Comment/Shoutout Time!
AntonSlavik020: Definitely comes with the territory. The puns will kill eventually.
Guest: Let it buuuuuurn! Let it buuuuuuurn! I like the idea of a pining Blake, it's really cute.
What is Love III
Moment Three: Home
Blake really hated when Beacon Academy had to go on mandatory school breaks. According to Ozpin and Glynda, it was for the good of the students to go back to their homes and share their stories and knowledge from their time at the academy.
Obviously, Yang and Ruby were excited at the idea to go back home to their father and uncle. The pair always shared some of the most unusual but amusing stories of their time in Patch. Now it would be in the reverse.
On the other hand, Weiss was more or less disgruntled about going back to Atlas, but perked up when she found out that Winter would be visiting. The white-haired girl packed up very quickly with a silly smile on her face.
While the trio were busy chattering about future plans for the next two weeks. Blake was in her bed with a book on her lap but not picking up the words at all.
"Blake, is there something on your mind?" Ozpin asked, "It's not every day you visit my office."
Out of instinct, Blake's ears flattened against her head. Technically, he is right. She never needed a reason to visit him.
"…I…do I have to leave the campus during the break?" She inquired quietly.
Ozpin leaned forward with his hands under his chin, "There are some exceptions."
She didn't need to speak up for Ozpin to understand. Before she knew it, the memory of that conversation faded when Ruby spoke up from her bedside.
"Blake!"
She looked up to see Ruby grinning at her from the bedside, "What'cha going to do for the break?"
'Lie Blake.'
"I'm getting picked up a day after you guys, so I'll just be here by myself for only a day."
"Awh, okay. But I hope you rest up and read lots of books! And we'll miss you!"
She mutely nodded, before returning to her book. As her teammates chatted quietly in front of her, Blake pondered on the idea whether or not she should tell them that she didn't plan to go home at all.
The following day, Ruby and Yang were the first to head off to the airship to Patch. Yang, in her usual fashion, gave Blake one of her bone-crushing hugs before waggling her eyebrows at Blake when the blonde caught Blake smiling sadly at Weiss, who looked eager to head home. Blake naturally gave Yang a good arm pinch before pushing her toward the airship. When Ruby came to say goodbye, she couldn't hold back the tears and wished that Blake would have a good time at home. The Faunus tried to hide that pang she felt in her chest with a small smile and wished silently, 'If only I could, Ruby.'
Now it was only a matter of hours until Weiss was picked up by her personal driver.
Blake was sure that Weiss would've been the first to go, but was relieved that she got to spend some time with her crush.
Blake wouldn't know how she would handle staying in the dorm room alone without the warmth of her teammates that filled the room everyday. Her ears dropped at the thought, it's going to a be literally a cold and empty two weeks without all of them.
But when she looked up to see Weiss smiling at her softly, the slight warmth she felt whenever Weiss was in the room was enough to stave off the inevitable.
So, presently, the pair were at a local café drinking their respective drinks; tea for Blake and coffee for Weiss. They were chatting about how quiet the day was without Ruby and Yang around, which sparked a few laughs here and there.
"Finally, no one hogs all the hot water in the shower!"
"Mm, but only for a day, Weiss." Blake said.
"But at least I can enjoy it." Weiss huffed with her arms crossed.
And they went into comfortable silence, just enjoying the warm day and the company. Not wanting to plague the moment, Blake tried to push away the never-ending question whether or not this was a date.
Any moment with Weiss is enough for her.
"Blake?"
"Hm?"
What she didn't like was the look that Weiss was giving her. It was accusatory, almost as if her blue eyes were pushing through all the barriers that Blake had. It was unnerving, but at the same time grounding.
But, her heart liked to disagree; her heart felt tight against her chest with the blood hammer against her ears.
"…Uh, Weiss, what's wrong?"
She saw the heiress take a deep breath.
"When were you going to tell everyone that you weren't going?"
Blake's eyes widened, her ears standing tall in alarm. Weiss didn't break her gaze, but Blake was on the verge of running away on instinct.
"Going home."
Blake stayed silent unsure how to answer the question. "I…"
"You haven't packed since the weekend, even though you said that you'd be picked up the day after."
Blake looked away trying to avoid the sting of tears in her eyes. 'Weiss…please stop.'
"And you looked like you've seen a ghost when you thought we all left before telling you goodbye."
'Please stop.'
"And…don't think I didn't notice, Blake…what's going on?"
"I don't have a home."
Blue eyes widened with hands flying to cup her mouth in shock. In turn, Blake couldn't ever bear to meet Weiss's gaze. She didn't know what to feel. She just knew it was a mix of shame, jealousy, sadness, and even joy.
Weiss reached out to touch Blake's hand, but the Faunus retracted it before she could.
"Blake…"
"I don't have one. Ozpin is letting me stay in school as an exception." She whispered.
"For two weeks?"
"Can we just forget about it? Please?" Blake begged. "I don't need your pity…I've come to terms with it."
The phantom hand that was around her heart squeezed tightly at the look of hurt and disappointment on Weiss's face. She hated that. And she hated herself more for being the person to allow it to happen. Weiss wasn't supposed to know. No one was supposed to know.
This time, Weiss wasn't taking no for an answer. She took Blake's hand firmly but relaxed her grip at the look of alarm on Blake's face. She rubbed her thumbs across the backs of Blake's hand, letting out a little bit of her cooler Aura to soothe the girl.
"Hey…I'm not here to pity you. I just want to understand." Weiss said calmly, "I did mention that you can always talk to me, Blake."
"I don't want-"
"Then we don't have to talk about it." Weiss amended. "Let's go head back to the dorm room first?"
Blake only nodded her head and let herself be led back to Beacon Academy; leaving their tea and coffee cold at the table.
When they returned to the dorm, Blake wasn't entirely sure what to do. Maybe it was better that they were outside. Public eyes probably would've helped Blake keep her walls up. But now that she was here…there's no telling how she can react with Weiss here.
She was surprised that Weiss took off her boots and sat on her side of the bed. She tapped her thighs expectantly.
Blake would have denied her, and ran out the door and stayed in hiding until Weiss left. But, instead, her own two feet betrayed her by walking closer to Weiss. Gentle hands pulled her down so that Blake was laying with her head on Weiss's lap.
When she felt a hand reaching for her head, Blake tensed by instinct. Relief washed over her when manicured nails chose to run down her hair and not her ears.
They sat there (well, Blake laid there) in silence for a couple minutes. Weiss was content just staying there for a while. Just enough so that Blake could talk to her when she's ready.
It didn't take long, before a whisper reached her ears. "My home was burned to the ground by hateful humans."
A short pause in the strokes in her hair before it resumed.
"My family and I were hiding as humans in a small village outside the Kingdoms. But when we were discovered, they threw us out and burned everything my parents worked for to the ground."
Blake felt a few tears leak.
"There was an actual bounty on our heads. And we had to run."
Weiss tried her best to keep her composure. Blake on the other hand didn't.
"Before we ran into the city gates…my parents told me to sneak by hiding in a satchel with other imported goods. And when I got through, I was waiting for them to come to me."
Weiss didn't need to ask.
"I heard Dust rounds fire…and…"
A small choked out gasp escaped from Blake's lips. Her own hands fisting the fabric underneath her cheek to steady herself as the memory flashed through her mind.
"I got picked up by the White Fang when they saw me on the streets just waiting to die. And the rest is…history."
Blake laid there, no doubt letting her tears run down her cheeks onto Weiss's lap. She rolled her eyes in shame at the thought of running her dress. And more importantly, ruining her day by burdening her crush with this information when she's about to leave.
How stupid was she.
Instead, she felt the hands continue to stroke her hair. She was surprised when she felt Weiss's left hand reach up to wipe the tears that fell.
Blake turned over so that she was finally facing Weiss, for the first time in those long stretches of time. Weiss's own eyes were misty at best, her mouth curled in what could've been rage or sadness.
"When you guys were happy about going back to your homes and family…I'm happy for you all." She smiled, or tried to. "…I guess, I didn't want to be reminded what I don't have anymore."
Weiss didn't know how to respond, but she knew that she had to do something.
A buzz was heard in the room, silencing the conversation between the two. Weiss cleared her throat and leaned over to reach for the Scroll that was on the bedside table.
"Weiss Schnee speaking."
"Weiss, it's Winter, I have informed your driver that I'd be picking you up from Beacon instead. I will be leaving in 10 minutes. Unless you have opted to stay at Beacon."
"Winter…actually, can you please give me a second? I will message you." Weiss said as she looked down to meet Blake's uncertain gaze.
"Be quick about it, Weiss."
Weiss set her scroll aside for a moment, and resumed her strokes against Blake's hair. Another minute of silence passed between them.
Blake was about to speak up, "I-"
"Would you like me to stay?"
Blake held her breath. She could have her problems solved…right here…right now. Then she remembered, it really wasn't her place. Weiss deserved to go back to Atlas, at least to see her sister, to at least tell her Father what she has accomplished at Beacon Academy over Atlas.
Weiss shouldn't need to spend her long break here comforting her. That wasn't right. Blake could handle being alone, she had done it before.
'Yes'
"No."
Weiss pursed her lips, before dialing her scroll yet again.
"Hello, Weiss, have you made your decision?"
"Winter, your presence honors me, but I, regrettably, have to decline. I want to take personal time to sharpen my skills here, at Beacon, for the break."
Blake's mouth gaped, as she tried to speak up to say otherwise. Weiss was having none of it by giving her a pointed glare. Blake mutely kept her mouth shut, feeling as she was properly chastised.
"Very well, do take care, Weiss. Please call me every day that you're there."
"Of course."
When she hung up at last, Blake sat up with her back toward Weiss. With every word Blake felt shame wash over her, "Weiss you didn't have to do that."
"Yes, I did. Because…" Weiss reached up and pulled on Blake's shoulders so that the two were facing once more, "…we need to take care of each other. And that means no one suffers alone."
"But your family, they'll-"
"Winter calls me every day and I still will." Weiss reminded her.
"You lied... don't you hate lying?" A feeble attempt to get Weiss to change her mind.
Weiss huffed and crossed her arms, "She'll be cross with me, but she'd understand. Blake, please…just let me do this for you."
Blake considered arguing, but she was done fighting. Done fighting the tears; the fears at the idea of being alone for two weeks.
"Okay."
Weiss smiled for the first time since their conversation started. She reached up to touch the side of Blake's face and gently ran a thumb down her cheek. "Home is wherever you're happiest, Blake. Don't forget that."
Blake wiped her eyes, "Of course. I'm-"
"Ah, pup, pup, pup! I don't want to hear it anymore. Now then, since it's, err… 5:00 P.M, how about we go get something to eat?" Weiss asked as she stood up and dusted off the imaginary specks of dust that were on her dress. "I know a good Faunus-friendly-seafood place nearby."
Blake for once laughed just a little, "Is it up to your high standards, Miss Schnee?"
"Blake! I'll have you know that this place's food tastes better than what my servants can make in Atlas." The heiress said with a huff, "Now, don't just stand there, let's go!"
Blake, finally gaining back her composure, followed Weiss outside the dorm and back into the night.
As the night went on, Blake's mind wandered back to what Weiss told her.
"Home is where the heart is…" The Faunus whispered.
When she looked at Weiss, who was giving her an expectant look, the Faunus waved off her concern by flashing her a genuine smile. Warmth filled her at the memory of Weiss's hands in her hair; comforting and soft. Along with her determination of staying behind to keep her company. She was truly something else, not like what she thought about Weiss previously.
Blake fought the blush that was threatening to rise to up her cheeks. She forced it down by trying to think of anything else.
Futile, absolutely futile. And it only happens with her.
But, in the midst of the giggles, comfortable silences, and talks that occurred for the rest of the evening. Blake's heart concluded one thing that happened today.
'Home is wherever you are, Weiss.'
The Faunus cringed internally, 'That sounded too cheesy. I take it back.'
'You gave me security, comfort and love. You gave me a home. And that's all I could ever ask for.' She amended quietly.
A/N: Welp there is some angst yay me! Hope you guys liked it, I got another chapter coming up for you real soon!
Fate-117: Sorry guys, I'm not much of a co-author at the moment. I have so much beta work, but fluff is not my strong point. I'm more of a combat, comedy, dark and basically anything than fluff writer. I'll try and actually fulfill this role when if things get up my alley. Like a steamy sparing match or something.