The Winter Challenge - Chapter 13 (Patreon)

 This is technically the last chapter, with an epilogue coming up next week!  Hope you've enjoyed this story!

When Weiss woke up the next morning, the first thing she noticed was that Ruby wasn’t beside her...which was oddly disappointing.  But also fine.  Sure, the bed wasn’t as warm or comfortable as the night before, but she didn’t mind sleeping alone.  She’d slept alone for her entire life, so it wasn’t as if this was a new occurrence.  After experiencing the difference between having a bedmate and not, however…

Ruby could sleep wherever she pleased.  Her bed, Weiss’ bed...the choice was really up to her.  Maybe Weiss just needed to make that option a little more clear…

While pondering how exactly to make that known, she stumbled across a reminder of what happened the day before and smiled as she processed the second big difference about today.  

She wasn’t the first one up, as evidenced by the soft voices drifting across the room.

“Maybe next weekend,” Yang whispered.  When Weiss peeked that way, she found Yang and Blake awake and cuddled together on their bed.  

“If we don’t have too much work to do,” was Blake’s quiet response, to which Yang softly chuckled and pulled Blake closer.

“When do we not have too much work?” she pointed out.  “But ok.  If we’re not too busy, we’ll try to go?”

“That sounds nice,” Blake murmured while melting even further into Yang’s arms.  Even her voice sounded happy - something Weiss wouldn’t have thought possible if she hadn’t just heard it with her own ears.

“It does sound nice, and I think we’ve earned it.”

“Of course you do…” Blake replied with a quiet laugh.

Realizing they could carry on like this forever, Weiss pushed her covers out of the way and sat up, drawing their attention away from each other.

“Good morning,” she said, and she couldn’t help but smile at how darn cute and happy they looked.  

Finally.  After spending far too long imagining what this day would be like, she had to admit it was better than expected.  Blake and Yang were embarking on a new journey together while also proving that romance worked - that two people from vastly different backgrounds could find their way together.  Of course, Weiss’ feelings would probably change when they started demanding the room to themselves or became excessively fond of PDA, but...those were problems for the future.

“Good morning, Weiss,” Blake replied, sitting up and looking immediately saddened by the loss of Yang’s warmth.  “We didn’t wake you, did we?”

“Not at all.”  After getting out of bed, Weiss grabbed her outfit for the day and sent the lovebirds a smile.  “I hope you got some sleep though.”

Yang’s chuckle was more than enough of an answer, as was the subtle way Blake’s ears moved.  But, for as little sleep as they got, it was impossible to tell.  They were practically glowing with happiness right now.  

Satisfied with her success, which was far and away better than winning some combat room, Weiss smiled and walked over to Ruby’s pillow.  Her smile grew just seeing Ruby, who was adorably burrowed into her blankets with her hair tousled in every direction.  

How could she look so disheveled yet so cute at the same time?

“Ruby,” she whispered to wake her partner up.  That was normally the extent of their interaction, but this time she didn’t immediately walk away.  Instead, she stayed and watched those beautiful silver eyes blink open and lock onto her.  Ruby’s first glance of the day - and she was more than happy to take it.

“Good morning,” she whispered, lingering longer than usual when Ruby yawned - which was also very cute. 

“Morning…” Ruby mumbled while rubbing her face on her pillow.  Once that was done, she smiled - looking more alert already - and Weiss headed into the bathroom to get ready for the day.

The Winter Challenge felt like a thing of the past.  If anything, her current happiness suggested she won something.  

Technically, she had.  Against all odds, including a late curveball thrown by some random boy she would never meet, she helped her teammates conquer their reservations and admit their feelings.  She wouldn’t take all the credit, of course, but she would take enough to mention it every once in a while.  A small reference here and there - just enough to remind them that she’d contributed to their relationship in the only way she knew how.  That’s what friends were for, right?

Really, they should be grateful for a friend like her - someone persistent enough to conquer their stubbornness.  At least, she hoped they were grateful for a friend like her.  Or that they considered her to be a good friend at all, because that’s what she tried really hard to be.

Once ready for the day, she walked out of the bathroom and discovered that Ruby had moved down to her bed.  After sitting beside Ruby and sharing a smile, she watched Yang and Blake decide who would go next.  

“You can go,” Blake offered first, only for her smile to return when Yang shook her head.

“I think you should go first today.”

“And why’s that?”

“Because you deserve it.”

When Blake laughed and gave Yang’s shoulder a playful shove, Yang grinned like she just accomplished something remarkable.  Which...maybe she had.  How many people could make Blake laugh like that?  Still, Weiss gave an obligatory eye roll and leaned into Ruby’s side to see who ended up winning the ‘battle’ for the bathroom.

“Are you saying I won the right to go next?” Blake added, showing no hesitation to meet Yang’s gaze. 

“Exactly.”

“Then, as the winner, I insist you take my place.”

“But you can’t do that!” Yang whined when Blake smiled, knowing she just backed Yang into a corner.

“Why not?  You said I won.”

“Yeah, but -”  

While Yang tried to find a way through Blake’s verbal maze, Weiss leaned closer to Ruby and whispered, “Maybe you should get ready now…”

“Probably right,” Ruby replied with a grin before grabbing her clothes from on top of the dresser.  “Because they’re taking forever to decide,” she added so Blake and Yang heard before disappearing into the bathroom in a cloud of petals.

“Looks like you just lost your turn to Ruby…” Blake murmured, and Weiss again rolled her eyes while moving to her desk.

It was annoyingly cute, but she could deal with it so long as it didn’t make them late.  Or, at least, as long as it didn’t make them later than usual.

“Done!” Ruby announced a few minutes later.  Flying back into the room, she tossed her pajamas onto her bed before leaping onto Weiss’.  As soon as she settled, she grabbed her scroll and started up that game she couldn’t stop playing.

On the other half of the room, Yang must have lost the battle of words, because she finally separated from Blake and grabbed a change of clothes.  In the midst of walking to the bathroom, she reached down and tugged at the hem of her shirt, and had it half off before glancing over her shoulder.

Blake was smart enough to pretend like she’d been reading the entire time, but Yang still blushed and dropped her shirt back into place.

“I, uh, I’ll be right back,” she mumbled before rushing to the bathroom and closing the door behind her.

“Well that’s unfortunate...” Blake muttered while setting down her book and finding a change of clothes.

“You get to kiss her now,” Weiss pointed out, and shook her head when a blush darkened Blake’s cheeks.

“I know, I just...liked watching…”

The admission was surprisingly forthcoming.  How long would Blake offer her thoughts like this?  Just for the time being, or was this a more long-lasting change than expected?

“Don’t worry,” Weiss offered as reassurance.  “I’m sure her modesty will wear off in a few days.”

When Blake hummed to herself and waited for her turn, Weiss realized that Yang’s modesty would serve as a clear benchmark of how far the two progressed in their relationship.  That wasn’t exactly something Weiss needed to know, but, unfortunately, she was too observant to miss it.

Before she could sigh at the future awkwardness, however, she caught Ruby’s gaze and smiled instead.  Ruby looked overjoyed by their teammates’ new relationship, which opened reflected how Weiss felt.  When Yang walked back into the room, looked at Blake, and beamed, that feeling only grew.  In a way, all four of them were embarking upon a new journey, and Weiss couldn’t think of three people she’d rather be with.

While Yang sat next to Ruby and discussed whatever caught her fancy, Weiss focused on her notebook and made sure she’d accomplished everything she set out to this break.  Her and Ruby’s paper was done and ready to be turned in.  She’d caught up on studying in her free time.  She got Yang and Blake to admit their feelings.  And...they hadn’t officially won The Winter Challenge, but they’d grown closer as a team.  Wasn’t that the true purpose?

“Hey Weiss!”  Turning towards Ruby, Weiss smiled and reached for her hand but stopped when she realized it wasn’t an appropriate moment to hold hands.

“Yes?” she asked while clasping her hands in her lap instead.

“Do you wanna exchange presents now?”

That was the last item on her to-do list, and also the one that made her the most nervous.  After yesterday’s tumultuous morning ended happily, she finally figured out what to give Ruby - and spent the entire afternoon, evening, and well into the night creating it.  She wished she had more time to make it perfect, but it reflected her feelings for her partner and...hopefully, that was enough.

So she nodded, grabbed an envelope from her desk drawer, and sat beside Ruby on the bed.  In another few minutes, Blake and Yang sat across from them, each with several packages ready to be presented as gifts.

“Ok.”  Bouncing on the bed, Ruby grinned around the room before motioning with her hands.  “Who wants to go first?”

When no one spoke for all of two seconds, Yang smiled and grabbed a small, plainly-wrapped package from beside her.

“I will,” she volunteered before offering the package to Blake.  “Gotta start with the best,” she added while Blake accepted the present and carefully removed the paper.

While Yang watched, Blake unwrapped the book, which she recognized from the back cover.

“You remembered?”  After glancing at Yang, Blake turned the book over and ran her hand across the cover.

“Of course I did…”  If Yang was nervous, she didn’t show it.  Instead, she motioned for Blake to look closer.  “Open it up.”

As soon as Blake let the pages fall open, her eyes widened.  She stared at the page, then looked at Yang in disbelief, then stared at the page again.

“How -?” was all she got out before turning back to Yang for an explanation.

“Called in a few favors,” Yang replied with a shrug, as if spending a few extra weeks on cleaning duty was no big deal.  “I hope you like it.”

“Like it?”  Glancing at the page once more, Blake bit her lip before closing the book and setting it in her lap.  “I love it.”  

When Blake’s gaze flicked towards Ruby and Weiss, Weiss realized what was coming next, and playfully covered Ruby’s eyes while Blake leaned over and gave Yang a kiss.

“Heyyy…” Ruby whined while pushing Weiss’ hand away and pouting.  “I’m not a kid!  I’m allowed to watch.”  Weiss smiled and patted Ruby’s leg at the response, while Blake tried not to look embarrassed and Yang grinned like she just ate a piece of the sun.  

That was quite a bold move for Blake, which made Weiss proud and simultaneously apprehensive about the future.  How long would it be before she really needed to cover Ruby’s eyes?

“Alright, Weiss next.”  When Yang extended an envelope across the room, Weiss took it and gave it a glance.  Whereas Blake’s gift had been carefully wrapped, this was a plain, white envelope with ‘Weiss’ scrawled across the front.  Which was about what she would expect from Yang...

Regardless, she was curious, so tore it open and pulled out several pieces of paper about the size of playing cards.  Her initial thought was that Yang tore up one of her homework assignments as a joke, but then she flipped the pieces over and found a single word written on each one: ‘Silence.’

“They’re ‘shut up’ cards,” Yang explained while Weiss sorted through the stack and confirmed they were all the same.

“‘Shut up cards?’” she repeated before giving the scraps of paper another glance.  “So...when I want you to stop talking, I just give you one of these?”

“Exactly!  But you’ve gotta physically hand it over - you can’t say like ‘I’ll give it to you back at the room.’”

Understanding the power and potential of such a tool, Weiss looked at the cards in disbelief.  Yang might as well have handed over ten pieces of gold.

“Can I buy more?” was her first question, but Yang shook her head and winked.

“Limited edition.”

Accepting that answer, Weiss looked at her gift and smiled.  While it initially looked lazy on Yang’s part, it was actually quite thoughtful.

“This might be the best gift I’ve ever received,” she admitted before neatly stacking them and setting them by her side.  “Thank you.”

She didn’t necessarily want to dwell on what it ‘meant’ to her and, thankfully, neither did Yang.  Instead, she grabbed the last package from beside her - this one a small box - and held it out to Ruby.

“And this is for you!” 

When Ruby grabbed the box, tore off the lid, and gasped in delight, Weiss leaned over to see what was inside.  And frowned.

“Holy Grimm!” Ruby exclaimed while pulling out a dull, tattered knife.  

“An old knife?” Weiss asked before shooting Yang a look.  “Really?” 

“Of course you think that,” Yang replied before motioning back to Ruby, who looked like she just received a brand new weapon, not something that belonged in a dumpster.

“This is awesome!” Ruby gushed before making several quick slashes through the air.  “Just look at it!”

Confused by the response, Weiss gave the blade a closer examination while Ruby looked over its finer details.  It was, however, still an old, crappy knife.  

“What’s so special about it?” she finally asked, realizing she would never figure it out without help.  

“I can take it apart!” After balancing it on her hand to test the weight, Ruby nodded and turned it over.   “Then I can see how it works.” 

With Ruby overly excited about her new toy, Weiss gave Yang another look.  Maybe there was more to her gifts than repackaging some random idea at the last minute.  Maybe she knew exactly what she was doing when picking gifts for Ruby.  In which case...maybe Weiss still had a ways to go before she could call herself the best gift giver for her partner.

“Where’d you get it?” Ruby asked while returning the gift to the box and replacing the lid.  

“Some guy picked a fight with me.  He lost - I got his knife.”  Yang shrugged at the response, but Blake raised her brow.  

“And why did he pick a fight with you?”  

“Because I needed a present for Ruby,” Yang admitted with a growing smile.  “And I knew he had a cool knife.  It was fair though!  I gave him the chance to win.”

“He swung at you once,” Blake pointed out.

“It’s not my fault he sucked at fighting!”  After raising her arms in feigned innocence, Yang smiled and elbowed Blake in the side.  “Besides, it looked like you were ready to throw down with him too.”

“I didn’t like the way he looked at you,” Blake replied with an air of nonchalance that made Yang laugh.  And the sound of Yang’s laughter made Blake smile because...of course it did.  

“I’ll go next,” Blake volunteered before Ruby asked.  She then picked up three large envelopes from beside her, each having a little red bow stuck on top.  After reading the front of each, she handed them out with a simple “I got you these” before sitting back to watch.

Interested, to say the least, Weiss opened the envelope and pulled out a manila file folder with her name on the tab.  Glancing around, she found that Yang and Ruby had exactly the same thing, except with their names instead of hers.

“They’re your records,” Blake explained while Weiss flipped open the file and found her application to Beacon sitting on top.  Behind that were her course records, recommendation letters, and everything else she’d submitted as part of gaining acceptance.  “I thought you’d rather have them than let Beacon hold onto them.” 

Blake shrugged as if it was no big deal, but Weiss had many, many questions. 

“Why...?” she began to ask, but Yang laughed.  

“This is awesome!”  Grabbing one of the pages, she leaned over to show Ruby.  “Remember my application?” she asked while Ruby giggled and held up her own, which looked conspicuously blank.  

“They told me to sign a blank copy,” Ruby explained before diving into the rest of her file.  “I had no idea they had all this other stuff though!”

While the two sisters flipped through every page, Weiss looked at Blake again.

“But why?” 

“I thought it’d be a nice...souvenir.”  With a shy smile, Blake pulled out a similar folder that must be her own.  “A reminder of who we were...before.” 

Blake didn’t need to say anything more than that, because Weiss now understood.  She’d changed so much that it was hard to remember who she was before Beacon.  One look at her application, however, was more than enough of a reminder.  Her admission essays were filled with pomp and self-righteousness.  Her recommendation letters carefully selected out of the many she’d requested.  Her test scores superb - although she was still proud of that.

She was the center of her own universe then, but not anymore.  Now...she had three people who were more important to her than herself.

“And I have something else for you,” Blake told Yang before mumbling, “but I’ll tell you later...”  

Yang lit up at the response but didn’t dive into it.  Instead, she pulled Blake close and grinned like mad.  Weiss, meanwhile, wrinkled her nose and tried not to think too much into the comment. 

“Thank you, Blake!” Ruby said, and Weiss nodded.

“Yes, thank you.  And I’m sure we don’t want to know how you got these.”  When Weiss waved the folder and set it beside her, Blake gave a sly smile. 

“You probably don’t…”

“I do,” Yang was quick to add.  “I love hearing about my super sexy girl-”  Abruptly realizing what she was about to say, Yang blushed and concluded with an unconvincing “partner…”

“Partner and girlfriend!” Ruby piped in and - swear to Grimm - Weiss considered giving her a high five right then.  The blushes that rocketed onto Yang and Blake’s cheeks were some of the best Weiss had ever seen, and more than worth the effort and turmoil of the week.

“Uh…”  After a nervous chuckle, Yang swept her hand through her hair and glanced Blake’s way.

“Yeah, I suppose so…” Blake added, much to Yang (and everyone else’s) surprise.  

Apparently, they’d found a different version of Blake on that rooftop, because this wasn’t the same girl who ran from her feelings just the night before.  That, or she was genuinely making an effort to be better for Yang, and if that wasn’t the sweetest thing ever…

Realizing this was the perfect opportunity to tell Blake about her gift, Weiss gave Ruby a meaningful look before receiving a nod in return.  After spending yesterday morning searching for Blake, the two of them decided upon a present for her.  Considering the kiss they witnessed, it had been fairly easy to come up with something she might appreciate.  If not right away, then definitely later on.

“Ruby and I have a joint gift for you, Blake,” Weiss said, drawing a curious gaze her way.  

“Both of you?” 

“Yeah!”  When Ruby grinned at Weiss, Weiss nodded for her to explain what it was.  “Basically...Weiss and I plan on spending a lot of time together.  And, uh, we plan on spending a lot of time outside of the room…” 

When Blake caught on, her cheeks grew red, Yang’s jaw dropped open, and Weiss felt pretty pleased with her and Ruby’s idea.  She would probably feel less pleased when they were kicked out of the room, but Ruby promised they would spend that time together, which didn’t sound so bad.  It actually sounded like something she wanted anyway.

“You can politely request that we leave,” she elaborated.  “As long as there’s nothing pressing we need to handle...” 

“And, if you give us enough notice, we can plan a trip or something!” 

While that offer hadn’t been discussed yesterday, Weiss shrugged and nodded in response to Ruby’s happiness.

“Sure,” she agreed.  “But please be judicious.”  

Fortunately, Blake would use the power carefully, which was why they gave it to her instead of Yang.

“So...tonight?” she asked tentatively.

“Tonight, Ruby and I have dinner plans.”  Weiss smiled at Ruby, who beamed right back at her.  “Then we’ll do some training.” 

“We have to practice Grimm Bashers with Jaune!” Ruby added, completely ruining the implication that they might do some real training.  “Weiss is team captain.” 

That sentence sounded strange, but Weiss smiled regardless.

After looking between Ruby and Weiss one more time, likely judging how serious they were with their offer, Blake gave a small smile and said, “Thank you...that’s...a really nice gift.”  When she looked up, Yang smiled and placed a kiss right between her ears.  Then they both looked shocked and embarrassed by the display of affection, which was adorable in its own right.

How long would this awkwardness last?  Hopefully for a week or two...Weiss wanted adequate time to savor this moment, especially with Yang looking far more out of sorts than usual.

“My turn!” Ruby said before turning to Weiss with large, excited eyes.  And, just like that, Weiss forgot all about Yang and Blake.  Instead, her focus snapped to Ruby while curiosity and excitement stirred in her chest.

Realistically, it didn’t matter what Ruby got for her.  The fact that Ruby wanted to give her a gift at all was more than enough.

“Ok, so you’re really hard to think of gifts for since you can buy anything, but...”  Pausing for effect, Ruby reached behind her and pulled out...Myrtenaster?

“I engraved my name on Myrtenaster!” 

“WHAT?!”  

The high-pitched screech hardly left Weiss’ lips before she snatched Myrtenaster from Ruby’s hands and scanned the weapon.  But the more she looked, the more she found that everything was exactly the same - nothing had changed.

Looking up in confusion, Weiss was met with a sympathetic gaze.

“Sorry...that was actually my gift to Yang….”

When Ruby nodded across the room, Weiss discovered Yang nearly doubled over with laughter, clutching her sides while leaning on Blake’s shoulder for support.  With a smirk, Blake turned her scroll around and played the video she just recorded.

“‘WHAT?!’” Weiss’ voice shrieked through the phone, only making Yang laugh harder while Weiss stared at the screen in surprise.

“That...was...classic!” Yang got out between gasps for air.  “I’m using that as your ringtone!” 

For the life of her, Weiss couldn’t figure out what just happened and how she felt about it.  Before she responded, however, someone softly tapped her shoulder.

“Sorry,” Ruby whispered when Weiss turned towards her.  “I couldn’t think of anything better to give her...”

At Ruby’s apologetic expression, Weiss’ annoyance quickly faded away.

“That was a good idea,” she admitted, and added a smile so Ruby knew she wasn’t angry.  Was she angry?  It didn’t feel like it.  If anything, she was a little impressed that Ruby crafted such an effective ploy.  

Fortunately, Ruby brightened up at the response.

“But now I can give you your real gift!” she said while reaching behind her and grabbing a large white binder.  “You’re always saying we have too many combat moves and strategies,” she continued as she handed it to Weiss.  “So...I diagrammed them for you.”

Eyes widening, Weiss opened the binder and found pages upon pages of Ruby’s hand-drawn diagrams.

“I grouped them by situation, then terrain, then type of Grimm, and color-coded everything.”  While Ruby explained, Weiss turned the pages and felt her astonishment grow.  Each diagram was meticulously done.  Everything was titled, labeled, and separated by color.  There was an index, page numbers, a glossary -

“Wow, that’s like Weiss’ wet dream,” Yang joked, and Weiss shot her a glare before turning back to Ruby.  

“Ruby...” she said, although she didn’t know what else to add.  It was the nicest, most thoughtful, most considerate thing anyone had ever done for her.  “This must have taken forever,” she added while flipping through the section filled with aerial moves.  

“Eh.  I mean, yes, but it didn’t feel like it.  I liked working on it, especially since I knew it would make you happy.”

Happy was the bare minimum of what Weiss felt right now.  Yang’s term might actually be closer to the truth than a simple happy.  She’d expected something funny or cute or useful, but this...this went above and beyond anything she could have imagined.  Not only that, but the time and effort put into it was clear as day.  Ruby made this for her.  Ruby spent that time and effort creating this gift for her. 

“Thank you,” she added while hugging the binder to her chest, loving the weight and feel of it.  She couldn’t wait to go through every page and add notes of her own.  And, since it was a binder, they could add and remove pages as necessary.  Although, realistically, they would never remove anything.  Even if they permanently retired certain moves, she would keep the pages as a reminder of what once was.  In time, she could start a second binder just to keep those organized...

“It’s perfect,” she added to no one in particular, feeling like her heart might jump right out of her chest at the moment.  It hadn’t mattered what Ruby got her, but now...she felt like the most special, treasured person in the world.  

“I guess that leaves…” Blake began before trailing off and glancing at Weiss, who took a deep breath and prepared to present her gift to Ruby.

After much thought and consideration, she hadn’t bought anything.  That’s what logic and social norms told her to do, but it just didn’t feel right to her.  Based on the gifts her teammates saw fit to give this holiday season, that intuition was correct.  

Today wasn’t about buying the nicest or most expensive gift - it was about doing something for each other that showed how much they cared.  It was proof that they already knew each other well, even though The Winter Challenge showed them that they still had more to learn.  So, instead of pulling out her charge card as she normally did, she made something that she hoped Ruby enjoyed or at least appreciated.  It was something she hadn’t done in a long time, which made it a little more difficult than usual, but the results were to her satisfaction. 

Her gift was also just a piece of paper, which she’d folded into thirds and handed to Ruby with multiplying nerves.  That feeling only grew when Ruby unfolded the paper, treating it like the most fragile thing in existence, before staring at what was written inside.

“It’s a...song?”

“Yes.”  Weiss attempted a quick smile but suddenly realized how horribly lame her gift was.  A song - she wrote a song.  That was nothing special.  Even though she spent a long time on the lyrics and felt they matched Ruby perfectly, it was only -

“A song,” Ruby repeated before breaking into one of the brightest smiles Weiss had ever seen.  “You wrote it for me?”

That smile was so disarming, Weiss temporarily lost her words.  

“I - yes,” she stammered, only regaining her focus when Ruby’s attention returned to the page in her hands.  “About you, actually…”

“Jeez Weiss -”

Before Yang finished the sentence, Weiss flipped one of the shut up cards across the room, which Blake caught out of the air while Yang sighed.  “I had a good one too...” was all she muttered before obediently falling silent and allowing Weiss to focus on Ruby’s reaction.

“About me,” Ruby said before giving Weiss a look filled with hope.  “You’ll sing it for me later?”

“Of course.  That was the plan, at least…”

“I...love it.  And I can’t wait to hear it!”  Before Weiss could react, Ruby wrapped her in a hug, then pulled away and kissed her cheek.  It was the cheek kiss that really convinced Weiss that Ruby liked the gift, while also making her blush at such casual affection.

Maybe her idea wasn’t so horrible, after all.  She would be a bundle of nerves singing for Ruby later on, but...knowing that Ruby loved the idea made it all worth it.

“That’s really sweet, Weiss,” Blake added from across the room.  Her endorsement deepened Weiss’ blush, but, fortunately, she quickly changed the subject - almost as if she was coming to Weiss’ aid.  

“You know...I’m glad we got to spend this week together.”

“It was nice, wasn’t it?” Yang agreed while sharing a warm smile with her partner.  Her partner - the ex-White Fang member - who just expressed more sentiment in one sentence than she normally did in a month.

“Agreed!” Ruby added with a grin.  “But the question is...what do we do now?” 

Everyone turned towards Weiss at the question, suggesting that she might be the most opinionated on her team.  But she didn’t want to always tell them what to do and why.  Well, maybe she did, but she was in far too good of a mood right now to care what they spent their day on.  From the success of her gifts and all the gifts she’d received in return...she could be in a great mood for the rest of the week.

“Well, classes start tomorrow...”  When Yang groaned, Weiss shot her a look and added, “So I think we should enjoy today as much as possible.” 

Just like that, Yang’s jaw dropped.  

“Are you suggesting what I think you’re suggesting?”  

“I am,” she replied, trying to hide a smile but failing miserably.

“A free day??” Yang asked before reaching over to give Ruby a high five.  “You finally broke her, Ruby - she actually wants a day off.” 

Ruby giggled at the response before hugging Weiss and nuzzling into her neck, which made her cheeks burn hotter and her heart thump loudly.  Her initial intent was to argue that she didn’t necessarily want a day off, but that motivation was lost in the smell of Ruby’s hair and strength in her arms.

Ruby’s arms were strong.  If anyone attempted to swing Crescent Rose with any real speed, they would understand why.  Weiss certainly did, and she also enjoyed the enviable side effect…

“I have an idea,” Yang added.  “How ‘bout we go to Vale and get something special for lunch?  Sort of a...back to school celebration?”

By leading with food, she won Ruby’s approval in a heartbeat.  

“That sounds fun!” Ruby then turned puppy dog eyes on Weiss, who sighed in pretend exasperation.  

“I suppose that sounds like a good idea,” she replied, even though she wholeheartedly agreed with that plan.  She couldn’t fully endorse one of Yang’s ideas, however - she saved those moments for when she really needed them.

“What do you think?” Yang asked Blake, the two of them back to smiling like fools at one another.  “I’m sure we can find you some great tuna.”

“That sounds nice,” was Blake’s reply and, with that, their course was set.  Yang patted her legs before standing to get ready, and Blake moved to follow.

With half of the team preparing to leave, Weiss carefully set her new binder on the end of her bed before heading to her desk to collect her bag.  While she tucked her scroll inside and double-checked for money, Ruby appeared by her elbow and gave her shoulder a soft tap.

“You had a good week too, right?”

Turning towards Ruby, Weiss thought about the past few days and smiled.  Honestly, she couldn’t have imagined a better week - minus the short period of angst towards the end.  But everything worked out.  Even though Blake and Yang were still in that stage of adorable bashfulness, Weiss was confident they were meant for each other.  

Then there was Ruby...who was an incredible joy to spend so much time with.  While the team challenges had seemed silly and childish, Weiss did feel closer to Ruby now than ever before, which was a wonderful thing.

“I had a great week,” she replied, her heart warming when Ruby beamed. 

“I did too!  I love spending time with you - capturing flags in the snow, looking for random keys in the forest, talking to the upperclassmen...”  

As soon as Ruby brought up the memory of Coco’s dare, her cheeks flushed - causing an identical reaction from Weiss, who answered with a succinct “The entire week was great.”

“Even though we didn’t win?”

Before answering Ruby’s question, Weiss remembered how determined she’d been to win The Winter Challenge and earn the ‘prestige’ that came with it.  In the end, other things were more important - like spending time with her team, with Ruby, and growing closer as friends.

“I’m ok with losing,” she finally answered and noted the relief in Ruby’s eyes.  “Besides, we got something even better than a combat room in the end.”

“We did?”

When Yang walked out of the bathroom and immediately blushed upon seeing Blake, Weiss grinned.

“Don’t you enjoy seeing this side of your sister?” she whispered before reaching for Ruby’s hand and leading them out of the room.  Hearing the door close behind her, she glanced over her shoulder and confirmed Blake and Yang were following at their own pace.

“I guess…”  Ruby furrowed her brow for a few moments before shaking her head.  “She’s a lot happier, which I like.”

“What do you like, pipsqueak?” Yang called out from behind them, drawing Ruby’s gaze and a bright smile.

“I like when you’re happy!” Ruby replied without hesitation, and Yang laughed while Weiss smiled and shook her head.  

Now that Yang had joined the conversation, she and Ruby would chat all the way to the airship station like they normally did.  Today, however, their energy and excitement felt more contagious than usual.  Maybe because of the holiday, maybe because of the gifts, maybe because of the events of the week - whatever it was, they were excited.  Their excitement made Weiss excited, and even Blake looked more upbeat than usual.

It was Blake caught who Weiss’ gaze as Ruby and Yang raced up the steps to the airship station (Ruby won, as usual), and Weiss could tell they were thinking the same thing.  How fortunate were they to have such great partners?  And now, in Blake’s case, such a great girlfriend?

“We’ll get tickets!” Ruby announced from the top of the steps before she and Yang raced to the ticket counter.  She tried to use her semblance, but Yang grabbed her just in time and lifted her up in the air while she squealed with happiness.

Weiss couldn’t help but smile at the spectacle, and Blake gave a little huff of amusement as the sisters joined the line at the ticket booth.  They weren’t the only students looking to take advantage of their last day of freedom, but the line was moving quickly.

“I have to ask,” Blake spoke up after several seconds of silence.  “How did you know?  That I...how I felt about Yang?”

Weiss smiled at the question, which confirmed that Blake was unaware of the clues she left for everyone to see.  

“A lot of little things,” Weiss explained, turning away from Ruby to meet Blake’s gaze.  “Like you smile at her without realizing it, you walk closer to her than anyone else, you always do things for her that you wouldn’t for anyone else, and you laugh at her jokes even though most of them aren’t funny.”

Chuckling at the response, Blake shook her head and said, “But they are kind of funny.”

“They really aren’t,” Weiss replied with a smile of her own.  “But mostly, you’re just...different...around her.  She makes you happy, and it shows.” 

Not knowing how to explain it better than that, Weiss shrugged and watched Blake mull over the information.  Most likely, she was cataloging her actions to make sure she didn’t let something so personal slip again.  Or maybe she was just curious about how Weiss figured it out when no one else had.

“I see…”  After nodding several times, Blake met Weiss’ eyes and smiled.  “Kind of like how you’re more patient with Ruby than anyone else.”

“That’s because she’s our team leader,” Weiss waved off, but Blake gave her a look.  

“Is it?”

“Yes.”  Weiss put her hands on her hips and scoffed at the implication it was anything but.  “It would be disrespectful to lose my patience with her all the time, wouldn’t it?”

“Then why do you always give her a cookie at lunch?”

“The cookie comes with lunch,” she replied with another dismissive wave.  “And I’m not fond of sweets.”

“You have a choice - a cookie or bowl of fruit.”

But Ruby likes the cookie was what Weiss wanted to say, but that did nothing for her argument.  Instead, she pursed her lips and searched for a path out of the conversation.  Fortunately, an opportunity presented itself when Ruby and Yang rejoined them.

“Got ‘em!” Ruby announced while waving several tickets in the air.

“Let’s get this show on the road,” Yang added, taking Blake’s hand and gently pulling her away.  Blake didn’t leave, however, without first catching Weiss’ gaze.

“Think about it,” was all she said before leaning into Yang’s side when Yang wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

“Think about what?” Ruby asked while they headed towards the nearby airship.

After scoffing at Blake’s implication, Weiss turned towards Ruby prepared to dismiss everything that was just said.  Instead, she stopped and realized how close Ruby was standing.  But...Ruby always stood this close and she didn’t mind.  In fact, she enjoyed their closeness.  Which was weird because before Beacon she wouldn’t have liked anyone standing...this close…

“Now that Yang and Blake are...you know...an item,” Ruby said while reaching out and gently touching Weiss’ elbow, sending a shiver of thrill up her arm.  “They’ll spend a bunch of time together - you know what that means?”

“What?” Weiss asked, struggling to keep her breathing normal while her mind raced with realization.

“We’ll spend more time together too!”  When Ruby smiled, butterflies fluttered through Weiss’ chest.  “Isn’t that great?”

It was great.  Not only were Blake and Yang happy, but now Weiss could spend more time with the person who made her happiest - Ruby.  The person she let get away with things she would never tolerate from someone else, who she often went out of her way to do things for, who she also thought was funny if not a bit of a dork, but a lovable dork...

When Ruby reached down and casually took Weiss’ hand to lead them towards the airship, she realized that she wasn’t observant after all.  If she was, she would have noticed the way holding Ruby’s hand made her heart cartwheel in her chest, or how close she wanted to be to Ruby, or how much she yearned for Ruby’s smile, laugh, touch...

“Oh Grimm...”

She liked Ruby.  Of course she did.  Wasn’t that just...entirely obvious...