Weiss traced circles around Blake's nape through her hair with a lazy finger. Every part of Blake's skin was so scarred. There were criss-crosses all around her back and stomach and long silvery-white stripe marks along her thighs. They were healed well enough, Weiss supposed. Any visible marks Blake's old masters had made were in places that were hidden by clothing and even then, Blake's skin was so fair that the scars just seemed like a trick of the light. Like, shimmers on the edges of the ocean. Or like, the edges of a polished and cut diamond.
You don't have to force yourself, Weiss had found it in herself to say, holding Blake as close as she could that last night when Blake's kisses turned heavier, more serious.
I'm not. Blake had said, diving back down. I know I'm safe with you.
Blake, you're shaking. Weiss had pushed Blake gently away from her.
I'm just nervous. I don't know— I've never… Blake blushed, and turned her head away.
Weiss smiled to at the memory. Blake had been a very fast learner. Weiss brushed a strand of hair away from Blake's sleeping face, which caused Blake's nose to scrunch and her ears to flicker adorably. God, she was so beautiful. How did Weiss get so lucky?
Weiss' eyes involuntarily flickered to the clock. She needed to be out of bed a whole hour ago and yet, Weiss couldn't bring herself to leave. She would stare at Blake all day if she could. Weiss mentally ran through the list of things she needed to get done and decided that she could afford another twenty minutes in bed with Blake if she passed certain duties to Neptune… or even Yang if her sister was willing. It's not like Yang didn't know how to run affairs. Just that Yang didn't have to or want to.
Yes. Twenty more minutes sounded good. Then she would return to the real world.
Blake yawned — well, it was more of an cute little mew than a yawn. Weiss bit her lips to keep from smiling to widely in amusement. This was the Blake that only Weiss got to see, and Weiss would treasure her forever. Weiss leaned in slowly and pressed her lips gently on Blake's. Blake's lips were the sweetest things that Weiss had ever tasted.
Blake stirred, her eyelids fluttering open. She blinked a couple of times and then a instinctive smile appeared on her face. "Morning," Blake smiled, stretching languidly.
"Good morning," Weiss greeted, beaming. She snuggled in closer to Blake, pressing her body into Blake's, wrapping her arms around Blake's neck and tangling her legs between Blake's. "You're such a sleepy-head."
Blake pouted. "Says the person who is in bed with me."
Weiss just smiled. "I love you," she said. The words came naturally now. Like, they were the words she was meant to say.
Blake smiled back, giving Weiss a sensual kiss. When she pulled away, her eyes were closed and she licked her lips, savouring the taste. When she opened them, her gaze was trained on the necklace around Weiss' neck. "You're still wearing it," Blake noted her emblem that was carved onto the tag.
"Of course I am." Weiss said indignantly, rolling her eyes.
"You can't take it off without my permission okay?" Blake teased, nuzzling Weiss' neck.
Weiss kissed Blake. "I won't. You wear my collar, I wear yours," Weiss spoke seriously, taking an oath. "Though my collar is considerably more fashionable," Weiss continued, her expression growing worried. "Are you sure you don't want to take it off? I really won't be mad. Honestly."
"Weiss?"
"Yes, Blake?"
"You think too much."
Weiss sighed but gazed at Blake fondly. "Okay, okay. I get it. I won't ask again."
"Don't you have work today? You're normally up by six."
"You are more important. Besides, I was thinking I could ask Yang to do some of my paperwork for me. She's back and everything and has the training for it." Weiss explained, closing her eyes. "So, I think I'll just stay here a bit longer."
Blake nodded, but paused. She felt as though she had forgotten something rather important— oh god. "Weiss!" Blake said sharply, getting up.
"What?" Weiss shot back, frowning, but following in Blake's movements.
"Yang. She. The assassin. I forgot about her! We need to go help." Blake said, scrambling into her clothes.
Weiss groaned. "Blake, come on. Can't this wait?" Weiss complained, reluctant to leave her bed but still throwing up the covers and gathering some clothes.
"I can't believe I forgot. I hope Yang's okay. You don't think she'd actually be tricked by that assassin girl right? Yang isn't that stupid. And she's good at fighting, she can hold her own?" Blake rattled, hopping into her socks.
Weiss approached Blake calmly, growing apprehensive from Blake's worried attitude. This was serious. "Okay, explain from the beginning."
Yang was startled awake by the abrupt bang of her door slamming open. Groaning, she squeezed her eyes shut even harder.
Blake padded over to Yang's side swiftly, leaving Weiss' side. "Are you okay? Where is she?" Blake asked with concern, laying her hands gently on Yang's shoulders. Yang was slumped on the ground beside her bed sleeping in what was obviously an uncomfortable position. "Yang? Did she hurt you?"
"Did who hurt me?" Yang slurred, still half asleep and turning into Blake's embrace. Blake was soft.
"The assassin!"
The assassin… The assassin! Yang's eyes flew open and she jumped up, nearly knocking Blake down in the process. Yang needed to take her temperatures again and re-bandage the wound. She turned to her patient… who… wasn't there.
What?
Yang reached out instinctively to feel the sheets on her bed — as though maybe the little midget was just invisible or something and Yang couldn't see her. But no, nothing but air. The bed was meticulously made as well — not a single wrinkle in the covers to show that anyone had slept in it. And all the bloody bandages and medical supplies that Yang had used last night and had left littered on the floor were suspiciously absent. The smelled of copper and bitter tang that had filled the air was also somehow absent. The assassin must have cleaned up before she left — and Yang had somehow slept through all of that! Stupid, stupid, stupid. Yang's heart started pounding. Where could she have gone? When did she leave? Why did she leave when she was hurt that badly?! "Gah!" Yang exclaimed in frustration.
"Yang," Weiss stepped forward, putting a reassuring hand on Yang's arm — her skin was cold to touch. Weiss turned Yang around and her gaze found the bruises on Yang's neck immediately — Weiss expression thinned, her lips setting into a firm line. "I'll find her Yang, don't worry."
Yang's eyes lit up. "You will? How? Haven't you been searching for her for a while already?" She dimly noted that Weiss probably thought the assassin had tried to kill Yang… which was… true, but not the whole story. She opened her mouth to correct Weiss' assumption but Weiss spoke up before she could.
"Her code-name is Neopolitan," Weiss started rattling off. "No one knows her real name — not even herself apparently since she was orphaned when she was young. Renowned for getting in and out of places that were impossible to get in or out of — I guess we can attribute that to her teleportation semblance now. And apparently, the rumour mill also said that she was picky about her assignments — that she's temperamental and pricy."
Yang's eyes widened. Neopolitan, Yang rolled the name around in her mind. It wasn't what she expected — it was too flashy. "How do you know all that?" Yang asked, directing her thoughts to the matter at hand.
Weiss shifted her weight. "Because, Roman Torchwick is her current handler — or so says the report on my desk that I had Ren collect for me when I had all the council members investigated for blackmail material."
"Torchwick?" Yang frowned. "I thought he ran a clean business — complete transparency and fair pay and stuff…?"
"Apparently not," Blake bristled, folding her arms.
"I'm so stupid," Weiss said under her breath. "The multi-coloured eyes should have tipped me off. But no. I thought it was a Faunus. I was searching for a Faunus this whole time!" Weiss cursed, starting to pace. "Do you know what this means?"
Yang jumped. "Um… no?"
"It means that Roman freaking Torchwick put out a hit on my head!" Weiss shouted, clenching her fists. "Seriously. You can't trust anyone these days! I knew they were power hungry, but that one of them would actually try to kill me?!" Weiss eyes darkened. "I'm going to ruin him."
"Hahaha…" Yang laughed nervously. "Okay, um. Weiss? Maybe you should calm down a little. Think about the children."
"I will not calm down. You know, at this point, I feel like I can trust the White Fang more than my own council members. At least Velvet's never tried to kill me. Jesus christ." Weiss continued rambling in fury.
Yang noticed Blake flinch at the use of Velvet's name. Blake turned meaningful eyes towards Yang, soft and caring. "Velvet's in the White Fang?"
Weiss stopped pacing. "Oh right, yeah. There's that. I thought she went to see you yesterday? She said she was going to."
Yang flashed back to the door in her room opening as Neo had forcibly kissed her to shut her up. Crap. Crap. Crap. Out of all the people to walk in on them, it had to be Velvet. Yang forced down the ugly feeling in her stomach, trying to untie all the knots that had wound themselves up. Crap. Why did it hurt just as much as it did that first day? She shouldn't care this much about someone who was in love with someone else. Yang turned around and slammed a fist into the nearest wall.
But first loves are sacred. Do you ever really let them go?
Not that Yang had been in love with Velvet, Yang held on to that thought as a tear slid down her face.
"Damn it!" Yang shouted, ramming her fists into the wall again, and again and again. As though she could beat the emotions out of her body — one bloody fist at a time. "God damn it!"
"Yang?" Weiss shrieked. "Hey? What's wrong?" Weiss came up behind her older sister, putting an awkward hand on her shoulder.
Yang inhaled sharply, her anger dissipating as fast as the stinging from the scrapped skin on her knuckles became more pronounced. "Nothing," Yang responded gruffly. "Just felt like randomly hitting something."
Weiss cocked her head, fixing intelligent blue eyes onto Yang. The message they sent was clear: Yang was spouting complete crap. Weiss sighed, "I really need to buy you a punching bag or something," she muttered. "Go on, sit down, I'll fix you up."
"I can fix myself up thank you." Yang retorted, turning around to open a cabinet drawer and taking out a roll of bandages.
Yes, that suited her much better than Neopolatin. Neo. Simple and short — just like that midget.
Yang smiled unknowingly.
"Yang, I can do it for you." Weiss asserted and hand on her hips.
"I can do it myself."
"I need to ask you for a favour anyways, so let me do this." Weiss admitted finally.
Yang scoffed, raising an eyebrow. "And the truth comes out. Yes dearest sister, what can I do for the princess?" Yang said, sitting herself on the bed and starting to bandage her own hands.
Weiss frowned, but continued nonetheless. "I need you to take over some meetings for me for a while, if possible."
"Not happening."
Weiss tapped her foot. "Please," she said finally, painfully. Weiss really didn't like asking for favours.
"Weiss, even if I wanted to, which I don't, I can't. The whole of Vale would catch fire and burn down if I took your place." Yang said, sighing. "You've been handling everything fine so far anyways."
Blake fidgeted, stiffening. Somehow she knew this wasn't going to go down well.
Weiss was piqued, she threw up her hands. "Right, I should have expected this." Weiss said unpleasantly, turning around.
"Expected what?" Yang said, her eyes narrowing.
"That you would make excuses to get out of doing work." Weiss smirked. "Seriously, is it that hard to give up a week or so of constant partying to do something meaningful for once?"
Yang's eyebrows shot up and her eyes flashed red for a moment. "Excuse me? You're the one who's trying to dump their work on someone else! This is what you've always wanted to do! What you're good at! You're the heir! I don't have to do anything!"
Weiss expression turned cold. "I'm the heir?" Weiss jaw dropped incredulously. "Oh my god, I dare you to just try and say that again."
"You guys," Blake piped up. "Maybe if we could—"
"You are!" Yang exclaimed furiously! "Seriously! What is your problem?! You are the freaking heir! This is your job! So freaking do it!"
"I can't believe you," Weiss said, her voice never raising. "I can't believe you. I can't believe you!" Weiss repeated, each time more incredulous than the next. "I'm the heir? This is what I've always wanted to be? Is that what you think?"
Yang was too angry to notice Weiss' expression. "What else am I supposed to think?! You're the one who's been leading all the meetings! Dad said that he wanted to make you heir! You worked so hard to outperform me in all of our tests! What more could you want?!"
At that, Weiss stormed out of the room.
Yang turned to Blake, who was watching her with a regretful expression.
"What? Blake," Yang exclaimed. "Seriously, what's wrong with her?"
Weiss stormed back into the room before Blake could say anything. The ice princess threw an object hard towards Yang.
It hit Yang in the shoulder, hard.
"Hey! What the hell?" Yang grimaced, glaring at Weiss.
"Read it," Weiss commanded, eyes flashing.
Something in Weiss' tone made Yang comply. Slowly, she reached out to grab the scroll that Weiss had thrown at her. Tentatively, she unravelled it. Yang breathed. "Wait… is this?"
"Yeah you moron," Weiss snarked. "Dad never made me the heir."
"This can't be… I remember—"
"You. Are. The. Freaking. Heir."