"Well… uh…" Yang gazed at the object before her. "That's a… a thingie. Yeah. That's what it is." Nodding in satisfaction at her assessment, she looked to her sister Ruby. The younger girl holding her chin in one hand and the other clutching her elbow. "You wanna get it?"

"Hmmm… I don't know. This is probably a bad idea."

"It's up to you ladies." The gruff shopkeeper across from them shrugged. "It's been a hectic season and this is all I got left in my inventory. Should have been here earlier to get a good tree. You either take it or leave it. Christmas is right around the corner."

Christmas. A holiday of shopping and warming chestnuts by the fire. A time of snow and snowball fights. A time to sip hot cocoa with mini marshmallows and snuggle with that special someone under the covers by the open fire. A time to get plenty of holiday cheer and decorate a tree with anything and everything. Tinsel, ornaments, candy canes, lights. Glorious red and green Christmas lights.

However, in order to decorate a tree, Ruby and Yang would have to buy one first. The sister's had promised their girlfriends that they would pick up a tree as soon as they could, just as soon as school went on break for the holidays. As time went on and Christmas drew near, the two girl's accused the sibling duo of forgetting the tree and ruining the holiday before it even began. Indignant, they defended themselves and boasted that they had reserved a special tree. It just hasn't come yet.

But that was a lie. Panicking, Ruby and Yang rushed into town the next day to pick up a tree. Pine, fir, small, big, round, flat, pink, blue, or polka-dotted, they didn't care. They would take anything in their desperation. The sister's were shocked to find that there were no trees to be found. All except one.

Desperate times called for desperate measures.

Ruby turned to face her sister, the blonde giving her a look that read, "What choice do we have?"

Sighing, Ruby dropped her arms limply to her side. "Might as well. Weiss said to get a tree and if this is all there is… Well, she probably would have gotten mad no matter what we brought home. If I'm lucky she won't kill me in my sleep..."

Grinning, Yang slapped her sister's back, the red girl almost falling into the snow. "That's the spirit Ruby! Way to show the love for your girlfriend!"

With a disgruntled mumble, Ruby asked the shopkeeper, "How much for the palm tree?"

That was all that was left. In all of Vale, the only thing left that the sister's could find was a palm tree. A small two foot tall stick skinny tree with long, octopus like tendrils coming out the top, feebly flapping in the bitter winter wind. Yang had thought it was a bush with a larynx.

"Tell you what. Since it's my last tree and I'm in such a good mood, I'll sell it to you lovely dames for twenty lien. A good deal, yeah?"

"Really?! Thanks mister!" Ruby cheered, hurriedly giving him the money.

Yang bent down to the small plant, hefting it up and shooting the shopkeeper a wide smile. "Thanks sir, happy holidays!"

Back down the road they went, Ruby skipping as Yang cradled their new tree with an arm around its earthenware pot. Yang suddenly thought of a brilliant idea.

"Hey Ruby, whaddya say we spend the rest of the money we saved on something sweet?"

Weiss shuffled into the dorm, miserable and shivering. She had been in the library, reading the day away by a cozy fire. Unfortunately, the late hour made it hard to read in the dim light of the flickering flame. Next time, she would be sure to go with Ruby, spend some time in her love's embrace. Sounded good to her. Weiss' first choice to curl up in bed had been sabotaged by a certain feline, the fiend currently bundled in all the available blankets in her bottom bunk.

"Comfy under there Blake?" Weiss muttered lowly to the cat Faunus. The girl invisible in her swaddled cocoon.

"Mmm mmph mmies."

"Sorry, can't speak blanket."

A head popped up from the quilt pile, slitted amber eyes playfully staring her down. "I said, very much so Weiss. Would you care to join me? Cuddles make everything warmer."

"No thanks, I would rather not touch what Yang has violated."

"Ouch. That's cold."

Weiss offered a smile, showing she meant no ill will. "No, just the truth. But if Ruby doesn't return, maybe later." Taking a look around she noticed that Ruby's bag was on the bed. She must be back. "Have you -" Before Weiss could finish her sentence, her gaze froze on an object perched by the window sill, atop the bookshelf.

"What in the frozen fires of hell is that?"

Tilting her head, Blake followed Weiss' line of sight. "That would be our new Christmas tree."

"That's a shrub. A shrub on a stick."

"It appears to look that way doesn't it? Although I believe the common terminology for it is a 'palm tree'."

That it was. Sitting innocently between the two bunk beds sat a bedecked potted palm. Someone had wrapped green and red Christmas lights around the thin trunk, the entirety of the bark lost under glowing bulbs. Christmas characters were staked into the soil around the palm, a Santa figurine posed by the lights, as though he planned to climb the thin trunk like a chimney. To Weiss it looked as though he was violating the poor excuse for a Christmas tree. A snowman held dirt in it's plastic hands, a fake smile permanently melded onto its face expressed how much it hated its life. The trees leafy tendrils bent under the burden of multiple ornaments and haphazardly placed candy canes and cookie bits. Some of the leafy limbs sagged low enough that the ornaments that hung from them brushed the wooden surface of the bookcase.

Weiss snapped her gaze to Blake, fury shining behind frozen irises. She hissed, "Where are they."

Blakes blankets rose and fell as she shrugged. "I do not know. The tree was there when I woke up." From underneath her cozy shell, a piece of paper popped out, wiggling in the air as the hand inside the blanket refused to show itself. "This note was by my pillow. There's one for you over there."

Blake nodded toward the plant. Weiss spotted the folded paper by its pot. She stormed over to it, snatching it up and unfolding the contents. That dolt, when she gets back here she is going to wish she had never been… Weiss' thought process stopped as she read her letter.

Heya Weiss! If you're reading this, then I guess you saw the tree. Surprise! (It was all Yang's idea, I swear)

I know it's not the best tree. I'm so sorry about that. I wanted our Christmas to be memorable. With a great tree, the mistletoe, the presents, and everything! Guess we'll have to skip the first part, but here, have a poem instead!

Roses are red

Violets are blue

Sorry for the effed up tree

It's not great, but I love you!

I'll try to make this up, promise. In the mean time, enjoy the little present I got you! It's on your bed.

Love, Ruby

Weiss looked toward her bed, seeing a small box wrapped in ice blue wrapping paper, topped off with an adhesive red bow. Going over and picking it up, she unwrapped it. Underneath turned out to be a little white pastry box. Unfolding the flaps of the box, she was surprised to see her favorite treat: a miniature vanilla creme cake topped with dark chocolate and a slice of fresh strawberry. Laying next to the confection was a flower, a red rose bud.

Weiss sighed. But she's my dolt…

Hearing a wet smack, Weiss glanced over toward Blake. The feline froze, mouth open and a fork laden with tuna halfway to meeting it.

"It's not what it looks like?"

Rolling her eyes, Weiss grinned. "Bribed you too?"

Blake smirked. "Yeah. But I am still going to give them an earful when they stop hiding."

"We can tag team them." The two nodded to each other in mutual understanding, preparing to wait.

Ruby slowly opened the door to their room, peeking inside to check if the coast was clear. Nothing stirred within the room, lights turned off and not a peep to be heard. The room glowing faintly from the lights adorning their impromptu Christmas tree. "Okay Yang, I don't think either of them are -"

Ruby shrieked as she fell into the room, the lights flashing on as the door forcibly opened from her grasp. Peeking up, the young girl squeezed her eyelids shut. The sight of a furious glacial stare seared into Ruby's mind.

"I'm sorry Weiss pleasedon'tkillme!" Ruby begged, not wishing to incite the wrath of her girlfriend. From behind her, she heard Yang chuckle. From her side, she heard Blake's footsteps approaching. From above, she head a huff.

"Get up Ruby. I'm not that mad."

Ruby dared to open an eye. "You're not?"

"No. Now please get up."

Cautiously getting to her feet, Ruby kept her gaze down, afraid to meet Weiss' eyes.

Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to stem the headache that threatened her. With her other hand, she lifted it in the direction of the tree behind her. "Tell me. What is this abomination?"

"It's a… Christmas tree?"

"I see. Let me ask you. Is THIS the 'special' tree that you and your bumbling idiot of a sister told us you reserved? Cause I have to hand it to you, that thing is certainly 'special'. So special, it needs to put out of its misery!" Weiss hissed.

"You told me you weren't mad!" Ruby wailed in response.

"I said I wasn't that mad. I never said I wasn't mad."

"Deception!" Ruby fell to her knees. "My own love, hath thou forsaken me?"

"And another- what?" Eyes scrunched in confusion as they peered down at the kneeling girl.

"That my transgression should bring your ire, woe is me! Left to rot in the void that once was my heart, I weep. The flames of deceit rain down upon this wretched soul, incited by my own hand. I regret. Looking up from the empty shell within I gaze upon the sun that is your face. I call to you with poems that yearn for your forgi-"

Weiss covered the girl's mouth, her hand tickled by Ruby's mumbles against her palm. Her cheeks the slightest shade of pink. She had no idea Ruby could wax poetic when she tried. "No. Stop. I don't know what you're doing but you will stop that right now. If you do I'll think about forgiving you."

Jumping up with joy, Ruby cheered. Shifting back to her regular, childish demeanor. "Yay! She loves me!"

Muttering, Weiss covered her face with a hand. "I swear you give me migraines."

Yang finally spoke up from behind. "At least she won't give you gray hairs." Blake stepped up to the chuckling blonde, pinching her ear and tugging. Yang yelped in pain. "Owowowow Blake that hurts, what gives!"

"As for you." Blake spoke with a steely monotone, causing a fright induced shiver to travel down Yang's spine. "Don't think you will be spared punishment."

Sheepishly smiling, Yang meekly said, "I love you?"

"Nice try, but I'm not Weiss. Love can't save you now."

"But I got you tuna!"

"You made me get up from my nest. It was warm in there. Punishment is the only payment that will suffice."

As Blake walked down the hall, pulling Yang by the ear, the blonde shouted indignantly. "Where are we going?"

"You'll see."

Before Yang disappeared around the corner of the hall with Blake, she shouted one last piece of advice to her sister. "Don't forget the thing Ruby! DO THE THING!"

Ruby waved good-bye as she watched her sister get dragged away by her girlfriend. "She's so dead."

Weiss folded her arms. "You're lucky you're not. I still have half a mind to do something to you in your sleep."

Pouting, she trained her silver eyes on periwinkle blue. Stepping up to her angered girlfriend, Ruby attempted to hug her. "C'mon Weiss, I said I was sorry…"

Pushing the young girl away with an extended hand, Weiss turned her back to her. "If an apology solved all of life's problems, we'd live in a perfect world of rainbows and unicorns."

"But I already live in a perfect world. You're here with me." Ruby muttered the next part under her breath. "A perfect world would also have a nekkid Weiss in my bed but that probably won't happen…"

"What was that?" Weiss looked over her shoulder, glare freezing Ruby's advancements.

Ruby looked toward the ceiling, not daring to meet Weiss' gaze. "Nothing!"

"That's what I thought. Don't get romantic with me when I'm mad at you."

"Even when I have this?"

Turning back halfway to fully look at Ruby, arms crossed, Weiss raised a perfect white eyebrow. "Have what?"

What she saw this time made her quiet, glare disappearing. From somewhere, Ruby had procured a sprig of mistletoe, the little plant hanging in the air from the red girl's hand. Beneath it, Ruby smiled sheepishly at Weiss. "Kiss under the mistletoe?"

Fighting the grin that threatened to rise up, Weiss huffed. "Fine. But just this once!"

Ruby smiled a brighter smile. "Okay Weiss. Just this once."