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Chapter Text

Yang is looking for somewhere to hide when she finds Weiss on the balcony.

Yesterday, Yang faced down her own mother and claimed a powerful artifact she in no way understands by appealing to Raven's strongest instinct: her own survival. It confirmed what Yang had always hoped wouldn't be true, that Raven might be her birth mother, but she is in no sense family.

Whether she shares blood with them, or has merely spilled blood alongside them, most of the people she's living with in Haven do count as family. Most, but not all. And there's one person in particular who Yang needs to avoid, which is difficult, when they're all staying in the same place. It's unclear how much longer the whole gang is going to be sharing this house in Haven, but it's going to take at least a few more days for them to make arrangements to travel to Atlas.

That's a few days longer than Yang would like, and by the looks of things, Weiss isn't happy about their situation, either. Weiss is wearing an expression Yang's not seen since they reunited in her mother's camp: a sneer of disdain.

Yang makes no effort to mask her approach as she moves up on the other girl's right side, but Weiss doesn't look around until Yang leans on the balcony rail alongside her. Her expression smooths out when she does, but it doesn't quite become friendly.

"Hey, little Weissicle."

Weiss' voice is flat, even in the face of the nickname. "Yang. I...don't mean to be rude, but I was hoping to have some time alone?"

"Hmm, that so? Well, I am, too! Wanna be alone together for a bit?"

At that, a tiny smile edges Weiss' lips, lasting no more than a heartbeat. "That's...not how being alone works, Yang."

"Tell you what. I'll leave you alone if you tell me what's got you so gloomy, princess."

Weiss snorts. "I've never been a princess. I'm...not even an heiress any more. I'm just...me."

"Ah. Worried about what your dad's going to do when you go back home?"

The old Weiss wouldn't have answered a question like that. But then again, back in Beacon, the old Yang would likely never have asked.

Weiss takes her time in responding, but she does answer. "I'd be a fool not to be worried. Jacques Schnee is a powerful, influential man. And he is only interested in the smooth operation of the family business, and of the family legacy. I'm...a threat to him. If only a small one." Weiss looks down below them, and grits her teeth. "Even if that wasn't the case, he'd be unlikely to listen to Ozpin. He won't entertain Oscar for a moment."

Yang follows Weiss' gaze and sees Oscar, the little squirt who's host to the soul of her former headmaster, taking up a combat stance in the courtyard below them. Opposite him is Yang's sister, Ruby, who laughs at something Oscar says, before dropping into her own unarmed stance, ready to spar. Watching them are Nora, Lie Ren, and Jaune, all sitting on the sidelines, heckling or cheering both of the combatants on.

"Oh, Weiss," Yang says, failing to suppress a snort of laughter. "That's not what's bugging you right now though, is it?"

Weiss flushes. Her body stiffens and her face tightens with anger. Yang thinks that she's pushed too hard. For about a second. Then Weiss groans, props her elbows on the balcony rail, and cradles her head in her hands.

"No, it's not my father that's...bugging me right now," she admits.

"Soooo, just a wild stab in the dark here, but are you, by any chance, upset about something to do with...Ruby?"

Weiss groans louder. "It's so stupid, Yang. Hence why I wanted to be alone. So I wouldn't inflict this stupidity on anyone else!"

"It's not inflicting if I'm asking, princess," Yang says, quietly. "And I am asking."

Yang throws her only suitable hugging arm around Weiss' shoulders. In the old days, Yang was so sure Weiss would angrily reject such a gesture that she'd only attempt it to provoke her prissy teammate's temper. But today, she's offering what solace she can.

Yesterday, Yang didn't have it in her to smile. Today, Weiss leans into her side, not just accepting, but seeking Yang's comfort.

Yang smiles.

"I'm still not a princess," Weiss says, softly.

"You are to me. And to Ruby."

"Am I?" Weiss sighs. "She used to be so...I'd be studying, or practicing my forms, or just...going for a walk, and I'd look around, and there she'd be! And if I made eye contact, she'd zoom over, chattering away about everything and nothing. I couldn't get peace from her! She was always there!"

"I remember. My sister's approach to affection is a bit like the way she fights...overwhelming force at a dizzying pace."

Yang could point out that that's never been more true than when Ruby decided that she and Weiss would become friends. Ruby's devotion to the Schnee heir, in spite of the seeming lack of return feeling, had caught Yang's attention even in their first weeks in Beacon. As the months went by, it was obvious to Yang that Ruby was growing deeply attached to Weiss. Yang says nothing now, because Weiss has some things she needs to work through before she'll be ready to acknowledge the truth of something like that.

Yang can feel the tension in Weiss' shoulders as she warily starts speaking. "I'm...beginning to realise how much I took Ruby's...attention for granted. After Beacon..." Weiss shakes her head. "Everything's different now. She's different. She has all these other people who lo...uh, look out for her! And that's good! She's grown so much, but she's still got that...that spark. I just...Yang, I know this is selfish and petty and foolish...I know it is! But...she hasn't had any time for me lately. And I miss her. I suppose I'm just...feeling lost. And clingy." In a very quiet voice, she adds, "And stupid."

"You're not stupid, Weiss," Yang says, carefully. "Not for...any of what you're feeling. I mean...I'm so proud of everything Ruby's done, but I gotta admit, I..."

After a few moments of quiet, Weiss asks, "What is it?"

Yang sighs. "Summer was...Ruby's birth mom, but she raised us both. I loved her so much. So much. She was so sweet, and kind, and...and unstoppable. I mean, I never saw her fight for real, but I saw her and dad spar sometimes, and Summer...my mom kicked ass, Weiss!"

Weiss laughs. "A family tradition, then."

Yang nods, but she can't bring herself to smile, not with the old familiar ache in her chest. "Then one day she was gone. She was a huntress, so she'd be gone sometimes, but...but this time, she wasn't coming back. And my dad, he...it hit him so hard. He tried, but...he wasn't always...he couldn't always be there for us. Even when he was there, y'know?"

Weiss nods. "I do. I'm sorry."

"Yeah. I guess we talked about this already, but...yeah, so...Ruby needed me to be...everything. For a while. And I needed her, because when I was taking care of her, I didn't have time to be...scared, or afraid, or...or broken."

Weiss slips an arm around her waist, and squeezes her.

Yang chuckles weakly. "Never thought you'd get so cuddly, ice queen! You've thawed."

"Shut up. But keep talking."

Yang laughs. "That's a bit more like it. Ah, well...let's see. I guess what I was trying to say was, even when we were older, and Ruby didn't need me the same way, she still wanted me in her life. And I never got out of the habit of looking out for her. I've...been there for her, her whole life. Until..."

She can't help but look at her right arm, where she's leaning on the balcony rail. She watches her synthetic hand close into a fist. Her new arm has begun to feel like a part of herself, but it isn't the same as it used to be. Even if she feels the loss less keenly than she used to, it's pointless to pretend that nothing's changed. There's no going back to how things used to be for Yang. What she needs to remember is, that doesn't mean she can't keep moving forward.

Weiss pulls away from her, but only so she can face her fully, leaning her back against the balcony. With only a brief hesitation, she puts her hand on Yang's metallic one. "You're...a great sister, Yang. N-not...not just to Ruby." Weiss smiles nervously, and quickly pushes on, saying, "I can't imagine how it must have felt, knowing she was in danger without you there."

Yang smiles back at Weiss. She has no idea how to acknowledge the biggest part of what Weiss just said, not with words, so she just pats the back of Weiss' hand. "You can't imagine that, huh?"

"Um...maybe I can, a little?" Weiss blushes, and it's like roses blooming in a snowy field. "But it's different! I'm not Ruby's sister! And, like I said, I was being stupid, and-"

Yang cocks her head. "Ha! Well, see that's what I'm wondering about. Technically, I'm only Ruby's half-sister. But she's...probably the most important person in the world to me. Y'know?"

"Of course! And I know you are to her, too."

Yang grins. "Yeah, she'd better tell people that, anyway! But that's not my point."

Weiss blinks. "I...see. Except...I don't see. What is your point?"

"Oh, Weissy! Everything needs to be formal with you, huh?" Yang makes an ostentatious display of standing up straight and puffing out her chest. She clears her throat, and grins her most knowing grin. "Weiss Schnee! As Ruby Rose's nearest guardian, I hereby inquire: what exactly are your intentions towards my sister?"

"Wh-what?!" Weiss gasps, her eyes widening in she shock. She tries to back away, and only the balcony rail and Yang grabbing her wrist keep Weiss from toppling over and plunging down to the sparring group below.

Yang bursts out laughing, and a little bit more of the weight she's been carrying since Beacon drops off her shoulders. "Oh, you've got it so bad for Ruby, don't you?"

"Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut. Up! She'll hear you, you...you insensitive, boorish, brutish, magnificently awful, disgusting, vicious, unkind, boorish, malicious-"

"You said 'boorish' twice," Yang points out helpfully. "And calling me magnificent isn't an insult. It's just accurate."

Yang winks and double finger guns Weiss.

For a few seconds, Weiss can only squirm on the spot, her face red, her hands balled into fists at her sides. She emits a high-pitched keening noise that borders on the inaudible, before scaling down to one impressively sustained syllable. "Yaaaang!"

Yang laughs again. "Oh, come on! You're pining so hard I'm amazed you haven't grown branches! I just wanna make sure you're gonna treat my sister right, young lady!"

"I...don't think that's going to be an issue," Weiss says, stiffly. "As I've already remarked, Ruby..." Weiss sighs, her body slumping. "If she ever...I don't think she likes me that way, Yang. She...doesn't seem to want to spend time alone with me at all. Not that there have been many opportunities, but...there have been some, and...ugh! I don't want to talk about this! Can we not talk about this?"

"Hey, now!" Yang shakes her head. "You're nervous about talking to her, right?"

"Yes, Yang! Of course I'm-"

"Soooo, have you really not considered that she might be nervous, too? Maybe Ruby's avoiding you because whatever you two were before Beacon fell...uh, well, you've both changed. And maybe Ruby isn't interested in spending time with you as much as she used to be. Or maybe...she's terrified that you won't want to spend time with her?"

Weiss blinks. "What? Why would she-"

"Weiss! Since you've been back...look, do you remember how you were in Beacon?"

"Yes. Obviously. I was...I could be..."

"A little...childish?"

Weiss flushes. "You are calling me..." She trails off, and looks away. "Maybe. Maybe a tiny bit. Sometimes. Very rarely. Okay, fine! Quite often!"

Yang pats her shoulder. "We kinda all were...but you've been so much more mature and mellow since you've come back, and-"

"Could you not make me sound like wine, please?"

"I was thinking cheese, actually..."

"Yang Xiao Long!"

"The point is...before, when you snubbed her, it wasn't real. You were partners! You were going to be together for years. It was like a game the two of you played, and Ruby knew the rules. Ruby knew you didn't mean it when you said you weren't bffs or whatever. But now...if you rejected her now...with everything that's happened, with how different you both are, Ruby would think it was real. She'd have to! And maybe she isn't trying to avoid you, she's just trying to avoid the conversation you two need to have, the one where you figure out exactly what you are to each other. Because she's scared of what you'll say." Yang smiles. "She's...different around you, Weiss. The way she acts with you...I can't speak for exactly how Ruby feels, but I know those feelings run deep."

Weiss stares at Yang like she's seeing her for the first time. "Oh."

"Make sense?"

"I...it does. I don't know if you're right, but...it would...explain some things."

"Yeah, well, if you want to know how Ruby feels for sure..."

Weiss takes a deep breath, squaring her shoulders. "I need to talk to Ruby."

"You really do. Just remember one thing!"

"Yes?"

Yang tightens her grip on Weiss' shoulder. "She's my baby sister. Hurt her, and I'll feed you to the Grimm."

Weiss gapes at her, then suddenly she smiles. She dips into a dainty curtsy. "I quite understand. My intentions towards Ruby are...m-more than friendly, but will never be anything other than honourable, Yang Xiao Long."

"Good!" Yang gives Weiss an affectionate squeeze, then releases her. "Go get her, then!"

To Yang's surprise, Weiss plants her feet firmly, puts her hands on her hips, and glares up at Yang. "No. Not until you have listened to me!"

Yang finds herself backing away. "Uh, what? I don't-"

Weiss paces after Yang, poking Yang in the chest, her finger swift as a rapier. "You said you were looking to be alone, too! You said we would be alone together! You do not get to help me and not get helped in return! Do you hear me?"

"Uh, I don't need-"

"Oh, please! You've been avoiding her so much you won't even say her name!"

"Weiss, don't-" Yang's back hits a wall. "Seriously, this isn't-"

"Blake Belladonna. There." Weiss folds her arms. "I've said it. What is going on with you two, hmm?"

"Nothing! Weiss-"

"Are you really going to lie to me like that? What are you avoiding?"

Yang grits her teeth. "SHE LEFT! When I...when we needed her, she just...ran away!"

Weiss flinches, but she doesn't back down. "Yes. So did I. You didn't seem to be nearly as angry about my leaving, however. You didn't seem to take that so...personally."

"Your family took you-"

"Blake left to be with her family."

"I...that's not the same! It's...I...you came back!"

"So did Blake," Weiss says, with infuriating calm.

"She didn't come back for us! B...she came back because of her family. Her people. And I...I accept that, okay? I get it. I...respect her for what she did on Menagerie, and at Haven. She saved us. But that doesn't mean I can just...things have changed, Weiss!"

"What things, Yang? What's changed, between you and Blake?"

"STOP! Stop saying her name like that!"

Weiss sighs, backing away a judicious step. "Your eyes are red. Why is that?"

Yang looks away. She takes a few calming breaths. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe because you're pushing me?"

"Or maybe because Blake means more to you than...well, than I do, for a start."

Yang grimaces. She tries to force the anger boiling in her veins back down. "Weiss, no, I-"

"Idiot!" She puts her hand on Yang's arm. Her real one. "Yang, I'm so glad we can...we're closer than before, and I...I'm not upset because you care even more about Blake! I'm upset that you're...walling yourself off from her! Don't you see that you're hurting both of you?"

"I can't...she...when she ran, she took my...my trust with her. Okay? That's what's changed! I don't trust her anymore! And that isn't coming back! I can't just...pretend she didn't..."

"Hurt you?" Weiss asks softly. "You would've given your life for her. You almost did. And she-"

Yang's appalled to find herself fighting back tears. "She was just gone! I woke up, and she was gone, Weiss! She left me! I needed her, and she left me! I never would've abandoned her like that! Never!"

Weiss smiles sadly. "You'd protect her to your last breath."

Yang cuffs angrily at her eyes. "That's all in the past, now. She couldn't even face me...I...whatever. We can work together, if we have to. That'll have have to be good enough."

"What if...what if Blake ran, not because she was afraid of you, but for you?"

Yang freezes. "What? What are you talking about?"

"We talked, last night. You know, while you were busy avoiding her? Blake told me some of her story...she told me about the threat Adam Taurus made, that night. That he'd destroy everything Blake loves. Part of why she distanced herself from us was so that she could protect us...you."

"That's...that's not good enough! We could've-"

"No, Yang, I know. I know it isn't good enough. And I believe that...part of why she ran was because she couldn't face...you. Maybe that was a mistake, but can you blame her for needing time? Can you really blame her for making a mistake?" Weiss hesitates, then bows her head. "Especially when Blake didn't know what was between you, but she knew that it...ran deep. Can you blame her for being scared, less that Adam would take you away from her...but that he already had?"

Yang stiffens. "What do you mean?"

"You were partners, and I know you were close, but...you were quite...flirtatious with Blake."

"I'm flirtatious with a lot of people! That doesn't mean anything!"

Weiss raises an eyebrow. "No? Are you sure? Was Blake sure?"

Yang blushes. "If there was something...and she felt it too...that's all the more reason that she should've known I wouldn't turn my back on her!"

"Isn't that what you're doing now?"

Weiss' tone is mild, but Yang rocks back like she just got slapped by an Ursa. "She abandoned me! When she didn't need to run! I...she didn't need to," Yang protests stubbornly.

Weiss purses her lips. "I think, maybe she was wrong to go the way that she did. But she did need to go home, Yang. She had to face her family. You know, the people she ran from in the first place? And she came back. Yang, Blake's here. And you need to stop avoiding her, and give her a chance to talk to you. Or else...you're the one who's running away."

Yang groans. She tilts her head back and presses the heels of her hands into her eyes. "That's a low blow, Schnee."

"Did my point find its target?"

Yang lowers her hands, and her guard. She lets Weiss see that her eyes are red, but only because they're bloodshot. "Yeah."

"So you're going to talk to Blake?"

Yang stares at her hands. "What if I...can't? What if I mess things up even more, and-"

"Hey!" Weiss takes both of Yang's hands in hers. "You are Yang Xiao Long! You take everything the world throws at you, and you come back stronger. That's what makes you special. You can do this."

Yang blinks. "I...thought it was my puns that made me special."

"In...a very different sense, maybe."

"That's cold. Weiss cold!"

"I'm really not sure that even counts as a pun." Weiss squeezes Yangs hands, then lets go. "And it was terrible. Are you through stalling?"

Yang sighs. Then she straightens her back, sweeps her hair over her shoulders, and nods. "Probably."

Weiss smiles. "Good. Go find Blake, then!"

"She's...basically a ninja, I doubt it'll be that easy to-"

Weiss rolls her eyes. "She was making tea earlier. She'll be curled up in a comfy chair with a book. If she isn't busy looking for you, that is. Didn't you come up here in the first place to hide, because you were afraid you would run into her?"

"...no?"

Weiss snorts. "Get off my balcony, Yang."

Yang laughs a watery laugh. "Fine! Fine, you win, princess!"

"As it should be," Weiss says with all her old haughtiness, but with a gentle smile that undercuts it, too.

Yang pushes herself off the wall and slings an arm around Weiss. "But you're coming, too. You need to talk to my sister, remember?"

Weiss blushes. "I, uh...yes." She nods, her expression determined. "Yes. I...I think I'm ready."

Yang smiles at her friend. "Okay. Let's go find Ruby and...Blake. And...talk to them about...all those deeply personal things we've just aired. Except this time...with...the people we...feel so strongly about..."

They look at each other, and an understanding passes between them.

Weiss says, "We could wait just a bit longer? If we go now, we'll miss the sunset!"

"It's like you read my mind, princess," Yang says, relieved, as she steers Weiss back to the edge of the balcony.

Yang looks at the small, slim girl beside her, the one who's been offering her so much support lately. Yang smiles. "Don't think I didn't miss you, too, Weiss. I really, truly did."

Weiss smiles back at her. "You won't need to again," she promises. "We're going to get through this...all of this, together."

And even though that's a bigger promise than any of them can make with the world in the state it's in, and the battle s they'll be facing, Yang knows she means it. And even though she stays by Weiss' side as the sun sinks down, Yang doesn't feel like she's hiding, and she certainly doesn't feel alone. She's just...gathering strength, for what comes next.

Yang squeezes Weiss' shoulder.

Whatever comes after her talk with Blake, Yang will face it alongside her family.

Chapter Text

Ruby hits the ground for the dozenth time this evening. She lies sprawled on her back, watching her life--well, maybe just her aura--flash before her eyes. She gasps out, "Almost...had...you..."

Oscar Pine, sounding not even slightly winded, says, "Okay, I guess...that's enough for now, right?"

Ruby considers the amount of energy that would be required to raise her head to look at him, and decides against it. She'd give him a thumbs up, but her thumbs hurt too much. She settles on saying, "You...sure?"

Oscar chuckles, his tone shifting as Ozpin takes the reins. "Quite certain, Ms Rose. You need time to ponder, more than further sparring at this juncture. You've taken great strides, physically, but as long you are fighting two opponents, you will be unequal to this challenge."

Ruby considers that. "Uh."

Ozpin chuckles again, the sound weird coming out of Oscar's throat. "I was not referring to my unique bond with Oscar, but rather to the fact that you are battling your old instincts with every move you make. You must overcome what is within, Ms Rose, if you ever hope to use these techniques to overcome anyone else."

Ruby blinks. Somehow, blinking hurts. "Huh. 'Kay...I'll...ponder. But I'll maybe...think about it first?"

"Indeed. Now, Mr Arc! Aura work tonight, I think. If the rest of your team would assist?" His voice changes again, and Oscar says, "Hey, Ruby? Are you...do you need a hand?"

Ruby waves him off. At least, she thinks she does. She's too tired to independently verify if her hand is listening to her brain. "I'm...fiiiine. Jus' gonna...lie here...'cause it's...cosy."

"It's...those are cobblestones, Ruby, " Oscar says, sounding worried.

"Yeah," Jaune Arc weighs in, standing over Ruby and peering down at her. "Maybe we should get you inside?"

He squawks when Nora Valkyrie grabs his arm and yanks him away. "Orrr, we could go train! Right now! All aboard the training train, choo choo!"

"Nora, why would we leave...oh! Right! Yeah, haha!" Jaune says, trying so hard to sound natural Ruby almost feels worry pierce through her haze of fatigue and pain. "Choo, choo! Haha! Let's go! And...Nora please let go? You're crushing my arm?"

"That's because you're not leaving fast enough! CHOO CHOO HARDER!"

As their footsteps begin to recede, Ruby makes a colossal effort and raises her voice. "Don't forget to keep your shield up, Jaune, even when...you're usin' semblance. And when Nora's charging up you've gotta...protect her. Takes her out of things...for a second. Ren...keep workin' on...drawin' enemy...attention to cover them. Ruby...Ruby go sleep now."

"No," a new voice says, sounding both exasperated and amused. "Ruby get up now."

"Weiss!" Ruby abruptly finds herself standing on her feet, rose petals floating down to the ground all around her. "Oh, hey, hi! You're here! I was just...on the ground...y'know, because...I was...lying on the ground?"

"I did notice that, yes," Weiss says, her face solemn but her voice amused.

"Um..." Ruby says, cleverly. "So..."

Weiss tilts her head expectantly, and waits. It makes life difficult for Ruby because now she has to think of something to say while she's looking at Weiss.

Weiss Schnee wears grey these days, rather than the brilliant white outfits she used to wear, but she wears grey even better than she wore white. Her hair is still incredibly long, bound in a side ponytail, and it is as white as milk and as soft as silk. Her blues eyes are warmer than they used to be, her skin is every bit as perfect as it has always been, marred only by the scar that runs through her left eye. Except...the scar has only ever served to accentuate how beautiful she is, so really, it isn't an imperfection at all, it's just...part of what makes Weiss...Weiss. And if Weiss isn't as beautiful as Ruby remembered, that's only because she's even more beautiful than Ruby remembered.

Maybe it's because she smiles more easily these days, and she doesn't try to hide her sadness as much, and she's just so much more...honest. And kind. Weiss has changed in the months they've been apart, and as far as Ruby can tell, it's all been for the better.

Ruby's extremely conscious of the fact that she is still...all the things she ever was. Which, especially right now, means that she is a mess. She's still wearing her increasingly ragged old cloak, and there always seems to be a rip or three in her stockings, and she's covered in sweat, and her hair is a mess, and...her heart stutters when she realises that this is the first time she's been alone with Weiss since Beacon.

Not that she's been deliberately avoiding Weiss, exactly. It's just that, since Weiss came back, there's been so much going on, and big as the house they've been living in is, there are so many people around, and there's so much to do, and Ruby's hung out with Weiss a lot, just...never when there wasn't someone else around.

"It...got a whole lot warmer when the sun went down, huh?" Ruby says, utterly horrified the instant the words leave her mouth.

Weiss' brow wrinkles. "Are you concussed?"

"No?" Ruby taps her knuckles against her head a few times, testing the theory. "Nope! All good!"

"Well, if you're sure. Oscar did hit you pretty hard a few times, though."

Ruby finds herself blushing. "Oh, you saw...us sparring? Please say you only saw some of it!"

Weiss smiles. "I saw pretty much the whole thing, Ruby."

Ruby slumps. "Cool! The whole...humiliating...thing. With all the...me losing, repeatedly, to a kid two years younger than me."

"Well..." Weiss purses her lips. "I can't lie, it was pretty bad. But-"

"You could lie a little bit?" Ruby mutters, staring at her boots. "Maybe?"

"I did. It was really bad."

"Hey!" Ruby bristles, glaring at Weiss, but instead of a smirk on the older girl's face, there's a soft smile. Ruby sighs. "I...know. I'm basically useless without Crescent Rose."

Weiss shakes her head, taking a step closer to Ruby. "No. But...hmm. Well, you know when you throw a haymaker?"

Ruby knows that's a kind of punch, but she doesn't know what kind, so just nods wisely. "Uh huh?"

"Well, have you considered...ever doing anything other than throw haymakers?"

Ruby's face gets hot. "I do all kinds of punches!"

Weiss snorts. "You fight like you're still wielding Crescent Rose. Trying to end the fight quickly, with huge swings. Even when you connect, though, you don't have the weight or the strength to hit hard enough. And you leave yourself open to counterattacks, and throw your balance out, and-"

"I GET IT!" Ruby snaps. "I suck! I'm total garbage! The beatings already made that obvious, thank you!"

Weiss freezes, her smile vanishing, and Ruby hates herself in that moment. Even if it hurts that Weiss wanted to be alone with her just to point out all of Ruby's mistakes, all the ways she hasn't been able to change, to grow, it's no excuse for yelling. Not when Ruby knows raised voices upset Weiss.

Ruby groans. "Sorry, Weiss. I...didn't meant to...I'm sorry. I'll go...get a bath, or something."

She starts to turn away, but stops when Weiss says, "Jab."

"Huh?"

"Jab!" Weiss drops into a combat stance and starts to weave and throw punches at the air. She keeps her movements slow, so that Ruby can see the way she moves; she never overextends, never loses her balance. "You can use it to attack, and to defend. Close the distance, or maintain it. You don't have as much raw strength as Yang. You use Crescent Rose's weight to generate the momentum of your strikes. You can't do that barehanded, but you can learn to wear an opponent down. Your semblance gives you so much speed. Use it! And you have great balance and timing. You've got the qualities you need to hold your own in unarmed combat. All you need to do is...open yourself up to new possibilities."

Ruby blinks. "Huh. When did you figure all this stuff out?"

Weiss snorts. "I've been listening to Ozpin say variations on it all afternoon. Mind you, his lessons might be more effective if Oscar wasn't punching you in the ear while he was explaining them."

"Yeah," Ruby grumbles, "he likes my ears for some reason. Uh, no, I mean! He likes punching my ears! Not that he likes...that'd be...weird. Um..."

Weiss moves in front of her, to within arm's length. "If you're looking to even the score, go for his eyes. Aura or no, most people at least blink when you-"

Weiss' hand flashes at Ruby's eyes, and Ruby jumps back, squeaking. She manages to tangle herself up in her cloak and ends up flat on her back again, groaning, though more in embarrassment than pain.

"Ruby!" Weiss is kneeling by her side in an instant. "Sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"It's okay. I shouldn't have...um, Weiss?"

"Yes?"

"I shouldn't have yelled. Like a big jerk. I'm really sorry."

Weiss slowly nods. "Apology accepted."

With a grunt, Ruby sits up. "Jab, huh?"

Weiss smirks at her, but somehow, it's a softer expression than it used to be. "It can't make you worse, can it?"

Ruby rubs her head, grinning ruefully. "Nope!" Abruptly she realises that she's this close to Weiss, who smells like flowers--like a whole bouquet of nice flowers--and Ruby's busy making her own hair even more of a mess. Ruby snatches her hand away, feeling her cheeks heat up again. "Um...thanks for the talk."

"Oh, um...well, I...did have something else I wanted to...unless you want to go back inside, or...?"

"N-no, I could...uh, lie on the ground some more, I guess?"

Weiss blinks. "I...was thinking we could go for a walk?"

"R-right! That's a pretty good idea, too!"

"Are you...sure you're okay, Ruby?"

Ruby sighs. She shifts her legs and hugs her knees. "Are any of us? Are you?"

Weiss purses her lips. "Honestly? Yes. And no." She sniffs. "I'm getting less okay every second I spend dirtying my knees here, though."

"Oh!" Ruby leaps to her feet in a fresh spray of rose petals. She quickly offers her left hand, even more speedily retracts it so that she can wipe her sweat off on her cloak, then offers it again to Weiss. "Let me help you!"

Weiss stares at Ruby's hand for a second, and it's a bad second, because Ruby's pretty sure that Weiss is going to ignore it, or maybe just slap her hand aside. But then she smiles, and takes Ruby's left hand in her right hand, and Ruby grins and helps her to her feet.

At which point, something unexpected happens. Weiss forgets to let go of Ruby's hand and simply starts walking. Ruby's forced to hurry after her, because if she doesn't she'll get tugged along by Weiss, and then Weiss will realise that they're still holding hands, and then she might do something terrible, like let go of Ruby's hand.

Weiss picks a direction seemingly at random and leads them away from the house, out into the quiet streets of the city. A light breeze joins them as they walk, wafting scents from the bay over them. For all the uproar that their battle caused at Haven yesterday, the city's peaceful tonight. Maybe the people think that the danger has been avoided.

Ruby knows that they haven't even faced their true opponent yet.

Weiss breaks the silence before it can become oppressive. "What's wrong? I know you're not frustrated because of your performance in unarmed combat. You were never this upset all the times you lost to me at Beacon."

"No, it's not how much I suck at..." Ruby gasps. "Wait...what? Our record was even!"

Weiss smirks at her, eyes gleaming. "Hmm, and yet...I was in the upper percentile of our combat classes. Which you were not, as I recall."

"That's...I was...don't try to confuse me with your...your facts, Weiss Schnee! My record wasn't the best because I...well, it doesn't matter, but our score was even!"

Weiss sighs. Softly she says, "It's going to be difficult to talk about anything if we try to avoid...Beacon. I know your record suffered because you kept volunteering to spar with Pyrrha. Even when almost no one else would take her on solo."

Somehow, the memories aren't so bad when she's sharing them with Weiss. "Yeah. You know she never once turned me down, even when she wasn't getting much out of it, training-wise...and she always gave me tips when I lost. She was the best." Ruby swallows, holding back tears. The memories aren't as bad, but they still hurt. "She...deserved better."

"Yes," Weiss whispers. "I can't believe she's gone."

Ruby takes a deep breath, and sighs it out. There have been a lot of things she's held inside since the fall of Beacon. There are a lot of things she didn't think she'd ever be able to let go of, with the way everything happened. Everyone she knew was hurting, she couldn't just...expect them to make time for her when their needs were greater.

It's only getting harder, the more she realises that everyone around her has grown and progressed so much while shouldering their burdens. She's still just...Ruby. It feels like the more she learns about the world, the less sure she is of her place in it, and the less capable she feels when she's trying to deal with everything that's happening.

"One thing at a time," she whispers to herself. Because even if she doesn't really know how, there are still things that need to be said, and one thing is particularly pressing. "Weiss...you almost died yesterday."

Weiss slows, as they reach the top of a hill overlooking the bay. They are still on the paved street, but Weiss stops them beside a grand house, under the leaves of an old oak tree whose branches have spread out beyond the boundary fence. For a moment, Weiss watches the lights blink on in the streets of the city below them, her face calm and so beautiful, close enough to touch but so far beyond Ruby's reach.

"I did," Weiss says solemnly, turning to face her at last. Ruby isn't quite sure what she means at first, but before she can ask, Weiss continues, "But I'm still here. I'm alright, Ruby. I'm...shaken up, but I'm fine."

"I...I don't think I could lose you, too, Weiss. Yesterday we...we came too close to losing everything. If Jaune hadn't figured out his semblance, and Blake hadn't shown up when she did..."

Weiss frowns. "Is that all you think saved us yesterday?"

Ruby rubs her chin, playing things back for the hundredth time. "Well, Oscar and Ozpin kept Hazel busy...and Qrow withstood Raven's first attack, and then he protected Oscar. Um, and Cinder being a really arrogant butt didn't hurt. I guess she's...gone, now. I guess I should be glad, but...I don't know. A-anyway, Raven turning on the others helped...and you being able to summon those giant glowy monster things...that's really cool, by the way! Yay for the...weird, scary...um, I mean, uh, totally awesome Schnee semblance! Right?"

"Well, I'd like to think I haven't been completely idle while we were apart," Weiss says, her eyes distant. Suddenly she stiffens, shooting Ruby a weird look. "That is, all of us were apart! Not just you and me, o-obviously! Although...I suppose we do have a special bond. Don't we?"

Ruby nods firmly. "We're super besties!"

"Partners!" Weiss snaps, her shoulders rising. "I meant partners, Ruby! Just because we aren't in school, it doesn't change the fact that we've got three years left before our partnership expires."

Ruby nods again, with less certainty. "R-right...yeah, you're...stuck with me, huh?"

"That's not how I'd..." Weiss freezes, and slowly the tension ebbs out of her. "That really isn't what I meant to say. You are my best friend, Ruby. Even if I haven't had that many, I know I...couldn't have asked for a better one than you."

Weiss' hand is very warm in hers, and that warmth seems to spread through Ruby's whole body, making her shiver as it chases her doubts away for one glorious, sunny instant.

Ruby grins. "Well, yeah! I've been telling you this for...basically forever, Weiss. I thought you were supposed to be the smart one?"

"Shut up!" Weiss says, but she's laughing as she does. Even in the lowering night, Ruby can see that her cheeks are tinged with pink. "I'm trying to...tell you...ugh! Why do you have to be so...Ruby about this?"

"Weeeell...how am else am I supposed to be? It's who I am." Ruby's voice falters. "It's...all I am."

Weiss is quiet for a long time after that, and Ruby just shuffles her feet and watches the wind drag its fingers through the branches above them, dislodging a single leaf. Just before it completes its lazy tumble to the ground, Weiss speaks.

"You don't...tell me something. What went wrong yesterday? Were they that much better than us?"

Ruby blinks. She's surprised by the question, but even though a lot has happened in the last couple of days, Ruby's never stopped thinking about that fight, and about how close they came to disaster. "No...well, kinda? Oscar doesn't have close to Ozpin's skills, and they had Raven and Cinder...if they'd been real allies, we would've been completely outclassed."

Weiss grimaces. "And Vernal was...quite formidable. I'm still developing my summoning skills. I was too focused on them, and I didn't give Vernal enough of my attention. It was stupid."

"Hey, come on! There was a lot going on, and let's be honest...we were all stupid. We knew something was wrong, but we didn't have a plan going in. We weren't prepared at all, and we all let Cinder and Raven get under our skin...and...and..." Ruby can feel tears stinging her eyes. "And I have this power I don't understand, and I lost control, and Emerald knocked me out because I couldn't even maintain a proper aura, and I don't know what I'm doing anymore, and if I 'd just been faster...or better, Pyrrha wouldn't be dead!"

"What?" Weiss gapes at her. "Ruby, no! No, you can't blame yourself for that!"

Ruby swipes at her eyes. "I don't! I blame Cinder. And I blame Emerald, and Mercury...and Salem. But that doesn't change the fact that I failed Pyrrha. And...and I failed Penny. And I failed everyone yesterday. I haven't learned anything about my silver eyes...and Ozpin hasn't helped me, but can I blame him? I've barely improved as a fighter...if I can't even manage unarmed combat, how am I supposed to learn these whole other powers? I'm...I'm failing, Weiss!"

Weiss pokes her sharply in the forehead. "Nope! To borrow a phrase."

"Ow!" Ruby grumbles. "You know your nails are almost as sharp as they are pretty? Watch it! Uh, also, uh, I didn't mean...just ignore the...um, what were you saying?"

Weiss stares at her, exasperated and something...else. Something that sends another pulse of warmth through Ruby.

"Idiot," Weiss whispers, so gently it becomes a caress rather than an insult. "Why did we win?"

"Because...Jaune healed you. You summoned the clangy guy and the big bug. Yang got the artifact. Blake bailed us out."

"What else?"

"Uh...Ozpin knew how to-"

"Nope!" Weiss pokes her again. "We fell apart. We were losing...lost. Who rallied us?"

"Well, Uncle Qrow-"

"Oh, please! He might be almost as capable as my sister in combat-"

"Yeah, he's way better than Winter," Ruby mumbles. "He was just messing around that time they wrecked the courtyard..."

Weiss hisses and pokes her again. "Even though Qrow might be my sister's equal in combat-"

"He's so much better..." Ruby whispers, while nodding politely. "Not even close."

She gets another poke.

"Qrow is not a leader. And I didn't hear Ozpin come up with any kind of tactical plan. Yang got to the vault and the rest of us held on until Blake joined us because you led us. It was your voice that we listened to, when things were at their worst. It was you we followed. It's...you we follow."

Ruby swallows. "I...don't...I'm not really a team leader anymore."

"No?" Weiss tilts her head, considering Ruby, a smile tugging at her lips. "That's because you're more than you were. Oscar beat you almost senseless-"

"Oh, so, okay, yeah, we're still on that? Because we could move past that? Waaaay past that...maybe?"

Weiss shakes her head, her smile growing. "My point is, that you were on the brink of passing out and you were still giving the others advice. I bet you've already thought about how to incorporate my summoning into our tactics, too."

Ruby purses her lips. "Well...I've only really had time to identify twenty-three things we need to do differently as team RWBY so far...but today's kinda been a day, y'know?"

"That's my point! You push all of us to be better! You...sorry, you did say...twenty-three things?"

"I just thought of two more, actually!"

"Good. That's...we're going to be drilling...all of those things?"

"Yeah!"

Weiss swallows. "W-wonderful!" Her expression shifts, becomes almost frightened, then softens again. Weiss takes a deep breath, then blurts, "You are, Ruby. Wonderful. You...I followed you. Here. I..." Weiss shakes her head. She takes a deep breath and stands up straight. "When my father disinherited me, there wasn't...I knew I couldn't win that fight. And I knew there was another fight, a bigger one, and that's what I wanted to be a part of. I didn't know Ozpin was alive. If I'd known that Qrow was going to be here, I might have stayed away-"

"Hey!"

Weiss rolls her eyes, but otherwise ignores Ruby's protest. "I didn't know where Blake was, and I thought Yang would still be in Patch, and as much as I missed them, and wanted to see them...it didn't matter, because I knew that..." Weiss hesitates, looking away, out over the bay. "I knew that all I had to do was find you, and everything else would be okay."

Ruby shakes her head. "Weiss, I don't..."

"It's not just...tactics, or how you respond in a crisis, or your plans, or...it's not even that you help make me want to be better that..." Weiss looks at her again, and her face is composed, but her eyes...her eyes are fierce. "You give us hope. That's why everyone follows you. You give me hope, Ruby. It's part of who you are, the one thing that hasn't changed, that I don't want to see change. I'll fight with everything I have to make sure it doesn't. Even if...even if nothing else about you had changed since Beacon, I'd still follow you, and fight alongside you, to whatever end awaits us. Because you're...Ruby Rose. Because that's what you mean to me."

If there is a way to fight the darkness, Ruby suddenly knows, it's this feeling. Ruby's stomach muscles are tight, but it still feels like something is loosening inside her, unfurling, opening her up to possibilities she used to think were nothing more than idle imaginings.

She licks her very dry lips, because even though it's hard to know what to say, some things need to be screamed from the hilltops. "Weiss...um, I don't know how to...I'm just gonna say it!" Ruby stares Weiss in the eye, seeing hope there. "D-did you know you've been holding my hand this whole time?"

Weiss' jaw drops. "Wha...of course! Did you think I was unaware of...did you think it was an accident?"

"Oh...I, uh, thought maybe you got distracted. That sort of thing happens to me all the time! Well, maybe not accidentally holding hands with beautiful girls...but, um, I can put a sandwich down and then think about something else and I will not know what I've done with that sandwich, even when I'm hungry and...this analogy isn't helping!"

"Ruby Rose!" Weiss cries out, her face reddening. "You can't be this stupid! I'm trying to tell you-"

Ruby clears her throat. Softly she says, "Weiss? I...didn't say anything about it until now because I didn't want you to let go." Against her will, her voice gets quieter, less certain. "Holding your hand is...really nice. I like it. I like...you."

"Ruby...I came here for you. Because I believe in you. And because I won't let you go into this fight without me. And because..." Weiss clears her throat and looks away, her voice wavering. "I believe that I would like to kiss you. I-if that would be an arrangement that...you think would be, ah, mutually beneficial."

Ruby gasps. "W-weiss...I..." She bursts out laughing. "Is this how you're asking me to...I thought you borrowed all those romance books from Blake! Is that the best you can do?"

Weiss snaps her head round. She glares at Ruby, her cheeks crimson. "How...I didn't...I have no idea what you..." Weiss stamps her foot. "Blake promised not to tell anyone!"

Ruby giggles. "We all read them, Weiss! I just thought you of all people would've taken better notes!"

Weiss somehow grows even redder. She waves her hand at the city below them and the spreading branches above. "I took you to a romantic spot!"

Ruby blinks, looking around the quiet street. "Oh! I...I mean it's kinda just the street? Under a tree in someone's garden? I think the owner of the house has glared at us a couple of times, so...we're loiterers, now. Oooh, maybe if I wave next time their curtain twitches? Do you think that might...oh, okay, you look mad, so I'm going to stop...with...words."

"It was the most romantic spot I could find on short notice!"

"It's a super great tree! All those...leaves. And the branches are so...and the barks? Yeah, no...the bark...is...all ridgey? Which is what you want in bark...I guess. So...thumbs up!"

Ruby helpfully raises her free thumb.

Weiss slumps. "I'm terrible at this."

"Um, well, I wouldn't say that. You're...really cute, Weiss. And it doesn't really matter where we are, not when...I guess, maybe, we're...what we are? Which is...um..."

Quickly Weiss says, "Friends. And partners. More...if you...if you're willing. But never less, I promise."

Ruby squeezes Weiss' hand again, and oh, the way it makes Weiss look at her sends a thrill running through her. It makes Ruby feel lighter than she has in a long, long time. Ruby grins at her. "So, uh, we're...partners who might...kiss and stuff?"

Weiss flushes. "I-if...you shouldn't feel under any pressure to-"

"Weiss." Ruby gently places a finger on Weiss' lips, silencing her. Her lips are softer than Ruby could have imagined, and Ruby has spent more time than she'll ever admit imagining what Weiss' lips might feel like. "I definitely think it would be, uh, muckily beneficial!"

"Mutually!" Weiss cries out, horrified. "I said mutually!"

Ruby laughs. "Yeah, that, too! So, I mean, um..." Ruby looks down at herself, at her tattered and dusty clothes, and her battered boots. She looks back up, and smiles weakly. "This is me, Weiss. Are you sure-"

Weiss presses her lips to Ruby's. At first it's a surprise, and then it becomes...something else. Something good, and warm, and pure. Weiss pulls away, but the sense of a new connection, a new harmony between them, remains.

Weiss says, "I'm sure."

Ruby smiles. And though she doesn't mean to, she says, "I'm scared, Weiss."

Weiss smiles and cups Ruby's cheek, her touch as gentle as her eyes have become. "I am, too. But it isn't as bad, when you have someone you can share your fears with. And we have that, don't we?"

Ruby sighs, and leans into Weiss' touch. "We do."

"What do we do now?"

"Well...we don't go forward thinking that there's some really horrible ending that's waiting for us." Ruby smiles and does something she never thought would ever be possible. She cups Weiss' cheek and runs her thumb across Weiss' scar, making her shiver and blush at Ruby's touch. "We're gonna fight to make sure everybody gets the ending they deserve. Including us."

Weiss wraps her up in a one armed hug, holding her tightly. "How can you...? Don't you dare go doubting yourself again, idiot!"

"Okay, sure!" Ruby giggles. She returns Weiss' hug for a moment, before easing away. "Tonight, though, we should get back. I kinda need that bath, and food, and...but, uh, we could walk around some more first? See if we can find more romantic spots? With...ridgier...trees? Or, uh, we could just...talk?"

"Hmm," Weiss murmurs, stroking her chin. "Would I have to let go of your hand?"

"Not until it becomes a practical necessity!"

Weiss smiles. "Then let's go for a walk."

Ruby squeezes her hand, and leads them away, down towards the harbour, off into their future. And even though the night can only get darker from here, they walk undeterred, carrying the promise of the coming dawn between them.

Chapter Text

Blake is alone.

She's sitting on a couch in the main room of the house her friends from Beacon are sharing, though she isn't sure why. She spent the night here yesterday, catching up with...almost everyone. She spent most of today with her fellow faunus from Menagerie, working on various proposals with Mistral's council. She could easily have spent the evening among her people, too; bringing a guerilla fighting force into the city, even to save it, causes a great many problems. They need her now, more than everyone in this house does.

Almost everyone.

Blake sighs. She puts the book she's been pretending to read in her bag, and pours herself what's left of the pot of tea she made an hour ago. "When this is done...I am, too." Blake takes a sip of the cold tea and grimaces. She stares at the front door, her knee jiggling. "For tonight. I'll be done for tonight."

After the chaos and horror that was the fall of Beacon, Blake was braced for the battle for Haven to be something that would give her nightmares some entirely unneeded fresh fuel. The ease of her victory over Adam Taurus and his White Fang fanatics was almost shocking. The ease with which Blake's teammates accepted her return was shocking.

But even in the dizzy rush of relief she experienced after the fighting was done, Blake knew that a hug wasn't going to be enough to heal the wounds she caused her friends when she left. Ruby and Weiss both seem open to the idea of letting Blake rejoin the team, and maybe even picking up where they left off. It's a better reception than Blake expected, better than she deserves, and it's almost enough to make her believe that team RWBY could go into battle again.

Almost.

Almost isn't nearly good enough. Not when it comes to Yang Xiao Long.

The problem is not Yang, even though it's abundantly apparent that Yang's been avoiding her, refusing to give Blake the opportunity to apologise, or explain, or just...let Yang yell at her. Whenever she's been forced to exchange words with Blake, Yang's spoken in a flat, clipped tone, said as little as possible, and swiftly found a reason to be elsewhere. Among the many fears Blake's been navigating, it's especially scary to discover that past a certain point, Yang's temper no longer burns hot, it becomes cold.

But Yang avoiding her is not the real issue. The problem is that Blake left Yang wounded, and in leaving, wounded her more deeply still. She has no idea how Yang is doing, because Yang's apparently not telling anyone how she's really doing, according to Ruby and Weiss. Which in itself is troubling. Blake has no idea how she's going to face Yang. She has no idea how she's going to talk to her, what she can say or do to fix things between them, let alone what she can do to help Yang at this point.

"Maybe she's avoiding me because she doesn't care anymore," Blake murmurs, staring into her teacup. "Maybe she's finished with me."

There's a large part of her that dreads the possibility that their problems can't be fixed. There's a tiny part of her that hopes their problems can't be fixed, that thinks that losing Yang is what she deserves.

Blake finishes the last of her tea. It's time to leave.

She makes it as far as the front door before she stops, grits her teeth, and decides to check the house one last time. She dumps her bag on the couch and begins methodically checking through every room in the building. She finds Yang on the balcony, staring out into the darkness, alone. The scent of Weiss' perfume lingers in the air; strange as it is that the two of them seem to have become so close, Blake is glad that Yang hasn't been dealing with everything alone.

Blake hesitates in the doorway, unsure of how to attract Yang's attention. She's never been sure how to do that, in truth, but it didn't matter when Yang was always the one seeking her out, checking in on her, and only pushing past Blake's boundaries when she recognised a need in Blake before Blake could hope to articulate it.

The walls Blake built around herself had shrunk over time, with a few people, but Blake was scrupulous in maintaining some distance. She told herself that there was safety in keeping people away from her. But two people got past her defences: Sun and Yang. Sun's persistence borders on the relentless, but Yang...Blake didn't see her coming. She didn't let herself see how the distance had vanished, how her defences had been pulled down and how something special was building in what little space remained between them.

It's gone, now, of course. Perhaps it might have survived Adam's cut, but not Blake running, not that. Whatever might have been...doesn't matter. Blake owes Yang, and there's no way to settle things between them unless they start talking.

Blake just needs to say something. Anything. Anything at all...

Her lips part, but her throat won't open wide enough to let any words out.

"So...you gonna stand there staring at my butt all night?" Yang half turns, and raises an eyebrow at Blake. "Or did you have something else in mind?"

Part flirtatious, part challenging; it's almost like the old Yang. But her voice is casual, and Blake can feel the sting of Yang's indifference where she used to feel the warmth of her regard. With all the darkness and distance between them, Yang shouldn't be able to make out the expression on Blake's face. Blake looks away anyway.

"How did you know it was me?"

"Aww, I thought you were gonna ask how I knew you were using that perfect night vision of yours to look at my butt!" Yang waits a beat, sighs, and says, "You've got your own distinct kind of quiet, Blake. I guess I learned how to listen for it, how to tell when you were around. Y'know, it got to the point where I'd wake up if it got too quiet, because I knew you weren't sleeping. And if you weren't sleeping below me, I used to struggle to fall asleep again myself! Kinda still...ah, well. Doesn't matter now."

"Oh. I..." Blake hugs herself, pinching at the skin above her elbows. She forces more words out of her dry mouth. "I was hoping we could talk."

"Yeah?" Yang's voice loses all vestiges of warmth. "Why's that?"

Blake winces. "I...I wanted to...tell you how sorry I am."

Yang snorts. "Yeah, I don't want to hear that...stuff right now."

"Oh...I...okay. I...I understand." Blake swallows, desperately trying to hold back her tears. "I should...go."

"Sure. If that's what you want to do, I'm not going to stop you."

Blake turns away, head bowed.

"You're leaving sooner or later anyway, right?" Yang raises her voice. "You've got a lot of people counting on you these days, not just Ruby and Weiss."

Blake groans. "Yang, please...don't."

"Don't what?"

Blake reluctantly faces her again. Yang's leaning against the balcony rail, her arms folded, her face almost expressionless.

Almost.

Blake isn't quite sure what she's seeing in Yang's lilac eyes, but it's enough to make her realise that the cold front that's been flowing from Yang is just that: a front. Blake takes a cautious step closer to her. "If you don't want to hear my apology, I get it. I do. If you don't want...if you can't...we're not the same as we were. It's my fault. But please don't...don't act like it was all nothing. I deserve your anger. I can't...I can't bear this coldness."

"Are you saying you're staying? With us?"

Blake shakes her head. "I'm asking if I have a choice."

Yang snorts. "Yeah, you do. You always did. You made a choice, Blake, when you ran."

Blake flinches. "I...didn't run. Not exactly. I stayed in Vale...did what I could, until things settled down. I left after you were already gone, back to Patch with Ruby. Weiss was gone, too. I...I'm not saying I...had any kind of plan when I left. But I needed time. I had to-"

Yang pushes off the rail and takes two strides towards Blake. "I was in the hospital in Vale for two days before my dad took me back to Patch. I don't remember you stopping by for a visit."

"I...didn't." Blake whispers. She finds it a struggle to say that much; it's true, of course, but it isn't the whole truth. Trying to explain things to Yang, though...for all the time she's had to prepare, Blake cannot find the right things to say. "I...didn't visit."

"Yeah, I'm aware. I'm asking you..." Yang sucks in a breath before growling, "Where were you? Busy fighting Grimm the whole time?"

"No. Not the whole time." A lot of the time, when she didn't know what else to do, Blake sat on a rooftop across the street from the hospital, keeping watch. "I couldn't...I'm sor-"

"No! You don't get to say you're sorry! Not when you don't even know why you're saying it!"

Blake stares at her. Yang's eyes are violet pools, glimmering with unshed tears. She's struggling to breathe, struggling to hold herself still. But she's not angry, she's hurting, and Blake wants so badly to go to her, to comfort her, but it seems that she has nothing to offer Yang anymore.

"I...don't know what you want me to say, then. I wish I knew how to...I can't change it. Any of it. I'm so..." Blake shakes her head, retreating half a step. "Maybe you're right. Maybe I should just-"

"Go? Again?" Yang throws her hands up. "Do you really think that's what I want?"

"I don't know, Yang! I only meant I'd go tonight, because you won't let me...I don't want to leave you like...this. Why don't...what do you want, Yang? What can I do? Is there...is there anything I can do?"

Yang struggles to breathe for a few long, awful seconds. Eventually, in an almost even tone, she says, "I want to show you something. Can I...do you trust me?"

"Yes," Blake says, sadly. "You've never given me reason not to."

"I...fine." Yang pushes her mass of golden hair away from her face with both hands, a gesture so achingly familiar Blake's not sure how she got through so many months without seeing it even once. Yang puts on a strained smile. "You sure about this? It's probably gonna suck for both of us..."

Blake shivers, but she forces down her uncertainty. She was ready to give up, but if Yang can see a way forward, Blake has to try. "I'm sure."

Even though the only two things she really knows for sure are that she doesn't deserve to have Yang in her life and that she needs to have Yang in her life. Standing this close to her...Blake needs her.

Yang nods. She takes another deep breath, and squares her shoulders. "Okay. Follow me, then."

Blake lets Yang brush past her and meekly follows, trying not to think about the way Yang's scent fills her nostrils. She smells like cinnamon and burnt caramel, with something else, something new: a faint hint of leather. Blake tries not to think about how badly she wants to breathe Yang in. She tries not to think at all as Yang leads her through a couple of hallways, up some stairs, through a sliding door...into Yang's bedroom.

Blake hesitates in the doorway, but Yang snorts and beckons her in. "Come in. Close the door behind you."

Feeling nervous, for more reasons than she can enumerate, Blake takes her time to close the door as soundlessly as she can. When she turns back to Yang, she finds that Yang is standing by her bed, her hands on her hips.

It gives Blake her first really good look at Yang's new arm. It's sleek, and painted yellow and black, and Blake looks away, because she doesn't want to stare. Then she realises that Yang might think she can't stand looking at it, and she forces herself to look again, only to decide that that's wrong, too. She looks up to find Yang watching her, a hint of amusement in the quirk of her lips, more than a hint of warning in her eyes, which have darkened in shade to a purple the colour of a bruise.

Before Blake can come close to finding anything to say, Yang suddenly laughs. "Wow! Awkward!"

Blake flushes, and her ears go flat. "I...it won't happen again. Sorry."

Yang shrugs. "No problem. It's an adjustment. Actually, I gotta say...I much prefer no ribbon Blake. Your ears are really, uh, expressive! Somehow made that whole thing kinda cute!"

"Thanks?" Blake finds a shy smile forming on her lips. "I'm...not going to hide who I am anymore. I'm trying not to, anyway."

"Good for you!" Yang smiles at her, but it quickly fades. She pushes her hair back again, and sets her shoulders. "So, listen could you grab something for me real quick? It's kinda related to what I need to show you."

"Yes?" Blake looks around the room. "What?"

Yang carefully approaches her, closing the gap between them. She holds up her new arm and locks eyes with Blake. "This."

Blake freezes. "Wh-what?"

"I need to take this off for the night."

"Oh. Of course!" Blake tentatively puts her hands around Yang's metallic forearm. "Like...like this?"

"Uh, yeah, but hold on tight. It's made of lightweight materials, but it's still pretty heavy."

Blake tightens her grip. She nods at Yang. It happens so quickly that she misses the moment Yang's arm becomes a prosthesis Blake's holding. It's not as heavy as she thought it would be, somehow. Blake turns the arm over, studying it. She notes a few places where the paint has been chipped off, showing the silver metal underneath.

"Could you put it in the case, on top of the dresser? I still find that part tricky."

Blake doesn't trust herself to say anything, so she meekly nods, and carries the arm to the dresser. She carefully slots the arm into the padded interior. She hesitates, her fingertips resting on the cool metal, her memory replaying every time Yang crushed Ruby's neck in a hug with her right arm, every time she bounced up to Blake after a training session, cocky grin in place, hand raised for a high five, or a fist bump. She remembers the time they danced, being twirled under Yang's arm...

She jumps when Yang says, "Hey, come on! You cry on it, it'll get rusty. I can't save the day if my arm gets jammed."

Blake slams the case shut, and turns back to Yang, swiping at her eyes. "Sorry."

Yang, who is sitting on her bed, applying lotion from a small pot onto her stump, frowns. "Why?" she asks, sharply.

"Because this is my fault!"

Yang stares at her. She opens her mouth, pauses, and says, "Right. It was all kind of a blur that night, but why did you cut my arm off?"

"That's not...don't do that!"

"What? Twist the facts to suit my mood?"

Blake clenches her fists. "I'm not...that isn't what I'm trying to do!"

Yang smears the last of the lotion onto her stump, wipes her hand on her pants, and fumbles the lid onto the pot. She shoves her hair away from her face with two quick sweeps of her hand. It's jarring, seeing that gesture which Yang has clearly grown used to, and which Blake has never seen before.

"Look..." Yang stares at Blake, her eyes pale again, her breathing even. "You didn't cut my arm off. You are not responsible for my arm being cut off. Adam Taurus did that, with some help from...me. I didn't stop, didn't think, I saw you...and I charged in. Not your fault."

"But if it wasn't for me, you'd probably never have met Adam! And if it wasn't for me, he wouldn't have -"

"Ruined my shot at playing piano at one of Weiss' recitals? He would have killed me outright, instead. Would that have been better?"

"No! Of course not! Yang, I-"

"I was pretty out of it after the whole losing an arm thing, but someone saved me from Adam that night. Any idea who?"

Blake stares at her. "I...used my semblance. I got us out of there. But-"

Yang clicks her fingers. "Oh, right! You saved my life! And when...after, when I was out of it, who held my hand the whole time, until the evacuation transport arrived? That was you, right? According to Weiss, anyway."

Blake bites her lip. "Weiss...told you that?"

Yang's shoulders ease down, some of the tension that had been gathering in her body dissipating. "Yeah. She's...been talking a lot of sense into me lately. She gives good hugs, too, these days, if you ever need one."

Blake doesn't want to face the implication behind that statement, so she simply shakes her head. "I've...missed a lot, haven't I?"

"Yeah. You know, you didn't answer the question."

"Oh." She remembers the feel of Yang's hand in hers, how her skin felt cold for the first time ever, how Yang's blood dried out and sealed their fingers together, and how hard it was to let go, when the medics arrived. She remembers her surprise later when she found grit embedded in her cheek from how long she'd lain next to Yang, watching her, holding her, begging her not to leave. "I did...hold your hand. For a while."

Yang's mouth turns down. "Yeah, sure. You're not Adam, Blake. You're not responsible for the things he did to me, or the things he did to you, or the things he does...to anyone. So...I really don't need you to apologise for any of that. I really don't need to sit here watching you wallow in that kind of self pity." Yang rubs her face, and her voice gets tired. "I saw all I needed to of that stuff in my mirror back on Patch."

Blake's skin prickles and grows warm. Claw-tipped words line themselves up on her tongue, ready to pounce. And then she looks at Yang, who has shrunk into herself, who looks, for the first time in Blake's memory, small enough to be crushed by life, and her anger is washed away by a rising tide of guilt.

She walks carefully around the end of the unoccupied bed and sits down opposite Yang. "I...it gets all tangled up. The guilt. I don't know where mine starts and...I don't know how to let it go."

Yang sighs. "I can understand that." She makes that gesture again, swiping her hair back. "But I don't understand why you ran, Blake. Why'd you run from me? That's what I don't get, that's what makes me so mad, and...why?"

There's a pleading note to Yang's voice, and a fresh wave of guilt crashes over Blake. "I...don't-"

Yang snaps, "If you lie to me right now, or try to dodge this, we're done. You've barely said an honest thing to me all night and I'm sick of it, Blake. Why are you holding back? Do you think I'm interested in judging you? I'm just trying to understand! I thought...I thought you cared! I thought we were family! I need to..."

She clamps her mouth shut, but she's said more than enough.

Blake stares at her hands, sitting limp and useless in her lap. "I...I had been happy, for a while. Even though...even though things were so...bad. But you...and the others made it...made me feel...I don't know. Useful? Accepted, maybe. I let myself think that things were...we stopped Torchwick, and so many of the White Fang! I knew Adam was out there, but I let myself think we'd won a major battle. I was so. Stupid!"

Barely aware of doing it, Blake punches her thigh. She takes a few seconds to breathe, and to stop grinding her teeth.

Yang says nothing. She leans forward, resting her elbow on her thigh, and waits.

"Everything came crashing down that night. You almost died, and I realised...I realised that my selfishness in going to Beacon had brought this pain down on you." Yang stirs, but Blake quickly shakes her head. "What happened at Beacon is bigger than me, or my past. I know that, Yang. I...I can accept that I didn't...that it's not my-"

"It's not your fault, what Adam did," Yang says, stubbornly.

Blake shrugs. "Well, it's not how I felt that night. I watched you lying there, face slack...all that blood, and...I didn't know if you'd survive. And when you did, I...thought you'd hate me. And even though I deserved...I deserve your hate, I couldn't face you. I couldn't...be pushed away. N-not by you. Even though I knew I had to get away from you, from everyone Adam might target. But I still couldn't just...leave. So I...I sat across the street, watching the hospital, telling myself that you had your uncle, your father, Weiss, Ruby...you didn't need me. Couldn't...want me after all that. I was so...I hid myself from you, because...because I was scared you'd never want to see me again." Blake stares at her hands, which are white-knuckled fists in her lap. "And I knew I couldn't survive you telling me that."

Blake doesn't say why and Yang doesn't seem inclined to ask. There are questions that neither of them had figured out how to ask of the other back then. Blake knows that some of those questions are still open, for her, but if ever there was a time to explore the intensity of her feelings for Yang, this is not it.

After what feels like a very long time, Yang sighs. "You...do get how dumb that is, right? Not facing me because you couldn't face the possibility of me telling you to get out of my face?"

Blake winces. She nods, not daring to look up to see what sort of expression is on Yang's face. "Yes. I'm...beginning to understand how dumb it was. How dumb I've been. I...can I say...? I am sorry, Yang. For...letting you think I didn't care. Because...because that's not true. That's never been true, not for a single moment. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you."

Yang groans. "Oh, great, you're being honest and...and relatable! Now I have to...look, Blake...hey, c'mon, look at me."

Knowing when to look, where to look, how to look at Yang Xiao Long...Blake's had problems with that for most of the time she's known her. Before Adam, it was becoming a good kind of problem to have. Now...Yang's asking. The only other choice is to walk away.

Blake looks up. Yang's just...sitting there, her arms bare, her body bowed, her face tired.

"So...about what I wanted to show you...here it is." Yang takes a deep breath, then sits up straight. "I wake up screaming some nights. Instead of every night. It only...it only takes me about twenty minutes to find the energy to get out of bed in the morning. Down from the low point of...about a week. So...that's pretty good. Still takes me a couple of hours to get to sleep most nights, though. I tend to drift in and out, even when I don't have bad nightmares. I, uh, I get...you know how I used to chase thrills?"

Blake nods mutely. Her nails dig furrows into the meat of her palms.

Yang swallows. "When I get...mad, or scared, or into a fight, I, um, my hands...hand, it...ugh!" Her voice wavers, but she grits her teeth and forces herself to continue. "I mean, I get the shakes. I've been holding it together, mostly, but...uh, so, my dad gave me a ton of training? He really took me apart as a fighter, and I'm on a whole new level, technically. But I'm not...I don't have the same edge. I just can't...there's this hesitation sometimes. Like, I don't exactly freeze, but there's this voice asking me over and over, 'What if I freeze?' There's a hesitation there, I...I don't know how to get past. That's on top of...there was this...bottomless pit thing, in the vault, under Haven? I, uh, threw up in it, after my...Raven left. Adrenaline kinda makes me sick, now. How about that? So...yeah." Yang rubs her eyes and tries to smile. "This is where I'm at! In pieces, trying to...work out how to put myself back together. Can't really imagine anyone wanting to choose someone like that as their partner."

It hurts so much to hear it all that, for a moment, Blake wonders if this is some kind of punishment. Then she realises that this is Yang, and she isn't laying any blame on Blake. If anything, this is...not a reward, but an offer of sorts. An opening. Which means that Blake has a choice, a chance, and she needs to get this right.

She gets up and crosses over to Yang's bed, and sits beside her, not touching, but close. Yang watches her, and if she's hard to look at, it's only because Blake doesn't feel like she's earned the hope she can see on Yang's face.

Blake needs to get this right. Slowly, she says, "It...feels like some kind of puzzle, doesn't it? The pieces that are left when you...break. Like...everything's scattered, but you should be able to sort through it all? And if you can find the right pieces, you could be what...who you were again. But when you have time, and get some perspective, you realise that...pieces are missing. Other pieces have changed. If you're lucky, if you get the right kind of help..." Blake slowly reaches out and gently takes Yang's hand. Yang doesn't resist when Blake pulls it into her lap, and clasps it in both of hers. "You can make new pieces. But you can never be what you were again. That person is gone. It can be such a hard lesson to learn. It's one I keep learning. You have to try to...build the best you that you can, with whatever's left."

"Yeah," Yang croaks. She clears her throat. "Yeah, that's...that's something I guess we both have to do, huh?"

"Sometimes that's not so bad, though," Blake whispers. "I...I'm trying to be better, Yang. I've reconnected with my family, let them...see me. And they accepted me, in spite of all the things I've done wrong, all the ways I've hurt them. Some days I still feel...like I'm not worthy of that kind of forgiveness. I've made so many mistakes, Yang. And sometimes it feels like I can never...outrun them all. Sometimes it's easier to hide than to face them. That's when I need people to...I could really use your help. If it's not too late to ask?"

Yang shakes her head, and Blake freezes. She's about to use her semblance, to flee this room, this house, this city, maybe, when she sees something she's missed almost as much she did her parents.

Yang grins. "I mean...nice speech and all, but one of the pieces I'm missing is my actual arm. So that's a bit of an insensitive metaphor, Blake! Still..." Yang leans over, resting her head on Blake's shoulder. Her voice wavers. "I hear you. I'll help you get through, if you'll help me. I think I'm gonna need...ah, who am I kidding? I do need help, Blake. I need...you."

"Okay." Blake gratefully rests her head on Yang's, her heart pounding. "You've got me. I'll be here," she promises. "No more running. Unless...it's a tactical requirement. From a giant horde of Grimm, say."

Yang snorts. "I suppose that's a reasonable stipulation."

Cinnamon and burnt caramel fill Blake's nostrils, making her feel almost giddy. "Now I can tell you've been spending time with Weiss. You're using big words."

"Pfft! I'm a refined and educated lady, Blake! I know all kinds of words!"

"True. You did use some interesting words in that dockside bar in Vale. I believe you made a whole crew of sailors cry..."

"They were just impressed by the, ah, extent of my vocabulary and the vigorous way I applied it."

Blake can't quite laugh, but she smiles. Yang is very warm against her side, and it feels so good to be able to relax with her, even for a moment. It's a beginning, Blake knows, and not a resolution, but it gives her hope, and she intends to treasure it.

After a few quiet moments, Yang yawns. "Okay, so...today's kinda taken it out of me, I guess. It's still early, but I'm wiped."

Blake releases Yang's hand and reluctantly moves away from her. She's shocked to discover that she already dislikes the idea of leaving Yang's side, of losing that sense of warmth. "I should probably let you sleep."

"Yeah," Yang says, too cheerfully. "I guess you've finally got your excuse to get out of here!"

Blake winces. "I didn't mean it like that," she says, quickly. "I just meant...if you want to rest..."

But Yang's already shaking her head, her expression rueful. "I know. I...tried for a joke and missed."

It's strange, but it feels like in moving a few inches apart, a vast gulf has opened between them. "It's...we're going to need some time, aren't we?"

"I don't mean to...I'm not trying to hold this over you, but I..." Yang breaks off, frustrated. She swipes at her hair, breaking eye contact. "Yeah, I think it's going to take time. We've both changed and...I'm still...is it okay that we're not completely okay?"

Blake nods. "This is...more than I expected, honestly. I just...I'm sor-" Yang begins to frown at the apology, so Blake cuts herself off before she can further damage their delicate peace. Into the suddenly edged silence, she blurts, "I chose you."

Yang blinks, focusing on her again. "Huh?"

Blake swallows. "I don't...know why I'm telling you this. Maybe I should've told you at Beacon, but...that day, in the woods? Our first real day at Beacon, our first test, when our teams and our partners were decided? I...hid, when I landed. I snuck around, and...well, the first person I saw was Cardin Winchester, and there was no way I was going to be his partner, so even though I saw him, there was no eye contact, because I was...in a bush."

"You're saying you...picked me over Cardin?" Yang gasps theatrically, her eyes widening. "The faunus-hating bully? Wow, I feel special!"

Blake rolls her eyes, but her heart is beating much harder than it should be and she's pretty sure she's blushing. She isn't sure how wise it is to tell Yang this, but she thinks that from now on, she'd rather be a fool for saying too much to Yang than for saying too little. "No, Yang. I'm saying...I deliberately picked you over everyone."

Yang's jaw drops. "Uh, what?"

"Out of everyone there, you and Ruby were the only people who tried to befriend me. And when they told me I'd be with a partner for four years...I made sure it was you."

"Oh. Um, wow. Real wow, this time." Yang bites her lip. "So...it was me or Ruby, huh? Guess I got lucky!"

Blake's heart soars. "You think so?"

Yang nods. "Yeah," she says, softly. She reaches out, hesitates, then touches Blake's shoulder. "All things considered, I do."

She bows her head, entirely certain that she's blushing. "Well...you weren't. Lucky, I mean. I told you, I picked you over everyone, Ruby included."

"Why?"

"I..." Blake meets Yang's eye, and smiles. "I really liked your hair."

"My...hair." Yang stares at her, an incredulous smile hovering on her lips. "Seriously? Wait!" Yang somehow manages to simultaneously glare and pout at Blake. "What do you mean liked?"

"Like! I meant like! I still do! Your hair is...beautiful and wild and free." Blake is not quite brave enough to add 'like you,' but she does manage to murmur, "Y-you have such kind eyes, too."

"You think?" Yang grins. "Heh! So many compliments! You could make a girl swoon! Especially since we've already established you love my butt!"

"Yang!" Blake is keenly aware of the fact that she's blushing again. "I was not staring at your butt!"

"Okay, okay! But if you're telling me you didn't so much as look, I'll be really hurt. I've done about a million squats since I last saw you. I'd hate to think all that work's going to waste!"

"I'm already regretting this," Blake groans, her blush deepening.

"What? Looking at my butt? Nah, no one regrets that." Yang's grin is so dazzling it almost hides the challenge in her next question. "So what are you regretting?"

"Slightly regretting...very slightly." Blake summons up all the courage she has, such as it is. She reaches up, carefully brushing Yang's soft golden hair aside, and places her hand on Yang's shoulder. "The fact that I choose you again. But the regret is outweighed by the...everything else. Thank you for giving me another chance."

Yang tenses at her touch, but relaxes at her words. Her grin fades into a smile both soft and real. "Thanks for saving my life. Then and yesterday."

Blake clasps her hands in her lap. For a few moments, they say nothing else, just sit together in a fragile but peaceful silence. Blake is not sure how to proceed, until Yang yawns again.

She gets up. "I suppose I should let you sleep."

Yang grimaces. "Yeah...yeah, I should try and do that," she says, her eyes becoming distant.

Blake's almost all the way to the door when she stops. Just like Yang learned to hear the sounds Blake wasn't making, Blake knows when Yang's looking at her. Blake doesn't look back, but she tilts her head and says, "Yang?"

"Yeah? What's up?"

Her voice is almost steady. And that decides Blake, because almost isn't good enough. Not when it comes to Yang Xiao Long.

"I'll probably stay here tonight, but I'd rather not bunk in with Nora again." Blake turns to face Yang, and gestures at the other bed in the room. "Anyone using that?"

Yang stares at her, eyes wide. She shakes her head.

"Mind if I...?"

"Would you?"

"I'd like to, if you'll have me."

Yang sighs, and some of the tension in her body, some of the tension between them, eases away. "Okay. Okay, good. I mean, I guess I can put up with you snoring away all night. I...I suppose I'll have to start getting used to that again, huh?"

"You will." Blake smiles. "I'll grab my things. Back in a minute."

"Sure thing," Yang says, her voice steady. "I'll be here."

Blake pauses on her way out again. Softly she says, "I'll try not to forget that again."

She leaves the room after saying that, but she still catches Yang's response.

"Not gonna let you."

Blake goes back to the lounge for her bag, her heart and her steps the lightest they've been in longer than she can remember.

Chapter Text

Weiss wakes up the morning after she kissed Ruby with this thought: Weiss is no longer a Schnee.

Weiss holds herself still under her blanket, gathering together the sleep-scattered pieces of herself; she opens her eyes to the morning light but she doesn't turn her head to look around. Weiss can tell that the room is empty.

Last night, after a long walk, and a long talk, Weiss and Ruby had come back to the house and had dinner with their friends. Well, most of their friends. Blake and Yang had both skipped the meal, a sign Weiss takes to be a positive one. After they had eaten, and without it ever being discussed with her, Jaune had quietly informed Weiss that she'd be sharing a room with Ruby for the rest of their stay in the city.

Weiss slowly smiles. She and Ruby had shared a room last night--though not a bed, neither of them are quite ready for that. They had stayed up late, sitting together on the floor with their backs against Ruby's bed, talking late into the night. They exchanged more personal stories about everything that had happened in their time apart, and Weiss had marvelled at how much Ruby had accomplished in her journey. She'd become a true huntress, fighting to save lives, fighting to push the darkness back.

It had taken Ruby a while to find the courage to put her arm around Weiss, but then, it's took a long time for Weiss to become comfortable with how much she enjoys physical affection. Weiss had never felt better than she had last night, leaning into Ruby's side, feeling her relax as she talked about all the trials she'd faced.

Although...she touches her lips, and blushes even though the room is empty. The kissing had felt very, very good, too. She's looking forward to applying herself diligently to a rigorous study of Ruby's lips as soon as the opportunity next arises.

She sits up, stretches, and her eyes fall on a clumsily folded piece of paper on the nightstand. She picks it up, and smiles when she sees that it's a message from Ruby. It reads:

Good morning, Weiss! I hope you slept well. I did, better than usual, but I woke up super early, and I had to start moving around, because I looked at you, and you were asleep, and so cute, and I have seen you asleep before, and still cute, but its different now, because were different now, and it makes me so happy I needed to yell, so I have to go for a run because you were too cute to wake up and also I want to kiss you because CUTE and I am so going to later so get your lips READY. I really do need to yell and move around so I am going to go now. Sleep well, have a great breakfast, too, because we are going to TRAIN, but brush your teeth because KISSING.

Weiss shakes her head, smiling wider than ever. "Good morning, idiot," she whispers fondly.

Her smile slowly fades as her waking mind catches up with the thought she woke with: she is no longer a Schnee.

Weiss gets out of bed and pauses to consider for a moment. She picks up Ruby's note and inhales, detecting a faint scent of rose. She brushes her thumb across the surface of the paper and a small amount of ink transfers to her skin. The note is fairly recent, then, so she has some time before Ruby gets back.

Weiss had only a single bag when she fled the Schnee estate. She packed a nightgown, but no robe. Of her two dresses, one was ruined when Cinder launched an obsidian spear through her chest, and she'll need the other for later. Her nightgown will have to do.

She belts Myrstenaster around her waist, opens the bedroom window, and climbs out into the back court of the house. Weiss stretches again, by way of warmup, then unsheathes Myrtenaster. She takes a few deep breaths, then she starts.

Guard position. Advance. Lunge. Feint left, right, lunge. Parry. Parry. Circle right, slash, slash, feint into a low lunge. Disengage, circle left. Parry, riposte, a quick slice through the air. Attack. Feint high, drop her point low, roll up around her opponent's blade, lunge for the heart.

Weiss is beginning to sweat. She narrows her eyes against the sting, and forces herself to move faster. Lunge. Throat! Heart! Groin! She summons a gravity glyph, hops onto it and kicks off, twisting through the air and slicing Myrtenaster through an imaginary foe's head. She summons another glyph under her feet before she lands, backflips, summons a third in the air at an angle above her, pushes off against that one, and thrusts her sword out in front of her, imagining herself plunging through a Grimm.

She rolls when she hits the ground, and comes up into a crouch, blade whirling in combined attack and defence as she recovers her footing. Without pausing, she rises up fully and throws herself into another series of lunges and parries. She pauses for a moment, wipes the sweat from her brow, breathes, and then she does it all again, faster, this time. And again. Faster. And again, attack, parry. Riposte. Parry, backpedal to create room, trigger the cylinder in Myrtenaster's hilt, load ice dust this time, lunge and...

And, in this case, rather than triggering a glyph in the empty courtyard, Weiss finds herself on the verge of either entombing Blake Belladonna in ice or running her through. Weiss gives a surprised yelp and sweeps her point out of line, stumbling past Blake and almost falling. Blake watches her gravely, sipping at a steaming mug of tea.

"Good morning, Weiss," Blake says politely.

Weiss thrusts Myrtenaster's point into the ground and stumbles over to the nearest wall she can collapse against. "Ha...hello...why...sneak...up....die?"

Blake's cat ears twitch. "I've been standing here for a few minutes," she says, calmly. "You seemed....distracted, though. But not enough where I think you'd endanger my life."

"No...me...die...heart..."

"Oh." Blake blinks. "Sorry. I'll go, if you like?"

Weiss shakes her head, and pushes herself upright. "No...please."

Blake dips her head, a tiny smile tugging at her lips. "Would you like a cup of tea?"

"Yes...thanks." Weiss smiles, because she's grateful for the offer, and for the opportunity to catch her breath, and because Blake looks the most relaxed that Weiss has ever seen her. "Just...milk. Please."

The other girl nods, and goes back into the house. By the time she returns, bearing another mug, Weiss has recovered both her sword and her dignity.

"Thanks, Blake," Weiss says, smiling as she cradles the warm mug in her hands.

"You're welcome." Blake tilts her head, considering her. "Oh. You're...okay."

Weiss snorts, looking at her sweat-stained nightgown "I'm a mess."

"No, I...thought something must be bothering you, the way you were pushing yourself, but..." Blake shakes her head, another small smile tugging at her lips, seeking permission, whether Weiss' or Blake's, to become something fuller. "You seem...happy."

Weiss blows on her tea, and takes a cautious sip. It's a little too hot, but it's pleasantly bitter and she finds herself smiling again. "I needed to wake myself up. And to think. But...yes, I suppose I am happy."

Blake raises an eyebrow.

"I'm not heir to the Schnee legacy anymore," Weiss says slowly. She takes another sip of tea. "In fact, in defying my father the way I have, I've not just been disinherited, I've likely been disowned." Weiss purses her lips. "I'm not even a Schnee, technically."

"And that's..." Blake frowns. "Something you're happy about?"

Weiss starts to shake her head, then pauses, thinking. She shrugs and takes another sip of tea. "No. No, not really. But...I suppose I'm beginning to realise...in fact, Ruby has helped me to realise...that it isn't a bad thing, exactly."

"Huh. Can I ask..." Blake pauses. "Well, can I ask a lot of questions?"

Weiss shocks them both by laughing, but after the initial surprise, Blake seems to decide that she's found her permission, and smiles.

"You may ask me as many questions as you'd like," Weiss assures Blake, briefly placing a hand on the faunus' forearm. "But...I suppose it's...like this. Last month, I was a Schnee, and I knew what that meant, and who I had to be, even though I...I'd grown to hate it all. It was all so...hollow. So petty!"

Blake tilts her head. "Did what happen at Beacon make you think so?"

"No." Weiss sighs. "Well, yes. Of course it did. But...I'd already been pulling away from the way my father wanted me to be since...oh, I'd rebelled in small ways for years. Going to Beacon, I wanted to...try to find a way to strike out on my own, even if I didn't understand what that meant." Weiss swallows. "Well, I suppose I started to work that out from the moment I promised Ruby I'd...anyway. I'm no longer anything close to my father's idea of what it means to be a Schnee." Weiss frowns. "Which he isn't."

"Well, neither are you, according to you?"

Weiss chuckles ruefully. "Right! Not at the moment."

Blake smiles a tiny smile. "I have questions. What did Ruby help you realise? What are you, if not a Schnee? Why 'at the moment'? And..." Blake's smile widens. "How did Ruby help you realise what you realised?"

Weiss thinks of Ruby's lips on hers and blushes. "She...we, ah, talked last night. And...I realised that, until such time as I challenge my father and reclaim my inheritance, I am...free."

"Ah." Blake studies her for a second. "No more heiress, so no...rules and proper etiquette? You can run off and be a huntress, too?"

"No, not that. Not...just that, it's..." Weiss frowns down into her mug, trying to find the words that fit the shape of her new thoughts. "Being a Schnee...being someone else's idea of a Schnee has always been the most important thing about me. All those rules and expectations, the duties I had, they defined me. Next month, or year, or however long it takes..." Weiss raises her head, and whatever expression is on her face makes Blake's eyes widen. "I will be a Schnee again. I will reclaim my name, and my inheritance, and I will reshape it into something better. I promise you that, Blake."

Blake studies her intently. She nods. "I'll hold you to that. And I'll help you if I can."

Weiss sighs and sips some more tea. "Thank you. On both counts. But...that's a problem for another day. I'm committed to stopping Salem. I'm committed to...you, Blake. And Yang. And Ruby. And I suppose what I've realised, what Ruby's helped me see, is that I'm not free from my responsibilities, but that for the first time, I'm free to choose how I want to tackle them. I'm free to decide what I want the Schnee name to mean, when I take it back. In the meantime...I get to define who Weiss is. That's scary...but a good kind of scary."

Without a word, Blake raises her mug to Weiss. Weiss smiles and clinks her own against it. They both drink in silence, thinking their own thoughts.

Unusually, it's Blake who speaks first. "You left a question unanswered, I think. About Ruby."

Weiss finds herself blushing again, but she forces herself to meet Blake's gaze. "Did I?"

Blake grins. "Good for you! Both of you."

Now Weiss does look away. "Oh, well...I...we're still...thanks, but I should really get washed and then we have this training session and--"

Blake puts a hand on Weiss' shoulder. "You and Ruby get to define what you are to each other, too, Weiss. That's one way you should use your freedom. Don't worry about anyone else. You've got everyone in our group's support. You've got...my support."

"Thank you," Weiss says, simply. She clasps Blake's hand for a brief moment, then pulls away. "Well, I do need to bathe. I'll take these mugs in, too, if you're finished?"

"Thanks." Blake drains her mug and passes it to Weiss. She bites her lip, turns away, then turns back and blurts, "Um, if you run into Yang...tell her I'm here? I...woke up, but she was asleep, and she said...I didn't want to wake her. I..." Blake's eyes widen. "Oh, I...we talked last night, and, uh-"

"Yang needs a good night's rest. I'm glad she got one." Weiss laughs. "I'm glad you two are talking again, too!"

Blake ducks her head. "We...are."

Weiss smiles at her. "Good. Yang really does care...well, um, I...I'll get inside. See you soon!"

She enters the house by a door this time, deposits the mugs in the kitchen, and goes in search of a bath.

When Weiss goes back outside, bathed and wearing yesterday's dress, she finds Blake sitting in a patch of sunlight with her back to a wall. Yang is sitting on Blake's right, close enough that Weiss thinks that their bare shoulders might be touching. Weiss pauses in the doorway for a moment, unnoticed, and watches the other two.

Yang gestures extravagantly with both hands, saying, "So then, and this is the best part, then Tulwar glares out at the horde of Grimm threatening the town and says, 'This might be the day I fall, but I will not fall alone. Foul beasts, feel the ultimate techniques of a true Hunter!' And he jumps from the tower, his coat flapping around him, and he lands right in the middle of the Grimm, and starts cutting them down. And all the townsfolk are so inspired by his courage--"

"They rush out and save him?" Blake asks eagerly, her eyes bright, her body angled towards Yang. "Tulwar Terrific lives in the end, right?"

Yang hesitates, brushing her hair back from her face with two quick swipes of her flesh hand. "Well...no. The Grimm overwhelm him. But he's so cool and awesome, the townsfolk's fear is completely banished and the Grimm horde retreats. Tulwar saves the whole town."

"Huh. That's...not what I was expecting from your favourite drama, Yang."

Yang sniffs. "That's because I have hidden depths, Blake. Admittedly, they're so well-hidden even I don't know where they all are, but I've got them!"

Blake laughs, no, giggles at that. Weiss hasn't heard that sound in a long time. It occurs to her that she's never been able to make Blake laugh like that, but she's glad that Yang can. She's especially glad that Yang seems to want to again.

She carefully tucks her knowing smile away for later and clears her throat.

Blake's cat ears twitch and turn in Weiss' direction. Blake leans away from Yang, just slightly, and offers a hesitant smile to Weiss.

Yang seems to notice how close Blake was for the first time. She starts, then jumps to her feet. "Weiss! Good morning! How was the rest of your evening?"

"It...went well, thank you. And yours?"

Yang rubs the back of her neck, stealing a glance at Blake as the faunus gracefully stands up. "Yeah...yeah, I think it went pretty well."

Weiss smiles at her. "That's good."

Blake makes a soft, amused sound. "Neither of you are good at subtlety, you know."

Yang gasps, pressing her hand to her heart. "Blake! Whatever could you mean?"

Blake shrugs. "Weiss and I already talked this morning. She and Ruby are together now, I guess?"

For some reason, Blake calmly saying that makes Weiss' heart start to hammer and her face grow hot. "W-well, I...that is, we...Ruby and I...really, it's up to Ruby how she wants to...well, both of us! But she should have a say...which, she isn't here, so I...um..."

Blake's polite enough not to laugh, though she clearly wants to. Yang, however, frowns and advances on Weiss with her mouth compressed into a tight line.

It takes all of Weiss' courage not to flee when Yang's shadow falls over her. Yang points an accusing finger at Weiss' nose. "You...better believe you're getting a hug right now." And before she can process that, much less protest it, Yang scoops Weiss up into a surprisingly gentle hug. Yang whispers, "Make each other happy, okay?"

"I'll do my best," Weiss whispers back. "I don't want you to have to feed me to the Grimm."

"Attagirl!" Yang says, laughing, as she lowers Weiss to the ground.

Blake joins them, smiling, but her smile slips and she ducks her head to try to hide her blush when she makes eye contact with Yang.

For a moment, it's just the three of them and a silence that is both awkward and somehow happy. The three of them look at each other, and it seems that no one quite knows what to say or how to proceed from that moment. Weiss opens her mouth, thinking of blurting out an offer to make tea, just as a way to move them forward.

Before she can, Weiss notices Blake's ears swivel suddenly, a second before a shadow falls across the courtyard and a voice rings out above them.

"Are those smiles I see? Do you think you have a reason to be smiling? To be happy? Then you clearly aren't ready for the pain and suffering this day will bring you all!" All three of them look up to the roof, where Ruby Rose poses, one hand on her hip, the other hidden behind her back. She glares down at them, though it isn't much of a glare, as she's clearly fighting a losing battle against the grin that wants to spread across her lips. She raises her hand from her hip and clenches it into a fist above her head. "For this day...team RWBY will train! They will train like they've...uh, oops, that should be we've never trained before!"

With that, Ruby hops off the edge of the roof, turns a somersault, and lands in front of them, one arm still behind her back.

Yang leans down and whispers in Weiss' ear, "Okay, I take it back, you can make her slightly miserable when she's like this."

"Silence!" Ruby yells, bounding forward. "Discipline! Communication! Not making dumb jokes if I'm not sharing in them! These are three of the forty-seven things we'll be working on today!"

"Forty-seven?" Weiss asks, raising an eyebrow. "I thought you said there were around twenty!"

Ruby shrugs one shoulder. "I thought of more on my walk."

Yang groans. "Okay, look, I know this is important and all, but can we maybe ease into things a bit more? It's our first day back as a team, Rubes. It might take a while to get the dynamic...uh..." Yang throws a guilty look at Blake, who has her head lowered. "I mean...we just need a little time to adjust...that's all."

Ruby purses her lips. "Well...we, uh, we do have...a new, uh, situation, I guess, because, uh...well, uh, you see..." She trails off, her face red, her shoulders hunched, her visible hand worrying at the edge of her cape. "I, uh, Weiss..." In a spray of petals, Ruby is suddenly standing in front of Weiss, a bashful smile on her face. "I, uh, I picked these for you."

From behind her back, Ruby presents Weiss with perhaps the most random and ill-conceived bouquet of flowers she's ever seen. Weiss suspects that at least one of the flowers in the bunch already wilting in Ruby's vice-like grip is mildly toxic, and several of the others have lost petals in their journey from wherever Ruby found them to here.

Weiss stares at the flowers, dumbfounded, until Yang nudges her. Weiss starts, and looks up at Ruby's face. She's smiling nervously, her silver eyes shining with hope and affection and...perhaps other things Weiss is for the moment unable to name. Suddenly Weiss realises that she's wanted nothing in her life until now as much as she wants these flowers that will probably give her a rash. She wants them because they are a gift from Ruby, and accepting them will make Ruby happy, and Weiss wants to make Ruby happy.

"Thank you, Ruby," Weiss says softly, accepting the flowers. She takes a deep breath, reminds herself that the only people here are the people that she loves and trusts most in the world and forces herself to add, "They're beautiful...l-like you."

And while Weiss' face gets very hot after saying those words out loud, Ruby's expression becomes so soft and her eyes so full of wonder that Weiss finds she doesn't mind the embarrassment anymore. Ruby hesitates, then her lips part and she leans a little closer, and...Yang suddenly throws her left arm around Ruby's neck, squeezing tight and affectionately cutting off the flow of blood to her brain.

"Nng!" Ruby gasps.

"Awww, sis! Look at you two! It's so cute!"

"Glk!" Ruby agrees.

Weiss rolls her eyes and pokes Yang with the bouquet. "I'm beginning to understand Ruby's strange mannerisms better, if that's how you've been hugging her all her life. It's bound to have affected her mind."

"Hey!" Yang protests, ruffling Ruby's hair. "I'm just showing my sister some love! Don't be mean, Weiss!"

"Hrk," Ruby points out, her face purple.

Blake clears her throat. "Perhaps you should put her down, Yang? I don't think knocking Ruby out would be a good way to start our training session."

"Pfft! You guys just don't know a good neck hug when you see one!"

Yang releases Ruby, who staggers away, wheezing.

Weiss looks at Blake. "Are...neck hugs a thing?"

"I don't..." Blake glances at Yang and winces. "I, ah, don't think Yang would make something like that up?"

Yang grins. "Good save, Blake! Okay, okay! So my little sister is officially dating our little Weiss and it's cuter than words! I say we celebrate!"

"Well..." Weiss smiles at Yang. "I think we should celebrate the fact that we've been reunited. We're a team again. Aren't we?"

Apart from Ruby's still slightly laboured breathing, it gets very quiet as all eyes turn to Yang. Yang meets each of their eyes in turn, her gaze lingering on Blake. "Yeah. Yeah, we are. Right, partner?"

"Right." Blake smiles, and to Weiss it looks like she grows a couple of inches at Yang's words. "I think that's something worth celebrating, too. Partner."

Ruby sputters, "B-but...training!"

Yang grins. "Why not put it to a vote? Those in favour of blowing off...uh, postponing training in favour of a celebration, say aye!"

Blake nods. "Aye."

Weiss smiles apologetically at Ruby. "I know we-"

"That's an 'aye,'" Yang declares. "I also say aye! Three to one, Rubes!"

Ruby gives each of them a prolonged look at her pout. It's enough to make Weiss want to take back the vote she didn't actually cast.

In a resigned tone, Ruby says, "You...you even said 'aye!' Fine. It's just..." Ruby hesitates, then she goes to Weiss and slips her hand into Weiss'. Ruby looks around at her teammates again, her expression solemn. "I...I love you all. And I want us to be ready for whatever comes next, so that we can face it together. And win. Together. It's going to be...hard, though, and..."

Yang puts her prosthetic hand on Ruby's shoulder. "We know it, sis. Listen, I'm not planning on letting you out of my sight again." Yang nods at Weiss, then at Blake. "That goes for all of you. I...I'm not what I was, guys. I'm not...I'm trying..." She hisses, blinking furiously. "What I mean is, no matter what, I'm here for you. All of you. That's a promise."

Blake steps forward, into their space. She places her hand on Ruby's shoulder, over Yang's. "I...know I let you all down. I can't promise that I'll make it up to you...that isn't something I can decide. But I can promise not to abandon you again. I'm with you all to the end."

Weiss squeezes Ruby's hand. "I...I owe all of you more than I can say. Because...because..." Ruby squeezes her hand back, and Weiss smiles at her, at them all. "I used to be a Schnee, and I will be again. But...who I am now, and who I will always be, is Weiss of team RWBY. Nothing will ever change that."

Ruby turns to her, eyes shining. "Would it be okay if I kissed you? Because I really want to kiss you."

Weiss dips her head, blushing.

Yang tightens her grip on Ruby's shoulder. "Uh, no. It would not be okay. Not in front of me."

"Yang!" Ruby protests. "I can't not kiss Weiss in front of you! If you're not going to let me out of your sight, I'd always have to be not kissing her! Always is too long to not be kissing her! It's already been too long since last time and I've been thinking about it all morning and you can't control these lips, Yang!"

"It's not for always," Yang says, grinning. "Just for however long the war against Salem lasts, which is probably not going to be more than a few yea...uh." Weiss hopes she imagines it when Yang's eyes seem to darken a few shades. "What do you mean last time? Has there been unauthorised kissing of my baby sister going on around here?!"

Weiss takes a cautious step back. Without doing anything as drastic as letting go of Ruby's hand, of course.

Blake shifts her grip on Yang's hand and calmly peels it off of Ruby's shoulder. "Maybe you could just turn your back every now and then, Yang? Or just stop teasing them."

"Aww, Blake! I had a whole angry sister bit planned!" Yang laughs at Weiss and Ruby's expressions. "I mean, come on! I support you two, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to mess with you!"

Weiss narrows her eyes. "Yang Xiao Long...be very careful in how you choose to mess with me regarding my relationship with Ruby." Yang blinks, taken aback, until Weiss lets her see a hint of a smirk. "You aren't the only one who can play that game, after all," Weiss adds smugly.

Ruby clears her throat. "Um, more to the point..."

She tugs gently on Weiss' hand, pulling her around to face her. Weiss loses her smirk and her train of thought when Ruby gently cups her face, running her thumb gently across Weiss' scar, making her shiver just like she did the first time and just like Weiss hopes she always will when Ruby touches her like that. Ruby leans in, and Weiss discovers that Ruby was meticulous in cleaning her own teeth this morning when their lips meet.

Weiss loses all sense of time and urgency, her senses alive only to Ruby, to her scent, her warmth, the softness of her skin, the feel of her mouth, moving against Weiss'. It's overwhelming, and wonderful, and frightening, and it will have to end, or Weiss thinks her heart will burst, and yet she still can't bring herself to end their kiss.

Blake does, when she pointedly clears her throat. "Ahem. Maybe we should get on with the celebration and you can finish that thought when you have more privacy?"

They almost jump apart at that, and if Weiss is as embarrassed as Ruby, then her face must be positively glowing the most indecorous shade of red. Yang really does have her back turned, and her hands over her ears, which Weiss thinks is quite unnecessary.

She hopes it was, anyway.

Ruby carefully studies her boots while mumbling, "Yeah, okay, celebrate...yes, fine, let's...cake? Somewhere in the city? Maybe?"

Weiss takes a moment to catch her breath before drawing herself up to her full height which--even in her heels--still makes her the shortest person on the team these days she's distressed to discover. "That sounds fine. Shall we?"

Yang warily turns round when Blake taps her shoulder. "Uh, what? Oh, okay! I guess it's early for a bar..."

Weiss rolls her eyes. "Yes. And might I add that it's too early to set a bar on fire? In fact, there are almost no circumstances in which you should set a bar on fire." Weiss pauses, considering. "Depending on the decor..."

Ruby tugs grabs one of Weiss' arms, and one of Blake's. "Enough talk! If we're not going to train, we're going to eat all the teas and cakes! And then work it off with some afternoon training! Blake! Grab Yang's arm! Team RWBY! Our objective is a nice cafe that we are absolutely not going to burn down! Except, um, maybe metaphorically! Team RWBY! Roll out!"

They do, heading out into the city together. And even though they have to let go of each other the moment they reach the first door, Weiss can feel the bond they share wrapping around her, warming her, and reminding her that she does not need to be a Schnee to be part of a family.