Blake and Weiss ended up in an unassuming apartment in Vale. It was far from perfect, small and kind of cramped. It was in a busy part of the city where there was almost constantly noise coming up from the road. There didn't feel like there were a lot of benefits to it, even though it kept them within walking distance of just about anything they could have needed.

Once Blake got her bike back, Weiss was going to always be able to hear her coming home loud and clear.

The decision to leave Kuo Kuana had come easily. It had even felt natural, really. Weiss had been able to see that Blake was starting to feel smothered by being so close to her family, if only because she craved a sort of independence that couldn't be fettered at all. As for Weiss, staying around Blake's family had been wonderful, but she wasn't sure that it was what she wanted either. She wanted to feel more independent anyways.

The choice to go to Vale had only been natural. Weiss still had a life of sorts established there, though a living situation was something that they'd have to figure out. Blake had thought that the city seemed nice enough, and had managed to find a job opening at a local paper which was enough to keep her half of the rent paid.

Looking around that little apartment, with its lack of decoration and uncovered windows, Weiss felt warm. So warm that it was like she could just enjoy it forever. Like a cat basking in the sun. It wasn't much, but it was theirs.

"Weiss?" Blake said from the bathroom, the door left open.

"What is it?" Weiss asked, shaking her head and snapping out of the reverie that she'd fallen into so easily.

"Are you okay in there?" Blake asked, poking her head out. Her hair was tied up in a loose, messy bun. It was the perfect look for her, really. Weiss was certain of that.

"Everything's fine." Weiss sighed. "I was just thinking that I'm so happy that we're here."

"It's not much." Blake added, stepping out of the bathroom. "We're going to need to get shower curtains at the least. Probably a trash can while we're at it."

And yeah, that really was something that Weiss didn't personally want to do all that much. But she couldn't deny that it was necessary. "Right." She sighed, hugging herself and relaxing once Blake's arm wrapped around her shoulders. "It's just that... this is ours."

"Yeah." Blake confirmed, smiling and her expression brighter than Weiss had ever seen it. "It is. We've earned it."

Weiss nodded, feeling her face heat up and her cheeks blushing all at once. "We have." She turned to look Blake in the eyes. Warm and golden, the same as always. "It just feels like this would have been impossible a year ago."

"Which part of it?" Blake asked, a small laugh on her voice that managed to sound almost playful.

"All of it." Weiss shrugged a little bit. "It's just so incredible that we're actually here."

Blake shrugged in response, her eyes scanning the room in search of things that they would need to fix once they got the chance. "I think that it's a start." She said calmly. "After everything that happened I think that all I really want is a fresh start."

"I feel the same way." Weiss smiled, resting her head on the round of Blake's right shoulder and letting her arm wrap around her lover's waist. "I'm glad that it gets to happen with you."

"Yeah." Blake said, her voice quiet and far away. "Me too, Weiss."

Weiss closed her eyes and basked in the warmth and love.

This was what happiness felt like. It had to be.


Blake liked to think that she was adjusting to domestic life just fine. She couldn't act like she wasn't missing the itch of her old line of work, but it was nice. She realized quickly into their life together that Weiss was working on herself. She was looking for work, but also learning how to do things around the house as well. Mostly learning how to cook and do handiwork in between job applications and networking in the city.

Every morning she woke up with Weiss felt like a new surprise. One day she could wake to breakfast already prepared, or she could wake and find Weiss lying on her back in the kitchen with a wrench trying to fix the leak in their sink. Had she been told that she would see that sight a year before, Blake would have taken the keys of whoever suggested it and called them a cab on the spot because there was no way that they could have been sober.

But yet, there she was.

Blake felt like she was doing her best too. She called her parents once a week, she did her role to bring in money from work, she was keeping in touch with her friends back in Atlas. When Weiss needed someone to be there for her, Blake was always there, and Weiss did the same.

Home life was nice. That was the important thing. Blake felt as happy waking up in the mornings there as she did when she went to sleep.

After everything, that was all that she could have asked for.

One particular morning she got up and walked out to the kitchen to find that Weiss was there on the phone with Klein. There was also something in the frying pan in front of her, which Weiss was gingerly poking with a spatula to keep it from sticking.

Weiss noticed her and said a goodbye before hanging up.

"Good morning." Weiss greeted her, smiling. "I made breakfast."

"I can smell it." Blake responds, walking over to the little cupboard in their kitchen where they keep most of their dishware. She removes two plates, since Weiss definitely was going to make something for herself too. "What is it?"

"Eggs." Weiss said, frowning a little. "I mean, it's kind of like an omelette, but-" She scooped it onto Blake's plate.

It was a bell pepper, that had been cut into slices. Inside of one of the rings was egg and what looked like little bits of sliced ham and perhaps pieces of tomato. Blake figured it was a recipe that Weiss had gotten from Klein. It smelled amazing and it looked lovely.

"It's great." Blake said, smiling across at Weiss. "Coffee?"

"Please." Weiss replied, already beginning to make her own serving of their breakfast. "You know-"

"Cream." Blake replied, knowing what Weiss was going to say already. "With two sugars." She reached for two mugs and went to the coffee maker that they'd gotten, starting by making Weiss her coffee before making a simple mug of tea for herself. "I know."

Weiss blushed and smiled, returning to her cooking. When it was ready, Blake passed over Weiss' mug of coffee which she drank from, smiling softly the entire time. Blake stepped in behind her, wrapping her arms gently around Weiss' waist and pressing a soft kiss to the nape of her neck.

Blake didn't miss the contented hum that Weiss let out. She pulled back after a moment, since Weiss probably needed the space anyways.

When her food was finally ready and the stovetop was turned off, Weiss sat down across from Blake at their tiny kitchen table and smiled. Blake sipped from her tea and smiled back, enjoying the gentle glow of morning light against Weiss' skin and hair.

This was home, she supposed.

Blake definitely liked it. She wouldn't have traded this for the world, regardless of how much she missed the excitement of The Fang and of Atlas.

Weiss made this place feel like home.