Author's Note: Hey all, it's back to the notebook with my first-ever Monochrome fanfiction. I've had a handful of ideas for a while, and it was nice to finally get one out.

This was originally going to be a White Rose/Bumbleby fic in Ruby's perspective. But there was a magical 1.5 weeks where Monochrome became my OTP, and after looking over my story ideas I decided this would be better as Monochrome/Crosshares. I am not regretting that shift.

UPDATE 5/26: Made a few light changes in the writing, but it's mostly the same.

It was not long after thermometers plunged and the bitter cold hit Beacon that the ice-skating rink appeared in town. Pitched under a canopy in the plaza of Vale, a plastic tarp of 15 thousand feet was flooded with water and subsequently frozen to create a smooth surface. Temperature and the tiniest bit of Dust ensured the rink would stay cool, and metal rails sealed off the perimeter with double bars for patrons to lean against in rest or desperate safety. Despite dramatic advances in technology, nobody could change the weather, so the rink was a place where a winter to endure turned into something to embrace.

And Ruby and Yang were totally ready for it.

"We haven't gone ice-skating together in years," Yang said as she opened her dresser drawer in the dorm of Team RWBY. "Just think, Ruby. Another wonderful afternoon of stumbles and slides and memorable crashes." She put on a tan coat that was in the back of the drawer. Her sister was already at the door, bulked in a red coat and mittens. Ruby's heels bounced in excitement.

"It's gonna be so awesome!"

"Don't burn yourself out before you've even arrived." Weiss was sitting on her bed in a crisp winter jacket, white trimmed down the buttons of the light blue suede. Her gloves were a similar color, topped off with a dark blue scarf wrapped around her neck. She was the only one of the team not standing, and looked less than pleased at the decided event.

Ruby's arms shook in barely reined energy. "But it's so much fun, Weiss," she said. She thought for the right words. "It's…taking winter as your own and conquering the elements!"

"Couldn't have said it better myself, sis," said Yang, bringing out a knitted wool cap from another drawer. She jammed the garment halfway over Ruby's head. They grinned. Weiss sighed impatiently and stood.

"Don't do it like that, you oaf, she won't be able to see."

From the other end of the room Blake watched Weiss shoo Yang from her sister. The heiress stood in front of Ruby importantly, using slender delicate fingers to nestle Ruby's cap properly over her head. Ruby's hair matted in the process and her grin grew to show teeth. "You dolt," Weiss said, evening the rumples in Ruby's scarf.

"Oh, come on, Weiss, it'll just get undone again," said Ruby.

"Then why even go? It sounds like a waste of time."

"Anything's a waste of time if it shows you being anything other than perfect," Blake piped in.

Weiss whipped to her. They all watched her face pinch, chest swelling in a horrible attempt at feigning indifference. "Well, I don't see you jumping for joy either!" she finally retorted, pointing at Blake.

"Stinging response, Weiss," Yang said, raising her hands. "Right on the nose. No one could ever top that bitingly cold remark."

"Excuse me?" said Weiss, as Yang closed the drawer.

Blake rolled her eyes, but she couldn't help the tiniest smile from drawing at the side of her lip. It was so typical Weiss.

She joined them at the doorway, and they called for a Bulkhead at the campus edge. Blake noticed Weiss rubbing her arms as they waited. Her skin was so light and ghostly. Blake figured she got cold easily.

The Bulkhead lowered into the landing zone. In mock chivalry, Yang let the others enter first. After settling into the aircraft they heard a rumble as the metallic floor shook under them. There was a brief, buoyant lilt, and Blake felt a sudden weightlessness.

The aircraft thrummed through the sky, taking them to the city.

The rink was brimming with activity. People scored across the ice, weaving around in their own pace. The team stood in line to get skates, observing the scene.

"Is that blood?" said Weiss, pointing to a dashed splatter of red in the middle of the arena.

"It's cranberry juice," said the worker behind the counter. "From the vending machine. Don't know why they thought it was a good idea to take it in."

"Oh." Blake watched Weiss fold her arms again.

The two of them paid and joined the sisters by the open gate. Ruby's cheeks were reddened from the cold as well as the great frenzy in which she'd put on her skates. She tottered on the silver blades as Yang leaned against the railing. When the others got to them, Ruby squealed. "Let's go!" she said, grabbing Yang by the wrist. Blake and Weiss witnessed them crunch onto the ice. For a few seconds they slid, shunting out of other peoples' way as they adjusted to the terrain. Ruby wobbled and Yang caught her as she fell. They looked at each other, a huge beam splitting Ruby's face.

"We still got it, sis," Blake heard Yang say. She and Ruby took off, sliding heavily along the ice.

Blake turned to Weiss at the rink entrance. The heiress was poised on her skates in perfect balance, but there was a hard stare in her eyes that tightened as person after person crossed her vision. Blake noted the stiffness of Weiss's body, the sounds of slips and slides on the arena.

"Have you never been ice-skating before?"

"I went once," Weiss snapped, an indignant vein running through her tone.

People were gathering behind them. They moved aside to leave the rink. Blake edged down the property carefully. Weiss walked with a clumsy pride beside her, keeping a stern face as she tottered across the concrete.

They sat on a bench beside the vending machines. Blake leaned her crossed arms onto her thighs as Weiss eased herself back into balance. "So," Blake said, breath steaming visibly from between her lips. "You've only been ice-skating once?"

"Yes." Weiss tilted her feet up, resting on her heels. "It was back when I was younger, and my father wanted to show off how well he'd raised me and my sister. There was a big conference going on with the company—I was eight, so I didn't understand—so he dropped us off at a rink to teach us how to skate. To stay in-season, I suppose, since it was December." Weiss looked down at her feet. She bent a knee, leveling the skate's blade back onto the concrete. "Winter, that's my sister, she was always better than me. I was awful. My dad insisted on making me get it right, but I couldn't. One day he kept yelling at me as I tried sliding along the ice, and halfway through I lost my balance. He had to explain quite a bit about how his pretty little daughter got blood all over her pretty little skirt." She lifted a palm under her chin, covering her nose. "He told the conference I wasn't feeling well. So my sister Winter made him proud that night."

"Oh," said Blake.

"That's my dad for you, when it comes to keeping appearances."

They watched people walk through the plaza. At some point Blake started to think. Her fingers tapped lightly on her knee. She turned her gaze on Weiss, at the crooked silver tiara tucked into her hair.

"Do you think nine years later you'd be any better?"

Weiss sighed. "I don't know. Maybe, since I wouldn't be expected to perform in front of a thousand strangers."

"Let's try it, then." Blake stood up.

"What?"

"Ice-skating. Let's try it. I'll stay with you."

"I didn't say I wanted to!" But the presence of the arena was getting hard to ignore, and after a few more seconds of hearing the people behind her, Weiss looked back.

"Fine," she said, rising to her feet. "But don't make me stay if I don't want to."

They returned to the rink. The air got a little colder and Weiss stopped. Blake could tell she was analyzing the environment, watching lines grind into the ice as each skater made their mark. Everyone was doing their own thing, at different levels of skill and interest. "All right," Weiss said. "Back to December."

She put her hands on the rail. With that stability she swung herself into the rink, moving one leg gingerly to settle onto the ice. She brought the other leg in and buckled. Her hands clenched the metal bars. Blake slid in beside her, slowing a couple feet away to wait.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes!" said Weiss. "Let me get used to this."

They walked along the perimeter, Weiss placing one hand after another on the rail. Blake followed behind, silent. When they'd gone around twice, Weiss turned. "Okay," she said to Blake. She stood up straight, head craning to meet Blake's eye. "We're moving out."

She pivoted to the arena, and hesitated. Her glove balanced unevenly on the rail. "I'm much more graceful now," she said, more to herself, before she pushed off the rail and immediately scrabbled.

Blake came over, pushing her heels back to stop at Weiss's side. Weiss grabbed her arm, making them stumble. Blake spread her feet wider apart and Weiss did the same. They stopped shaking, and righted themselves.

For a moment they stilled, getting used to the open. When their eyes rolled up Weiss said, "Are you sure you can support me?"

"I don't know," said Blake simply. "I've only been skating once."

Laughter came ringing from the distance. They saw Velvet holding happily onto Coco as they swept up the rink, gliding across the ice in broad smooth strokes. At the railing they split, briefly, to bow. Velvet scooted closer to Coco as they leaned against the bars. Seconds later a bundle of clothing hit the ice as Ruby and Yang crashed for the millionth time. They unfolded from one another, their padding and dorky resilience minimizing the impact. From her spot in the arena, Blake watched Yang plant a hand on the ice and quickly heave up herself and her sister, shaking her palm from the cold. The duo skidded into another round, Ruby stumbling a little as Yang took the lead. Blake and Weiss regarded each other for a conclusion.

"If they can do it," said Weiss.

She moved one arm to the Faunus's shoulder. Blake felt the grip tighten around her skin. "Ready?" she asked.

Weiss nodded.

Their steps started slow, edging along the ice. Over time they gained speed, and their paces became a bit larger. Weiss's eyes nervously flicked down and her ankles bent outward. Blake caught her, holding her by the arms.

"Keep looking forward," she said, and Weiss did.

They tried again. The rest of the rink sidled out of focus as they moved, leaving them to their private effort. Step, step, slide. Their strokes were lasting longer. Blake felt the digging beneath her feet lighten as her skates lost resistance.

The deep crunching under them ended as they began to skate, thin lines forming on the ice. When their bodies slowed they arced their legs in a downward sweep, renewing their momentum. A few yards ahead someone came bowling in their direction. Blake sensed Weiss's feet shift, veering them off-course to avoid collision. At a clear spot Weiss rounded the other way, gently, and they silently skated to the end of the arena.

They decelerated gradually, coming to a tiny stop at the railing. They adjusted their feet to stand, and looked up. They were not holding to each other so tightly now.

With her eyes still on Weiss's, Blake began patting her hands down the heiress's arms. They went lower as Weiss's rose, until their fingers were curled around each other in a light embrace.

Blake felt her nails lying on the palm of Weiss's gloves. She lifted them. Weiss dropped her arms, and with a tight uncertainty as their lungs inhaled, they stepped away, slowly, and bowed.

The noises of the rink floated back to them. They leaned on the rail to quietly speculate. Moments later there was a raucous noise, and they turned left to see Ruby and Yang screaming as other people careened out of the way. The sisters rocketed down the ice, skates dancing uncontrollably as smiles burst from their mouths. They were heading for a petrified Velvet and smashed their heels down, sending sprays of ice from under their feet. Coco appeared to nab Velvet nimbly from their path, and Ruby and Yang stumbled to reclaim the sudden openness. But it was too late; the rink's perimeter came rushing towards them and Ruby yelled, "Oh no!" in excited horror before both girls shot their arms up. They crashed, almost beautifully, onto the rail, wheezing on bent stomachs before flopping head over heels on the concrete.

Blake and Weiss leaned to check on their teammates. They were panting heavily, Yang sprawled facedown while Ruby stared at the canopy. Her skates were caught between the rail bars. In their stunned amazement, they failed to speak.

"Do you have a bloody nose?" Weiss called out.

"Nope!" said Yang, and as she elbowed back up Ruby pumped her arms and said, "That was awesome!"

They staggered toward the entrance, Ruby's hat lopsided over part of her face. They slipped again one second in, laughed, and sped into the distance. Blake and Weiss blinked, then turned to face each other.

"Better than December?" Blake asked.

"Better than December," Weiss conceded.

They linked arms, and set off.