The Winter Challenge - Chapter 11 (Patreon)

“On a date.”

Weiss froze at the response and stared at Blake, who glowered at the book in her hands as if she wanted to set it on fire with her eyes.

“I’m sorry - what?”

“With who?” Ruby added on, far less concerned about this than Weiss was.

“Some guy,” Blake answered while flipping the page so hard she nearly tore it.  “Met him at the concert - he asked her to go out with him.  Kept asking and asking, so she went.”

“Who is he?  What did he look like?”  Ruby’s questions only agitated Blake further, as she flipped another page with far too much force.

“Who knows.  I don’t even care.”

Before Ruby said anything else, Weiss gently nudged her side and gave her a quick shake of the head.  From the way Ruby’s brow furrowed, she was clearly confused by the silent instruction but still heeded it - although she gave Blake a more intent glance before walking over to Weiss’ bed.

Clearly, spitting words out as if they tasted like dirt meant Blake didn’t care.  As did treating her precious books like they somehow wronged her.  Perfectly normal responses to not caring about something…

But what happened?  What Blake said made no sense, and Weiss couldn’t believe that Yang would accept an unsolicited date from anyone but Blake - she was that hopelessly devoted to her partner.  Blake was the only one on her mind, and the only one she looked at in that way.

Really, the only situation where Weiss could imagine Yang doing something like that would be...

“You didn’t...push her into it, did you?”

The book snapped shut, and Blake threw it on the bed.  

“She obviously wanted to go and was only saying no because I was there.  So I took myself out of the equation and surprise, she went.”  Done with the conversation, Blake stood and stalked past them to the bathroom.  Weiss cringed when the door slammed shut, but also at what Blake just said.

“Why’s she so upset?” Ruby whispered, but Weiss shook her head and dropped her bag onto her bed rather than try to explain.  

Blake could be the most stubborn out of the four of them, it just wasn’t as obvious because she often played peacemaker between Weiss and Yang.  When it came to matters of the heart, however...no one was less willing to admit their feelings than Blake.  In fact, she was more likely to claim the opposite, which Weiss prayed hadn’t happened tonight.  If she came right out and denied any feelings of attraction...that would crush Yang.

“I’m going to play more Grimm Bashers, if that’s ok?”

When Weiss looked over, Ruby held up her scroll and gave a hopeful smile.  

“Sure, Ruby,” Weiss replied while turning away.  “That’s fine.  We don’t have anything else to do tonight.”

The only other thing she had planned to do was celebrate the newly-formed couple on their team and the success of her subtle efforts.  Unfortunately, that seemed completely out of the question now.

Hearing the bathroom door open, she glanced that way and watched Blake walk back to her bed to read.  She didn’t say a word - she didn’t make eye contact - and she still had a deep frown set in place.  She was unhappy, and everything about her aura screamed ‘don’t talk to me.’  She didn’t want consolation.  She didn’t want support.  She was miserable, and that’s exactly how she wanted to be.

After sparing Blake a glance, Weiss watched Ruby play her game.  A quiet voice in the back of her mind, however, wondered if that’s what she used to be like.  She remembered shutting people out, sitting on her bed stewing on her anger or frustration.  She remembered snapping when Ruby tried to talk to her, even though Ruby was only trying to help.

These days, she sought Ruby out when she needed comfort.  Like right now, she leaned into Ruby’s side while trying to figure out what happened and how Blake and Yang’s adorable date went horribly wrong.  They were supposed to confess their feelings and end up together, not...whatever this was.

Weiss needed more information, and fast.  What happened at the concert?  Why would Blake say that Yang was on a date?  If it wasn’t true - and Weiss couldn’t believe that it was - then where was Yang?

Up until this moment, Weiss had felt very much in control of the situation - like guiding an airship to a landing pad, descending gently from the skies on a predetermined path set by the computers.  She hadn’t expected to hit turbulence mere minutes from a perfect landing.  Now she had to take over the controls and figure out a way to steer them...somewhere.  Either back to the skies - to safety - or still try to land the damn thing.

She snapped out of her thoughts when Ruby placed a finger on the spot where her brow knit together when she brooded.  It was Ruby’s silent way of saying that she noticed Weiss dealing with something and was willing to support if needed.  

Catching Ruby’s eyes, which were understandably concerned, Weiss smiled and shook her head.  If she thought of a way Ruby could help, she would ask.  But at this point...she was at a loss.  Until they knew where Yang was, they couldn’t do much.

Covertly pulling out her scroll, she typed a quick ‘hey, where are you?’ and sent it off to Yang.  Unsure of what to do while waiting for a response, she sat beside Ruby and hoped for her scroll to chime soon.  Normally, Yang replied pretty fast, and she almost always had her scroll with her.  So when several minutes passed and there was still no response, Weiss started to worry.

Under ordinary circumstances, she would assume Yang was busy or in the midst of a conversation.  Under these circumstances...she wanted to make sure Yang wasn’t in some sort of trouble.  Most likely, that wasn’t the case.  Most likely, her message - and all messages - were being intentionally ignored.  But she’d prefer to know that for sure rather than sit here guessing…

“Wanna see something cool?” Ruby asked after several more minutes of silence passed.  Seeing as how staring at her phone was driving her a little crazy, Weiss said “sure” and turned towards Ruby.  

“I learned a new trick,” Ruby explained while holding her scroll up.  From the softness of her voice, she understood something was up but didn’t know how to address it.  Instead, she did what she did best - provided a distraction.  “Ok, watch this.”

Weiss glanced at Blake one more time before doing her best to focus on the screen while Ruby played the game.  Simulated Grimm flashed forward only to be destroyed by Ruby’s huntress avatar, who had the same red color scheme she loved.  The number of Grimm killed grew by the second, but the tide still turned against her.  The screen filled with more and more black, forcing her character into a smaller and smaller corner trying to rebuff the onslaught.

But, right before her character should have been overtaken, a giant fireball exploded on the screen and took all of the Grimm with it.  Just like that, the stage cleared, and the game congratulated her before moving to the next level.

Before the next level started, however, she offered the scroll to Weiss.

“Want to try?” 

“Oh, no thanks.”  Weiss already knew she was horrible at this game - she didn’t need a reminder.  

“But I made one for you to play.”  After clicking through several menus, Ruby showed Weiss another avatar with a white color scheme. 

“She’s pretty,” Weiss commented before sneaking another glance at Blake, who’d yet to lose her frown.  Ruby’s giggle, however, distracted her from dwelling on that issue for too long.  “What?” she asked instead, finding Ruby particularly amused about something.  

“You think she’s pretty,” Ruby replied while lifting up the scroll.  

“And...?” 

“She is,” Ruby answered matter-of-factly.  “At least, she should be.  I modeled her after you.”

For several seconds, Weiss had no idea how to respond to a compliment like that?  Especially when Ruby gave it so freely - so easily - with no strings attached.  She wasn’t trying to win favor.  She wasn’t trying to ingratiate herself.  She just...believed that Weiss was pretty.

As a blush grew on Weiss’ cheeks, she turned away from Ruby’s earnest gaze and softly cleared her throat.  “Thank you,” she muttered while trying to think of something else to say.  Should she elaborate on her gratitude?  Or compliment Ruby in return?  Unfortunately, she wasn’t the most experienced with returning compliments, and blurting out ‘you’re pretty, too’ didn’t seem very composed.

Instead of saying anything, she glanced at her scroll - which had sat silent this entire time - and frowned.  Still no response, and she was growing increasingly worried.  It was dark out now, and not knowing what type of mood Yang was in made her particularly concerned.  

Who knew what type of trouble Yang might get into?  What if she was angry and went looking for a fight?  What if she was upset and decided not to come back tonight?  Where would she stay?  Or what if she didn’t know Blake was back at Beacon and was searching for her?  

If Weiss didn’t know where Ruby was, she would panic - she could only imagine Yang would do the same.  Only Yang had the potential to be a little more...destructive.

After glancing at Blake, who still glowered at her book like it had offended her, Weiss decided not to ask.  Instead, she grabbed her scroll and sent another message to Yang - ‘Blake’s here - where are you?’  Once that was sent, she composed a second one - this one to Ruby.

‘Please ask your sister where she is,’ she sent, not wanting to alert Blake to what they were talking about.  

The message popped up in the middle of Ruby’s game, and she immediately opened it.  After a quick read, she showed Weiss a second message on her screen - the message she already sent Yang, which also hadn’t been responded to.

Smiling and dipping her head as thanks, Weiss went back to waiting.

Blake had to be worried too, especially when Yang didn’t usually stay out this late by herself.  Maybe that’s why Blake hadn’t gone to sleep yet - she was waiting for Yang.  And maybe that’s why her eyes flitted to the door as if hoping Yang would walk through at any second.

How much longer should Weiss wait before suggesting they search for their missing teammate?  She knew she wouldn’t be able to sleep if she didn’t know Yang was safe, and she doubted Blake or Ruby would be able to either.  Even if Blake was upset, surely she hadn’t meant for this to happen.

What a mess…

While half-heartedly watching Ruby play, Weiss glanced between her silent scroll and silent teammate every few seconds.  Just when she considered that enough was enough, however, Blake noticeably stiffened and focused her gaze on her book.  A few seconds later, the door opened and Yang walked into the room.

Weiss immediately sighed in relief, but Yang hardly glanced Weiss and Ruby’s way before seeking out her partner.

“Blake…” she said while stepping towards Blake’s bed, her voice so plaintive that it pulled at Weiss’ heart.  Blake, however, snapped her book shut and set it on the bedside table.

“I’m going to sleep,” she told no one in particular before pulling the covers over her head and turning towards the wall.  

For several long seconds, silence filled the room.  Yang didn’t move.  She stood rooted to the floor, looking towards Blake’s bed even though Blake could no longer be seen.  When it became obvious that Blake’s answer was final, her shoulders slumped, her head drooped, and she sighed.  She wanted to talk - it was clear she wanted to talk - but Blake’s response made it obvious that was the last thing that would happen right now.

Still, it looked like she might try again.  She opened her mouth and nearly said something - and Weiss willed for her to do so - but, ultimately, she shut her mouth and shook her head.  Only then did she turned towards Weiss, her expression hurt and searching for answers.  

Sensing the silent plea, Weiss stood and gently touched Yang’s elbow to lead her back into the hall.  Before leaving, however, she shared a look with Ruby, and Ruby nodded.  Without words, her silver eyes said that she wanted Weiss to try to make Yang feel better, and that’s exactly what Weiss wanted to do.  First, she needed to figure out what happened.  Then, she needed to figure out how to fix it.

After grabbing a jacket and softly closing the door behind them, she motioned down the hallway and started walking.  Without a word, Yang followed.  With her hands in her pockets, her gaze trained on the floor, and her shoulders slumped forward, she looked nothing like the Yang everyone knew.  She looked...heartbroken.

The hall was empty at this time of night, but sounds of life could be heard from each room as they passed.  Yang, however, said nothing.  Not in the hallway, not as they walked downstairs, not even when they passed several teams hanging out in the lobby.  Normally, she hardly shut up, especially when other students were around.  She would at least say hello and make a joke that everyone laughed or groaned at.  Tonight, however, silence.  

Weiss sometimes pleaded to higher powers for Yang to be quiet, but now she wanted the opposite - anything but the gloomy, brooding girl walking beside her.  She’d rather put up with decades of bad jokes than spend another minute like this.

She never thought she cared this much.  About Ruby, sure.  Blake, maybe.  But Yang?  Yang annoyed her on a daily basis.  Yang went out of the way to tease and prod and frustrate her.  And Weiss loved her for it.  In this stupid, ridiculous way, she felt special because Yang teased her.  Not special as in ‘the Schnee heiress’ special, but special as in...she was important to Yang.  So Yang was important to her too.

Since she wasn’t sure exactly how good Blake’s hearing was, she led them outside just in case.  The winter air had grown a bite as evening fell, but she ignored it while pulling her jacket closer and glancing at Yang. 

Still nothing.  So, when she felt they were far enough away from sensitive ears, she spoke first.

“What happened?” she asked, watching Yang’s reaction carefully.

“Didn’t she tell you?” Yang replied, her voice lacking its usual vigor.  Instead, she sounded exhausted and hollow.  Defeated.

“She said you were on a date…”

“I didn’t go on any date,” she muttered towards the ground.  “I tried to explain to her...I wanted to get him outside and ditch him, but she was convinced I wanted to go with him.  So she just...left.”

Hearing Yang’s version of events, Weiss sighed and shook her head.  It matched up with what Blake said, yet also didn’t.  Not when Blake’s version was obscured by jealousy and fear.

“Then what have you been doing the past few hours?” Weiss asked, realizing that Yang’s extended absence only gave Blake more reason to believe she went on the date after all.

“Just...walking around.  Trying to clear my head.”

“And have you?”

Yang sighed at the question, sending a cloud of steam billowing in front of her.  “No,” she said, keeping her hands in her pockets while looking up at the stars.  “I don’t know what I did wrong…or if I hurt her feelings.  And I just feel...terrible...”

Hanging her head once again, she stared at the ground for a few seconds before sighing and scuffing her foot across a nearby pile of snow.

“We were having such a good time too.  Dinner was great, she talked a lot, I thought she was having fun, then...”  Thinking over the evening, she shook her head.  “I told him no, but he wouldn’t go away.  I only wanted to get rid of him so we could enjoy the rest of the night.  I thought she would understand, but…”  After trailing off, she looked at Weiss, and the hurt was visible in her eyes.  “She told you I went on a date?”

From Yang’s tone, she didn’t want to believe that was true.  Weiss wished it wasn’t true either - she wished Blake had given Yang more opportunity to explain or...something - but she nodded.  

“Yes...she said you went on a date.”

“But why would I do that when -”  Pausing mid-sentence, Yang looked temporarily at a loss for words before shaking her head.  “Does she think I’m like that?”

This was all wrong.  Blake didn’t think Yang was that type of person.  Blake knew Yang adored her.  She had to.  She couldn’t honestly believe that Yang would ditch their date for some random boy.  Not when she’d looked forward to it so much.  Not when she was so excited to share her evening with Blake. 

Before Weiss could address any of these issues, however, she needed Yang to admit her feelings.

“Yang, what’s really going on?” Weiss asked quietly, standing in front of Yang while she stared at the ground.

“It’s nothing…” she whispered in return, again scuffing her toe across the snow while not looking up.

And it was silent for quite some time - long enough that Weiss decided that they’d played enough games.  She’d tried a roundabout way to let them discover their feelings, but look what happened.  Maybe it was time for a more direct approach.

“You like her.”  

She said it as a statement rather than a question because she didn’t need to ask.  She already knew it was true.  But Yang, of course, looked up and immediately faked bravado.

“Psh...you know me, Weiss.”  Yang waved off the suggestion while leaning away with a fake smile that didn’t meet her eyes - an unconvincing gesture that Weiss wouldn’t fall for on her worst of days.

“I do know you, Yang.  I know you haven’t so much as batted an eye at anyone but Blake since we started school.  I know you’ve turned down dozens of dates to spend time with Blake instead.  And I know you put her wants above anyone else’s, except maybe Ruby’s.”

Faced with only a tiny fraction of the evidence Weiss had to support her claim, Yang frowned at her hands.  And she stayed like that for a long time before finally letting out a big sigh. 

“I’m crazy about her.”

The whispered words made Weiss want to jump up and down in happiness, but she kept an impassive face while Yang wrang her hands and kept talking.

“I think she’s the most incredible person I’ve ever met.  She’s smart, quirky, funny, beautiful and...at her core, she’s this kind, compassionate person with big goals and dreams.”  Yang’s words grew in confidence as she spoke, and Weiss realized that it must be nice to say these things aloud after holding them inside for so long. 

“I love how much she reads,” Yang continued unprompted, as if the dam had finally broken and she couldn’t hold back any longer.  “Especially those trashy romance novels she gets so embarrassed about.  I love that adorable yawn she does each morning when she wakes up.  I love knowing that even when I can’t see her, she can see me.”

It felt like she could follow this train of thought for hours and not run out of things to say - she seemed to feel it too, because she paused and shook her head.  Then she clenched her fists and met Weiss’ gaze - her lilac eyes willing Weiss to believe her.

“I love how she makes me feel, Weiss.  She makes me want to be better.  A better person, a better partner, sister, friend...and I want to...I want to spend every day with her, but…”

When Yang’s voice broke and her eyes filled with tears, Weiss frowned and reached forward to touch her hand.  She’d never seen Yang cry.  Not even close.  Which was good because...it made her feel awful.

“But it won’t happen,” Yang concluded before wiping the tears from her eyes.

“Why not?”

“Because that’s what she just told me!” Yang said, making a wide motion with her hand before rubbing her eyes again.  “Right before she took off - ‘Things like this are why we’d never work out.’  Like it was my fault that some random guy asked me out.  Or my fault I couldn’t get rid of him fast enough.  Or...just my fault, somehow.”

“How could that be your fault?” Weiss asked numbly, but Yang just shrugged and averted her gaze while mumbling “I don’t know…”

This was worse than expected.  Blake had finally realized that depths of her feelings, but instead of embracing them, she lashed out.  She said the one thing guaranteed to hurt Yang the most.  The one thing that she thought would destroy their chances at a relationship, and therefore destroy the feelings she both did and didn’t want to have.

Blake got scared and hit the self-destruct button.  Now, they needed to get on the same page before she walled herself off for good.

“Yang,” Weiss said, reaching forward and grabbing Yang’s hand.  “You have to tell her how you feel.”

It would work - hopefully - but Yang gave a dry laugh at the idea.

“What’s the point...”

“She needs to know how you feel about her.”

“Why?  So she can turn me down?  Tell me how horrible we’d be together?”  Looking downright miserable at the thought, Yang shook her head.  “No thanks…”

“She won’t do that.”  Sensing Yang’s dwindling belief in the feelings she and Blake shared, Weiss scrambled to find words of encouragement.  This was where a great Mom-ism would come in handy, but she couldn’t think of one on such short notice.  All she knew was that Yang couldn’t give up.  Blake would give up - Yang couldn’t.

“Listen to me, Yang,” Weiss replied, using a firm tone that finally made Yang meet her gaze.  “If you like her this much, you need to let her know.”  Even though Yang scoffed, Weiss pressed forward - knowing she needed to convince Yang to take the leap now that Blake was shutting herself off.  “You know Blake’s not good with this stuff.  She needs you to lead the way, which means you need to leap first.  I know it’s scary, but...I know you can do it.”

After staring at Weiss for a long time, seriously considering the advice, Yang slowly shook her head.

“I don’t know, Weiss...I just...I don’t know…”

Reaching out, Weiss gently squeezed Yang’s shoulder.

“Take tonight to think about it,” she suggested.  “And try not to beat yourself up too much about it.  You can’t help that some stranger ruined your evening.”

“Yeah…”  Looking at the ground, Yang scuffed her toe one more time before shaking her head.  “You know, I really thought tonight was...”  She paused, and Weiss waited for it - the word neither Yang nor Blake wanted to use.  “The start of something,” she concluded with a sigh.  “Couldn’t have been more wrong.”

Weiss could say the same thing.  She really thought tonight was the start of something great for them.  Instead…

Apparently, Blake hadn’t been ready.  Or...something.  Whatever went through her head, she reacted strongly and negatively.  Now, all Weiss could do was hope Yang still had it in her to try yet again.  But after the incident in the forest and now tonight, Weiss couldn’t blame her if she didn’t want to.  How many times could she run into Blake’s walls before giving up?

“I don’t think you were wrong.”  Reaching out, Weiss set a hand on Yang’s shoulder and smiled, hoping to somehow cheer her up.  “I think you were just...unlucky.”

When Yang scoffed at the idea of this being nothing more than dumb luck, Weiss looked around the dark campus before motioning towards their dorm.

“Think you’re ready to go back now?” she asked, although she was prepared to stay out here longer if Yang didn’t feel like returning to the room.  But Yang glanced that way before nodding once.

“Sure, why not,” she mumbled before falling into step by Weiss’ side and trudging back to the room.  Her aura was broken, defeated, and unlike anything Weiss had ever felt from her before.

And that scared her.  What if this entire crusade to get Blake and Yang together was a huge mistake?  What if they simply weren’t ready to take that step, even though it looked like they were?  What if they were ready, but she somehow messed it up by meddling?

What if Yang spent the rest of the year heartbroken because of her?  Could she ever forgive herself for something like that?

When Yang held the door open, Weiss smiled and tried not to show the panic edging into her veins.  She couldn’t think like that right now though.  She could fix this.  She could convince Yang and Blake to talk, especially now that they had to talk or risk hurting their partnership.  

But first, everyone needed to take the night to calm down and decompress.  Once they slept off the rush of bad feelings, they could reassess the situation and determine what needed to be fixed.  She wanted to force the two of them into a small room and demand they wrap their heads around the idea that they both wanted to be together, but she didn’t see that going well right now.  Not with Blake determined not to talk and Yang too heartbroken to.

“It’ll be ok,” she whispered, both to herself and to Yang before they walked back into the room.  The moment they stepped inside, Yang’s gaze went to Blake’s bed - where Blake was still stubbornly burrowed under the covers.  When even more hurt filled Yang’s eyes, Weiss squeezed her shoulder one more time.

“Tomorrow,” she whispered, and Yang nodded once before trudging into the bathroom to get ready for bed.  

The way she hung her head hurt Weiss’ heart.

Feeling someone grasp her hand, Weiss looked over and found Ruby giving her an intent look.  As always, Ruby sensed that something was wrong.  Even if she didn’t fully understand what was going on, she knew that Weiss needed support and was willing to give it.

“Wanna watch a movie with me?” she offered, and pulled Weiss over to sit down as soon as she nodded.  She needed something to take her mind off the brewing storm across the room.  Not just the storm, but the role she played in creating it.

It was supposed to be a date.  The two of them were supposed to get back from the concert and be so sickeningly cute that she regretted helping them.  Instead, Yang walked out of the bathroom with that same defeated posture and hardly glanced over to say “goodnight” before pulling herself up onto her bed.

“What do you want to watch?” Ruby whispered so as not to bother their teammates.  “Pick anything you want.” 

Picking anything wasn’t a power Ruby granted often, mostly because she didn’t want to watch another ‘boring’ documentary like the one Weiss chose the first time.  If she was putting her sanity at risk to make Weiss feel better...she must be reading the situation as critically bad.

It felt like it was.

“Can you pick?” Weiss asked while leaning into Ruby’s side for comfort.  She didn’t feel like using her mind right now, even though it wouldn’t stop racing.

“Ok.”  Not arguing with the change in circumstances, Ruby pulled up a screenful of movies and narrowed their options down to an eclectic mix that included everything from action to adventure to historical fiction.  From there, she went through each title one-by-one and mumbled a few words to herself before either removing it or moving on.  After several rounds of this, she selected what looked like a comedy, much to Weiss’ relief.  They could use some humor right now.

“You wanna share with me?” Ruby whispered while grabbing a pair of headphones and offering Weiss one of the earpieces.

“Sure.”  Taking the right one from Ruby’s hand, Weiss put it in her ear and pulled the covers over both of their legs.  Once tucked in, she scooted down and leaned her head on Ruby’s shoulder while the previews began to play.  After drawing in a deep breath filled with the scent of roses, she let it out in one big sigh.

Ruby’s company made her feel better, even though her heart hurt right now.  Really, she just wanted to wrap Ruby in a hug, burrow into her shoulder, and wait for things to blow over.  But this...this was good enough, for now.  Actually…

Reaching over, she wrapped her hand around Ruby’s and smiled when Ruby didn’t move.  This was even better.

The movie started then, drawing all of Ruby’s attention but only half of Weiss’.  While listening to the characters on the screen, she couldn’t help comparing Yang and Blake’s night to her and Ruby’s.  What if, in the midst of the two of them having such a great time, something like that happened?  What if, hypothetically, some stranger showed up and kept flirting with Ruby?  How would Weiss feel about the interruption?

She wouldn’t like it.  And if Ruby decided to leave with them - decided that she’d rather spend time with some stranger - Weiss would be...crushed.  Really, really hurt.  And she would probably lash out, just like Blake did.  In the midst of having such a good time, when they so rarely got such great quality time together, it made sense.  It wasn’t a great response, but...it made sense.

Understanding Blake’s reaction didn’t make her feel much better though.  Not when Yang was the one who had to suffer the consequences.

The worst part was that it should have worked.  Everything had lined up perfectly.  Blake was ready to admit her feelings - or was at least open to listening to them.  Yang had always been ready.  All they needed was one night.  One night to get on the same page.  One night to see how great they were together.

They could still get there.  Weiss had to believe that they could still become that amazing, adorable couple she caught glimpses of so frequently.  It would be harder than expected, but this single, random event couldn’t derail their feelings...could it?

Hopefully, Blake would be in a better frame of mind tomorrow...and hopefully, Yang was willing to put her heart out there one more time.