"Marry me?"
Yang froze in place, the twenty-five-year-old huntress staring at her girlfriend of two years, down on one knee and holding up a small velvet box.
Inside was a platinum ring in the shape of a dragon.
Yang was taken off guard, by both the ring and the fact that Winter had gotten down on one knee to present it.
Winter 'I bow to no one' Schnee. On one knee. In her officer's uniform, no less.
Yang was aware of the shocked silence that surrounded the two, the 'Welcome Home' party for Team RWBY having screeched to a halt. A quick glance showed that the eyes of her teammates, father, uncle, and friends were all on the two of them.
Yang had never felt so uncomfortable being the center of attention before.
Thank God 'Papa Schnee' wasn't there.
"Yang?" The blonde woman turned back to Winter. A look of concern was on her face.
"Is something wrong?"
"Uh, n-no! No! Nothing's wrong!" Yang frantically waved her arms in a placating manner. "It's just…" She sent a quick, pleading glance over to her teammates, who only offered deer-in-the-headlights looks and a shrug. "This is kind of sudden, a-and…" Yang's voice faltered as she fought to think of what to say.
"Oh." Winter stood up, a hurt look passing over her features before her default wooden expression took over. "If that is how you feel, then… I apologize for bothering you with this."
Yang gawked at her. "What? No!" she said, panicking, "That's not it at all!"
"Then, what is it?" Yang flinched at Winter's look and tone. She had gone into full 'Schnee mode'.
"Well, uh," Yang rubbed the back of her head nervously, reaching into her pocket and pulling out her own velvet box. "It's just that, you kind of beat me to the punch."
Yang flipped it open. Inside was a solid gold ring, studded with diamonds set in the shape of a snowflake.
Winter's stern expression melted away into one of shock, a gasp escaping from her lips.
"Weiss helped me pick it out. And Ruby 'n Blake helped me get this whole speech ready, too. "Bout how long we've known each other, how I can't stop thinking about you, and that I'd punch Papa Schnee's light out – again – if it'd make you happy. But, well, this happened, so… yeah."
The silence returned as Yang timidly looked into Winter's shocked, blue eye – and was broken by an impatient groan.
"Well, are you guys getting married or not?" Ruby whined, eliciting a couple of snickers.
Yang turned to scold her sister, but was interrupted by the heated, passionate kiss she was pulled into.