Chapter Text
Weiss’s fingers clenched the edge of her desk.
The glow from the drone monitor reflected across her pale face, and her voice trembled just above a whisper.
“You wouldn’t understand.”
Yang’s jaw tightened, fists flexing at her sides. “Try us.”
The CEO didn’t meet their eyes at first. Her gaze stayed fixed on the floor, shoulders rigid as though she could hold herself together by sheer force of will.
Then, the words spilled out, soft but sharp, like glass cracking under pressure.
“I just… I can’t lose her.”
Yang’s breath caught, but she didn’t interrupt.
Weiss’s voice grew unsteady. “After Salem fell, Ruby and I always talked, always saw each other. And then time got away from me. I buried myself in work, in Atlas, in you two. And Ruby… she went to Mistral, called me less, talked to me less. It felt like I was losing her, piece by piece, to some woman I knew nothing about. And now…” She swallowed hard, her tone breaking. “Now they might be together, in ways I never got to understand with Ruby.”
Her hands shook as she gripped the desk harder, nails biting into her gloves. “And that terrifies me.”
For a long moment, the room was silent except for the soft hum of the machines.
Blake exchanged a glance with Yang, not pitying but measured, thoughtful. Then she stepped closer, her voice low and steady.
“Weiss, being afraid doesn’t justify taking Ruby’s choice away from her. You can’t control her life just because you’re scared of being left behind.”
Yang crossed her arms, but her anger softened into something rougher, more protective. “Look, I get it. Ruby’s easy to worry about. She’s my sister. But Weiss, she’s not a child. You don’t get to put her on a leash because you regret not making a move years ago.”
Weiss’s lips parted, but no argument came.
Yang leaned forward, eyes burning gold. “Ruby told me about this woman. About Sienna. And you know what? From everything I’ve heard, she’s been nothing but good to Ruby. She’s made her laugh again. She’s given her somewhere to breathe.”
Weiss finally lifted her gaze, and for the first time, her façade cracked wide open. Loneliness flickered there, raw and desperate.
Yang’s tone gentled, but stayed firm. “You want answers? Then go see Ruby. Visit her. Talk to her. But this?” She jabbed a finger toward the monitor, voice hardening again. “This creepy drone surveillance thing? That ends now. Got it?”
Weiss hesitated, shoulders trembling. She wanted to protest, wanted to cling to the only control she had left, but under Yang’s glare and
Blake’s steady gaze, the fight drained out of her.
Weiss exhaled shakily, lowering her eyes again. “…Got it.”
Blake’s voice was softer now, almost kind. “You don’t need to lose her, Weiss. But you have to stop trying to hold her by force. If you want Ruby in your life, it has to be her choice.”
Weiss closed her eyes, but nodded once.
The silence that followed was heavy, but not hopeless.