she couldn't even make herself happy.
"Enough about me though, it's my turn to ask a question." Yang said, giving Weiss a smile. Weiss noted that it didn't reach her eyes. "What did your father tell you yesterday that had you so torn up?"
Weiss flinched at the sudden question. She knew that it was why they were out there. It had made her nervous to talk about something that had so easily broken her, but she felt like she could answer Yang's question now.
"He didn't want my career to cause any more scandals. As daughter of the CEO of the Schnee Steel Company, I'm constantly in the spotlight. If I make a mistake or do something stupid, it's immediately in every paper, blog, and daytime tv show. I already slipped up once, and it was broadcasted almost everywhere before he could cover it up. It's old news now, but it can't happen again."
Weiss let out a heavy sigh, pulling her knees up to her chest in an attempt to make herself smaller. "In a few years, I'm going to inherit the company. Until then, I can't make them look anything less than perfect. I can't make the family look anything less than perfect. I can't be anything less than perfect."
"Can't you just leave?" Yang asked, giving the girl a soft look.
"No. Then Winter will be next in line. I can't force that on her. She can be anything she wants, and I'm not going to take that away from her. I don't want her to end up like me."
"I'm sorry Weiss, but your dad sounds like a major dick."
The girl shrugged. "He wasn't always like that. He used to be a lot better, but when mom died he went off the deep end." She shuddered as streaks of red and white flashed across her vision, making her hug her legs tighter. "We all did. Dad, Winter, me…"
Strong arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her into the blondes lap. Weiss always felt like a giant, tiptoeing through life for fear she might step on something and break it. The smallest move she made could cause a disaster. In Yang's lap, it was easy to feel small. When her vision was limited to one tattooed shoulder and golden arms hid her from the world, she didn't feel like all eyes were on her.
"What was she like?" Came Yang's soft voice.
A small smile graced the pale woman's lips, "She was amazing. She was beautiful and kind. Selfless to a fault. She could love anyone, and everyone loved her because of it. Even my father. He may not have cared for me or my sister, but he loved her. He was always softer when she was around."
Weiss felt the arms around her squeeze slightly. "What happened? I mean- uh, you really don't have to tell me. You don't have to say anything really. I can even just take you home if you want."
The concern in Yang's voice comforted Weiss more than she could express, so she simply nuzzled deeper into the spot between her neck and shoulder. "It was when I was sixteen. We were having a party at the manor. My father told me to stay away from the crowded areas, but I was stupid and rebellious."
An icy numbness began to spread through her chest, curling out towards her limbs. "I was talking to someone from a college in Haven when I heard a loud noise behind me. She… she was just lying on the ground. At first I thought she had tripped over somebody's foot and I went to help her, but when I saw… I-I blacked out.
"They told me that someone there had a gun. They shot at me, but she blocked it. S-She saved me."
Warm fingers ran gently through her hair, the heat bleeding away the chill in her veins. "She must've loved you a lot."
"Too much. If she hadn't, she would still be here."
"But you wouldn't, Weiss."
"It would be better that way."
The muscles beneath her stiffened and Yang pulled back, staring down at her with sad lilac eyes. "Please don't say that Weiss."
Something inside the heiress broke. There was no more numbness or cold, red hot anger burned it all away. She wasn't angry at Yang, or her father. She was just angry at herself. "It's true! She was perfect, Yang. She could make someone happy just by looking at them. She could make things okay for anyone! And what can I do? Nothing. I can't make people happy! I can't make them feel okay! I can't even be okay." Her hands curled into tight fists. "I'm fucking worthless." She hissed.
Calloused hands tilted her chin up and Weiss had to clench her teeth to keep herself from screaming at the woman. It didn't matter how angry she was, she couldn't take it out on Yang. The blonde had done nothing but try to help.
"You. Are. Not. Worthless." Yang growled. Weiss opened her mouth to object, but Yang cut her off. "You have one of the kindest hearts I've ever seen, Weiss. You helped Ruby write her song, even though you get annoyed with her easily. You wouldn't let anyone discriminate against Blake, even going as far as taking her to your father's house. And you're helping me sing something really important to me. I know I'm a terrible singer Weiss, most people wouldn't even try."
Weiss' eyes widened slightly, a little bit of her heat dying out. "That's not being kind, that's being a decent human being." She grumbled.
"Chewing out a cop, standing up for your friends, protecting your little sister at your own expense. That's not being a decent human being. That's being a fucking hero."
That word startled Weiss. She had heard it applied to people who saved others from burning buildings or donated to charities. Never had anything close to it been used to describe her, the stuck up heiress for a corrupt company.
"You're mistaken." She said quietly, her fists uncurling.
Yang shook her head fiercely. "I'm not. You're a lot more selfless than you make yourself out to be. The fact that you want to help people in the first place makes you so amazing."
Weiss pursed her lips, trying to fight off the heat rising in her cheeks. Yang thought she was amazing? "That's ridiculous. You're the one who's always taking care of people and making them smile." She grumbled folding her arms. "I wish I could make people happy like you do."
A goofy grin spread across the blondes face as she looked at Weiss. "You make people happy Weiss. Just cause you're a little prickly doesn't mean we love you any less. It's who you are."
Weiss scowled as her blush spread. "That's absurd. You shouldn't love someone who's 'prickly'"
Yang squeezed her a little. "Do you want to hear something my mom used to tell me?" When Weiss stayed silent, she continued, "Scathing eyes ask that we be symmetrical, one sided, and easily processed. Yet every misshapen spark's unseen beauty is greater than it's would be judgement."
Weiss felt her tense muscles relax a fraction, her eyes softening at the words. Such a simple quote brought her so much comfort.
"So, don't worry Weiss Cream. Even though you're scowly and scary, we're not gonna judge you because you're as pretty on the inside as you are on the outside."
Weiss stared, her mouth opening and closing. How do you tell someone that they just made you feel like the most important person in the world? Not five minutes ago she felt completely worthless, and this gorgeous oaf made her feel beautiful, appreciated, and loved.
Who the fuck did she think she was?
Tears stung at the corners of her eyes and she swiped at them furiously. Weiss Schnee did not cry, dammit! She was graceful, composed, and intimidating. The very image of cold beauty and sophistication. Not some broken girl, crying in someone's lap.
She bit her lip. Looking up at the reassuring smile and warm eyes, luring her in like a siren's song.
Maybe this time, she be Weiss Cream instead?
Slowly, Weiss wrapped her arms around Yang's neck, pulling the brute's head down a bit so she could tuck it under her chin. At Yang's giggle the woman huffed and held her tighter. "Y-You said I could hug you whenever I want."
"You won't hear me complaining."
Weiss sniffled quietly, sighing and nuzzling into the wild blonde hair. A soft warmth spread through her chest and an even softer smile spread across her face. The scent of citrus clung heavily to the golden strands, and while Weiss didn't usually like the smell, she didn't mind it all that much.
She could've fallen asleep right there, but a fat drop of icy water fell on her head.
Weiss glared up at the sky.
The clouds seemed to see that as a challenge, unleashing a merciless downpour upon the two.
"My hair!" Yang screeched, bolting off of the bench and speeding towards the nearest shop at a sprint. Weiss would've fallen to the ground if she hadn't been clutched tightly to the blondes chest. With how often Yang liked to carry her, she wondered if she'd ever get much use of her legs.
When they were safely under the awning, Yang set Weiss on her feet, frantically running her fingers through her golden mane. She watched her for a moment, trying to keep the smirk off her face, but movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention.
A black windowless van had pulled into a parking space a few stores down, but nobody got out. All of her muscles tensed and she scowled. She looked away, but kept it in her peripherals.
Were they serious? That was the shadiest van she had ever seen in her life. They could've at least got out and acted like they were doing something.
No. Nobody was that stupid. She was probably being paranoid, but she decided that it was better to be safe than sorry. Lucky for them, the place Yang had decided to make her mad dash to was a restaurant. It wasn't as classy as she was used to, but it would fit her needs. No one staged a kidnapping in a very public restaurant.
"Let's get something to eat."
Yang took a couple more seconds to make sure her hair was fine before shooting Weiss a smile. "Sure, but I'm paying."
"That's absurd." She said, rolling her eyes and turning to walk into the restaurant.
Yang huffed as she followed close behind. "I am the one that dragged you out here, it's the least I could do."
"You are too stubborn for your own good."
They only had to wait a couple of minutes for a table. It was next to the front window, at Weiss' request. The food actually wasn't half bad. And while she preferred to eat in silence most days, she found that she didn't mind listening to Yang's wild stories. Though she could do without the puns.
It was only when they were nearly done with their meals and the rain had started to let up, that a thin man finally got out of the van and started towards the restaurant. When he got to the counter, he said something to the cashier and was led to the back. Weiss wished she had just been paranoid.
"What's wrong?" Yang asked, noticing the drastic change in the mood.
Weiss sighed, folding her napkin and setting it on her plate. "Don't panic, but we may be in danger."
Of course, Yang panicked. "What? How?!" She nearly yelled, head swiveling around to look at the restaurant.
Weiss groaned and reached across the table to smack her arm. "Calm down! Unless we jump out the window, there's not much we can do until we know more about the situation." Yang looked at the window raising an eyebrow. "Yang. We are not jumping out the window."
The blonde narrowed her eyes, leaning forward. "Then what are we supposed to do?"
"Stay calm, stay put, don't let your guard down." She said, reciting what Friedrich had taught her. "We're in a crowded area, so unless they're suicidal, they won't use extreme violence."
Yang's eyebrows knit together, her fingers curling and uncurling into fists on the table.
"Here you are ladies. Your dessert." The waiter said, smiling.
Weiss looked up, finding the same thin man that had left the van. She had to stop herself from asking him if his mother had dropped him on his head. They really were serious. "We didn't order any dessert."
His smile grew, "It's on the house. It's not everyday that a Schnee dines in our establishment."
"Give the chef my compliments, but I'm afraid I'm on a diet."
Yang looked from the dessert to Weiss, frowning. The heiress gave her a pointed look, trying to communicate with her eyes just how many times Weiss would stab her if she said anything.
"Is there anything else I can get for you. Drinks, food, your check?"
"Well, I would like to know if you bribed the staff, or just threatened them." She said, keeping her tone uninterested as she picked up her small silver fork. It wasn't real silver, but she could appreciate the beauty.
His smile fell for a moment before it turned to a sneer. "So… you caught on, huh?" A hand slipped into his jacket, pulling it open until the light glinted off of something metallic. "You'd be surprised how well people listen when you have a gun."
Weiss held back a smirk. A bribed manager would follow orders. A frightened one would call the police. She could already see the manager evacuating the staff and customers out of the corner of her eye. That was smart. She made a mental note to come here again sometime."I see."
Every muscle in Yang's body tensed. Weiss expected her to be afraid, but her eyebrows furrowed in anger. It was surprisingly attractive.
Weiss was brought out of her thoughts by the man talking again. "Okay Weiss, you're go-"
"Ms. Schnee." She corrected, scowling. "Do not call me by my name while you're trying to kidnap me. That's very impolite."
"You're going to walk out of the restaurant and get into that van in the parking lot, Weiss." Her scowl deepened and his proud smirk grew. "Or we could just take your girlfriend instead."
Yang's angry features morphed into shock, turning red to the tips of her ears as she tried to stammer something out.
Weiss let out a low growl, temper flaring, and violently jammed her fork into his leg. She yanked his head down into the table before the pained grunt had fully left his lips. He stumbled back a couple of steps, reaching into his coat but Yang leapt up and slammed a fist into his jaw.
Weiss looked down at the unmoving man, smirking with sadistic satisfaction. If the RWBY ever disbanded, she would seriously consider hiring Yang as her personal bodyguard.
"I guess you really beat him to the punch." She chuckled. Her eyes widened, hands clapping over her mouth. She did not just say that. She did NOT just say that! She looked at Yang. The woman was simply staring at her, shocked. Weiss waited for that silly smirk to spread across her face with a witty comment or returning pun.
What she didn't expect were a pair of calloused hands lifting her roughly onto the table and a pair of soft lips muffling the startled sound she made.
Almost against her will, her eyes closed, hands coming up to grip handfuls of the blondes tank top. She knew that she shouldn't be doing this. Anyone could walk by and see. The press would have a field day with it. But the smell of sweet citrus and the throaty moan Yang emitted when Weiss bit her lip made her feel like she would catch on fire at any second, and it would be a good thing.
Yang drew back, breath coming out in ragged pants and eyes wide. "Shit, Weiss I-"
Weiss growled and pulled her back down, kissing her with a ferocity the heiress didn't know she possessed. Encouraged by the soft groans and large hands grasping her hips, she wrapped her legs around Yang's waist and arms around her neck to eliminate any space between them.
A splash of cold water brought her to her senses, a gasp escaping her as her eyes snapped open and she pulled away.
"You are in public!" a high pitched voice yelled.
She looked over to see Ruby and Blake standing there completely soaked and dripping onto the restaurant's carpet. Ruby had her hands on her hips, glaring at them. Blake just looked amused, smirk on her face and eyebrows raised.
"W-Wait! I didn't, I-I mean-" Weiss stammered, hastily removing her legs from around the blonde's waist.
"This is a family establishment! If you guys are gonna get it on, you can't do it here!" She screamed, pointing to the table. "People eat there!"
"Someone was about to eat there." Blake snickered.
Weiss covered her burning face, groaning into her hands. She prided herself on her self control, how did something as little as a kiss break it? A very passionate, hot kiss, but a kiss nonetheless. Apparently the word 'sanity' no longer had meaning.
"Sorry Rubes," Yang spoke up, clearing her throat when her voice came out huskier than usual, "The adrenaline kind of got to us."
"You guys are explaining what happened the second we get home." Ruby sighed and wandered over to the man, crouching next to him. She eyed the fork in his leg before trying to shake him awake. Her eyes widened comically as the gun slipped out of his jacket and clattered to the floor.
She picked it up off the ground, inspecting it for a moment before tucking it into the back of her pants. "Finders keepers."
Blake groaned, pointing at Weiss. "Weiss, pay for your food. And for the fork."
Next she turned her finger to Ruby. "Ruby, put that gun back where you found it."
Weiss pulled out her wallet and Ruby pouted but set the gun down next to the man. Blake caught Yang in her gaze as the woman began to back away towards the door. "Yang."
The girl stiffened, "Yes, Blake?"
"Wipe Weiss' lipstick off your face. That just isn't your color."
AN: I said I would write longer chapters, but I honestly didn't expect it to be this long. I guess I got a little carried away...
This chapter was originally going to be really lighthearted and happy, but it started raining and I ended up with a one way ticket on the feels train.
Anyways, I hope you guys liked it, and thank you SO much for all of your follows and reviews!
Until next time friends
-Vox