AUTHOR'S NOTE: So I've spent the better part of two weeks solely obsessing over just this one chapter alone, and I'm finally, truly happy with it. So I figured I'd post it up now ahead of this weekend when I'll get to start on Chapter 2. This new chapter has 1000 added words versus the original, so hopefully it'll be worth a second read for those who have already read it. As a reminder, this will follow the Freezerburn Week prompts, so the next chapter will be titled Family. So, yeah. No spoilers, but you guys can probably guess what it'll focus on.

Summer Night, Winter Morning

Don't cry. Don't cry. Don't cry.

The tears wouldn't stop falling, each new streak from her eyes to her jawline further dampening her nightgown. She hadn't even stayed long enough to get dressed. He hadn't let her. Instead, once he'd stripped her of her title and her dignity, he kicked her to the curb, telling her to come back when she had learned her place, which led her to where she was now.

She had wandered aimlessly for awhile, heart pounding, stomach turning, eyes watering, without a single person stopping to check on her. From the manor, she trekked through the entire estate, knowing that she had no friends there, and that vagrants were absolutely not allowed under any circumstances. Once outside of the estate, she stumbled from neighbourhood to neighbourhood, losing herself more and more with each and every turn as pure white marble turned to dusty grey slate and dusty grey slate turned to graffitied brick.

Weiss had seen it coming; each new step she took on the path of her own life only tightening the choking, smothering, grip of her father. At first it was the ponytail, then it was the boy, and over time, as Weiss continued to come into her own, continued breaking her father's rules and further embraced the far more fulfilling life she had found beyond the walls of the Schnee residence, Weiss also started to slip further and further out of his good graces. But again, she knew it was coming. It had happened with her mother. It had happened with her sister. And now it had happened to her.

Jacques was, and would forever be, a control freak, and his favouritism, his privileges, only extended to those he deemed worthy, to the sheep that blindly followed the great white wolf.

But never, never, had Weiss thought that it would hurt so much. Each word, each lash of the tongue, feeling more like an actual whip, burning, piercing, bleeding Weiss - leaving scars on her heart to match the one covering her eye. How he had learned of so many of her insecurities without caring about her at all was truly terrifying…

And so, there she was, a lost little stray, in a once pure white nightgown, and a once beautiful tiara, curled up in an alleyway, bawling her eyes out, all because her father had finally told her exactly what he thought of her. And, by extension, exactly what he had thought about the people Weiss chose to stand beside.

"Embarrassment" was by far the easiest to shrug off. Her father had accused her of embarrassing him on an almost weekly basis since she was old enough to understand the word. It was embarrassing for her to fall for some poxy Mistralian nerd who couldn't even stand up to water, let alone an actual person. It was embarrassing for her to stoop to the level of some junior grade tech geek who stuffed pictures of farting teachers in Weiss's bag. And it was embarrassing for her to be seen with a Faunus, period.

"Failure" was a little harder. Ever since she was a little girl, Weiss had been a perfectionist, and it wasn't even entirely because of her father's conditioning. Even ignoring that, Weiss wanted to be the best. Hell, she needed to be, because Weiss truly believed that if she had any hope of making right what her father had done horribly, horribly wrong, she herself needed to become the best person she could possibly be. And, unlike being an embarrassment, it was true that Weiss had failed. She had succumbed to her vices, and chosen them over her ultimate goal of changing the SDC back into a force for good.

"Stupid bitch." It was less the meaning and more the visceral honesty and hatred Jacques had placed behind the words. More than anything, those words proved that Jacques truly hated her, and no matter how much she pretended not to care, there was no pretending how much she wanted Jacques to. But he didn't. Instead he spat venom at her, stripping away her ice and her shields and leaving her bare and vulnerable.

And then there was Blake…

"Animal."

"Beast."

"Mongrel."

Not once, in his entire tirade, had he referred to Blake as a Faunus. And that hurt Weiss most of all. Knowing that she still loved a man who would use such words to describe her best friend. Again, it didn't surprise her, especially after the three minute rant about how Weiss was a spoiled, ungrateful brat who had nothing to be upset about. And how, if he knew she would be just as much of a child in her adult life as Winter, then he would have aborted her the second he learned that her "whore of a mother" was pregnant again. Still, hearing him say that Blake was just as spoiled, just as ungrateful, and just as unjustified as Weiss, and that Blake was merely proof that Faunus were far more compliant and useful back when they were slaves, just…

"Weiss?" The former heiress looked up, her blurry vision making it all the more difficult to search in the pitch black darkness. "Weiss?!" She recognised that voice. Or at least, recognised that it wasn't the one she'd heard on repeat for the last two hours. "WEISS?!"

"Y-Yang…" Her voice was hoarse, her throat still burning from the earlier shouting match and the resulting hours of sobbing. "Yang, I'm-" She burst into a fit of coughs, slowly struggling to her knees and then to her bare, grimy, feet. "I'm here, Yang!"

Within the seconds, Yang charged round the corner, her eyes widening and her jaw dropping… before immediately setting… Weiss hadn't spent too much time around the girl. But she had seen that look far too often in the past. She could practically read the amalgamation of emotions running through Yang at that moment. And yet all of them were smothered by the soft hand that guided Weiss into the safety of Yang's bosom.

"Oh, thank God I found you!" she practically cried, wrapping her arms around Weiss's thin frame, paying no heed to the rain, dirt and tears that defiled Weiss's usual pristine beauty.

Weiss could say nothing in return. Instead, shaky hands reached up, and braced gently against the broad shoulders of her friend's sister, while her face found its way beneath Yang's jacket to wipe away the muck and moisture that had built up over time.

"Y-Yang, I-"

The taller girl simply hushed in response, cradling Weiss's head closer, pulling her entire body in.

"It's going to be okay, Weiss…"

Believing it, Weiss closed her eyes and snuggled closer, sniffling as the hypothermia began to slowly catch up to her. Believing it because this was, and had always been, Yang.

The two hadn't known each other for long. For all intents and purposes, Yang was just a friend of a friend, and a sister of a friend. And yet, in spite of that, or perhaps even because of that, Yang had treated Weiss like the purest of gold ever since they had met, just like she treated everyone else. Every time Weiss had a problem, Yang was there, texting her, alongside Blake and Ruby. And every time Weiss needed advice, she'd know that if Ruby and Blake couldn't help, then Yang would most certainly try her damnedest.

Yang had always cared. She had always reached out to her. And she had always made Weiss feel every bit as special and loved as she made Blake and her sister feel. That was why Weiss believed her.

After several minutes of standing in the rain, no longer lost, no longer alone, no longer stray, Weiss felt Yang pull away ever-so-slightly. Never would Yang be the first to relinquish an embrace. Never. Instead she receded her grip, her embrace, allowing whoever was in her arms to dictate whether they wanted to break away or sink back in. "My ride is just a block away. You feeling up for it?"

Not trusting herself to speak, Weiss simply nodded, and instantly felt the wind against her feet as Yang hoisted her into her arms. It almost made Weiss giggle. Almost. Content with the smaller girl's comfort, Yang started back up the street toward a main junction, and chose the safety of the crossing over the quickness of common sense and good fortune.

Throughout the short walk, Weiss remained silent, still nestled in Yang's arms, her head now buried in the crook of Yang's neck. Everything from the biting wind, to the mud caking her body and gown, to the cold rain that drenched Yang's jacket, was long forgotten in favour of Yang's warmth. Though his words still lingered. His cold, harsh, stinging words.

By the time they reached Bumblebee, Weiss finally found her voice, as well as her strength to stand. "Thanks, Yang…"

Yang gave a single hearty chuckle. "Don't thank me yet, you still gotta survive a ride in Bumblebee dressed in a nightgown literally clinging to your thighs and rack… Nice, by the way."

Weiss rolled her eyes in response to the playful wink Yang sent her way. "I'd hardly call it a 'rack'." And she wasn't lying, her petite frame certainly didn't invite such boisterous, borderline offensive, terms. Yet that same insecurity drew a blush to Weiss's cheek. Yang had always been a bombshell, and to hear her complimenting Weiss's frame in any way did wonders for Weiss's self-esteem. Of course, Yang was just joking, but that didn't lessen the impact.

She is just joking… right?

Shaking her head, Weiss smiled up at her rescue party, ignoring the unforeseen question and the beating in her heart she'd only ever felt once before.

No. Definitely not with Ruby's sister!

"Yang," she spoke, hoping to breaking the silence before it grew awkward, but also hoping to silence the inexplicable thoughts buzzing through her mind. "They call me the ice queen for a reason. I'm sure I'm well equipped to handle a little cold."

"Still…" Yang shrugged off her jacket and held it out. In Weiss's hands, and even more so when it drowned Weiss's body, Yang's jacket looked bigger, puffier, than it had ever looked before. The former heiress didn't complain. Far too busy enjoying her newfound heat source while Yang took her hand and helped her gently over Bumblebee's frame before taking her own seat in front of her. "Hold on tight!" she shouted.

"How tight?!" Weiss shouted back as Bumblebee roared to life.

"As tight as you want!" came Yang's reply, with every bit of the edge her previous "compliment" held right before Bumblebee shot off into the dark, leaving behind the graffiti, vandalism, and neon lights in a solution of dust, displaced rocks, and rain water.

The ride to the Xiao Long household was a blur even with Yang's speed cut in half to accommodate for the tightening grip of Weiss's arms around her waist. Contrastingly, the moments that followed seemed to play out in slow motion as Weiss walked steadily, supported by Yang's powerful frame, through the door to where Ruby and Blake were huddled together by a small fireplace.

"Weiss!" Ruby screeched as she leapt to her feet, the blanket that had been covering the duo cast to the floor, leaving Blake to sniffle and shiver. "I'm so glad you're okay!" She pulled Weiss into a hug which the former heiress just barely found the strength to return. By the time she had fully extricated herself from Ruby's koala-like grasp, Blake had pulled the blanket tight around her shoulders and stood up.

Trying to ignore the guilt that welled up inside of herself from the obvious fact that Ruby and Blake had quite literally made themselves sick searching for her alongside Yang, Weiss turned to the Faunus girl and flashed a small smile. In response, Blake gently embraced her friend, her ears twitching as they rubbed lovingly against Weiss's cheek. Weiss gave the furry appendages a little scratch before Blake could pull away and Blake returned her smile in kind.

"Alright," Yang spoke after giving the duo plenty of time to enjoy their shared relief. "You know the deal. Ruby, you have school in the morning, and Blake, neither Weiss nor Sun would you forgive you if you had to cancel on Ilia given how long you've been apart. Just how long was it?"

"Five years…" Blake responded sheepishly.

"Exactly. Now both of you, get to bed. I promise Weiss will still be here tomorrow. And she'll be drier, cleaner, warmer, and all round much nicer to cuddle with."

Neither girl argued. Blake, because she knew that Yang was right, that Weiss recognised just how important tomorrow was for her. And Ruby, because she'd already fully exhausted herself. The sheer fact that Weiss was safe and sound was all that truly mattered, and if anyone could take care of her through the night, then it would clearly be Yang. As quick as Yang had spoken, both girls had tidied away their sodden clothing and disappeared into Ruby's room for a well-earned peaceful sleep.

Left alone once more with Yang, Weiss took a few baby steps forward, drawn toward the still burning fire, like a moth to a flame, or a freezing, wet human woman with hypothermia… to a flame. Kneeling down she instantly felt the heat on her toes, palms and cheeks, and let out a satisfied breath, only then finding the wherewithal to study her surroundings.

The Xiao Long house certainly wasn't much, and yet it held a certain… personality… that the Schnee manor would simply never have. Even as she stood in the living room, everything felt smaller, more compact, than her bedroom. The fire, television, and chairs were all within mere feet of each other, and the walls were coated in an inviting lilac hue that seemed to warm up the room even more so than the fire itself. She could also see the kitchenette, with a few stools surrounding an island bench because ever since they had to downsize, there just wasn't room for a table. All of it gave Weiss a sense of intimacy and familial contentment that the large halls, constantly lit chandeliers, dining tables for thirty six, and "happy" family portraits just couldn't.

She didn't have long to study, however, as Yang's arms encompassed her shortly thereafter, adding further warmth and comfort, and drawing yet another smile. Weiss had begun to suspect that everyone was doing that on purpose, and in their defense, if they were doing it on purpose, then it was working. Weiss already felt a thousand times better than she had mere minutes earlier. Though that wasn't exactly saying much…

"So," Yang spoke, her breath warm against Weiss's skin. "Bath or shower, your highness?"

Weiss could just about make out Yang's cheshire grin out of the corner of her eye. "Definitely bath…" It wasn't even a contest right now. She needed a nice, long, soak to cleanse herself of everything that happened so far.

"Okay, second question," Yang paused, though when she spoke once more it was without nerves, and full only of concern. "Are you okay if I grab a shower at the same time?""

That question gave Weiss pause for thought. She had known for a long time that the Rose-Xiao Longs had a separate shower and bath. But the shower had no curtain, opting instead for frosted glass, and more importantly… the bath and shower were both contained within the same rest room... Any other day, Weiss wouldn't have had a care in the world. Yang could've shared the bath itself with her for all it would have mattered. But tonight… Tonight was different...

Already was the scent, feel, and warmth of the older girl imprinted on her. Weiss wasn't entirely sure she wanted the look of Yang playing on her brain, too… "I-I suppose so…" But, of course, Weiss would never be able to bring herself to inconvenience the people closest to her; especially not after her father's heinous verbal assault.

Yang didn't react. Instead, she just ran the bath, throwing in some relaxing bath oils for Weiss's benefit, and called out to her the second she was in the shower. The time that followed was… interesting… to say the least.

For one it felt like Weiss was bathing in miracle water, as the sweat, the tears, the grime, the rain, all of it drained away along with every remaining ounce of tension pent up inside of her body. For two, Yang had been singing non-stop since she got in, save for a few seconds where Yang asked Weiss if she was sure she was comfortable. Her voice was soft and soothing, and made it oh so easy to see why her lullabies had managed to calm Ruby so often over the years. And then... then there was the silhouette of Yang, her bare, supermodel body, hidden behind the frosted glass.

Weiss tried her best not to look, but try as she might, every once in awhile, Yang would hit a note that even Weiss struggled to so perfectly, and with such harmony, that her gaze shifted helplessly in surprise. And when it did, Weiss hated herself. From the curves to the wild hair to the distorted lilac irises that Weiss hadn't once thought about prior to that very night, Weiss had glimpsed it all, obscured as they may have been, and with every glance, Weiss had to bury the urge to look again deep down. But those words, and that voice, tested Weiss time and time again, and each and every time, Weiss would fail.

"Like the smell of a rose on a summer's day, I will be there to take all your fears away. With a touch of my hand, I will turn your life to gold."

With each line, Yang's lullaby grew, as did Weiss's understanding and recognition of it. She'd heard Yang sing it time and again, and she'd had numerous discussions about the song herself, but always, always had the center of that topic been Ruby. Never had Weiss ever heard Yang sing this for anyone but her. And as she listened to the lyrics, she slowly felt her heart melt. And then Yang hit the bridge.

"Don't worry, I've got you; nothing will ever harm you."

Weiss struggled to keep her eyes away, wanting more than anything to drink in the sight of Yang, form untouched, flowing through the mist, voice unbroken, singing beneath the sound of the running water, like a siren that would actually keep its promise. Her eyes met the tiled walls, each one decorated with markings and characters that Weiss herself could not recognise. They found the basin and mirror, and the collection of hair products that were all undoubtedly Yang's. Then they found the yellow walls which matched the yellow towel that hung idly from a hanger just… next… to the shower...

"I'm close by, I'll stay here; through all things, I will be near…"

Weiss felt her heart thud in her chest, her strength wavering as her eyes traveled the few extra feet to Yang's form once more. Her stomach knotted with guilt and bloomed with warmth in the same instance, her jaw dropped as she practically choked up inside, and she wanted, needed, nothing more than to be with Yang - somehow, someway, any way - she had to play a part in Yang's symphony.

"Close your eyes, don't you cry. Love's around you; in time, you'll fly…"

The water shut off. Weiss watched as Yang's head craned, obscured by the glass but unmistakably turning to look at Weiss in surprise. "You…" the blonde paused, finding her words. "You know this song?" It was all she could say in response, still stunned by Weiss's perfect added harmony.

Weiss curled up into herself slightly, blushing, heart pounding ever-so-slightly. "I may have committed it to memory… I always thought it was incredible..."

"Heh." Yang ran her hands through her hair, emphasising her bust and curves all the more. "Never thought I'd have an amazing singer and song-writer telling me that my song was incredible…"

As Yang finished, the shower door swung open and Weiss watched as Yang's arm reached out and snatched a towel. Seconds later the woman stepped out of the cubicle, hair clinging to her bare shoulders and droplets of water dancing and crisscrossing over her skin.

"Y'know…" Weiss replied, having a hard time believing that Yang could ever look more beautiful. "I was never my biggest fan..."

She stepped forward and Weiss felt her heart skip a beat. "Then I guess.." she spoke, drawing Weiss in with every word. "It's a good thing, that at least one person here has kind of always wished they'd get a chance to cut a sick duet with the Weiss Schnee."

"I-I…" Weiss looked down, unsure of how to proceed. How did she never see this side of Yang before? How did she never see this side of herself?

Yang was so beautiful, so kind and gentle and loving, so selfless, so, so… so intoxicating. Weiss had not the opportunity to truly get to know her, to spend time with her. She was always wrapped up in her own world, her own adventures, and that excluded Ruby and her friends. Of course it did. After all, not all sisters shared the same life; a fact certainly not lost on Weiss herself…

And now here she was, all alone with Yang and for the first time she wanted to be included, wanted to be swept away into a world for just the two of them, an adventure, an experience, that no one else would ever get, and neither would ever forget. And here Yang stood, a priceless image of perfection, embedded in her mind, quite possibly forever, and telling Weiss exactly the kind of experience she could offer…

She took a deep breath.

"D-Don't you worry about the dark…" she sang, her voice shaky, aimlessly trying to find it's footing absent rhythm, sheepishly glancing up at Yang, hoping, praying that she would join her. "I-I will light up the night with the love in my heart…"

Seeming to hear her prayers, Yang stepped forward, leaning over the bath slightly and smiling at Weiss. "I will burn like the sun, I will keep you safe and warm," she carolled back, easily finding her harmony, having pieced the song together herself.

"Like the smell of a rose on a summer's day," Weiss returned, following Yang's lead and falling into step behind her, beat for beat, lyric for lyric. She returned the smile, sitting up slightly to meet Yang's own, forever conscious of the bubbles protecting her modesty.

"I will be there to take all your fears away," came the chorus, their voices harmonised, Weiss's operatic undertones melding with Yang's self-trained contralto tones. "With a touch of my hand, I will turn your life to gold…" A brief break followed as Weiss lost herself in Yang's eyes, those cool yet vibrant lilac orbs drawing her in in a way she never thought possible. For a few seconds, Weiss even lost her touch with the duet, only snapping out when Yang sang the next - and last - line.

"With a touch of my hand, I'll turn your life to gold!"

"Gold!" Weiss finished, mere seconds later, caught up in an unplanned round.

In spite of Weiss's slip up, Yang let out a giggle, and Weiss followed her lead once again. Laughter echoed through the bathroom before Yang let out a hollering, "Woo!" and pushed herself back toward the radiator. "I guess that's one item ticked off the bucket list."

"Oh?" Weiss sat herself up straight now, hands working to pull together the bubbles and cover her otherwise naked form. "And what else is on there, beside flattering me?"

Yang smirked. "Trust me, Weiss, nothing I say is intended to 'flatter' you. I speak the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth."

An eyebrow raised in her direction. "Did you seriously just quote The Oath to me?" Weiss asked, incredulously. "Tell me you didn't just quote the oath to me."

Pushing away from the radiator, Yang's smirk grew. "I never said 'so help me God'." With that she took steps toward the bathroom door. "Anyway, I'll leave you to… do… whatever it is you do." Opening it up and taking a step out, she peeked back in. "Oh, but if we're snuggling tonight, please be quick. I think we'll both appreciate if your skin is soft instead of pruny."

Weiss couldn't bring herself to respond.

Once she was bathed, dried, and dressed in one of Blake's spare yukatas, Weiss peeked into the mirror, a small smile crawling up her lips as she ran her fingers through her silky, purified white out onto the landing, she made her way across the hall to Yang's room, stopping just long enough to glance through a crack in Ruby's door. Inside, she found the younger girl sleeping soundly next to one Blake Belladonna, whose ears were twitching playfully; the result of an assumedly very sweet dream.

"So…" she spoke, effectively announcing her presence in the same breath. "This bucket list. You never answered my question."

Yang turned to see Weiss, revealing that she herself had chosen to don her usual tight tank top and short shorts. "What else is on my bucket list?" she asked hypothetically. "Let's see… Skydiving, mountain climbing, doing a professional boxing match… learning another language, learning sign language… Oh! I always wanted to learn how to dance…"

"Really?" asked Weiss, perking up a bit. "What kind?"

Yang reached up to scratch the back of her head. "I don't really know. I've just also wanted to…" She shrugged and stood up. "I'd see dozens of guys and girls, spinning, twirling, dipping, jumping, ducking, diving, moving…" With each word, Yang mimicked those same dancers quite badly, barely catching herself before she got violently reacquainted with the stereo sitting on her shelf. "And that, that, that energy would always be so infectious, so freeing. It just felt like a way more positive outlet than punching things really hard. But I guess someone somewhere just wanted me to punch things. So here we are."

It was Weiss's turn to smirk now. Though, unlike Yang, Weiss's smirk was accompanied by her heart doing little flips inside of her chest. "Actually, today might be your doubly lucky day…" Closing the door quietly behind her, Weiss took steps toward the stereo and hit play.

As the music started vibrating through the room in spite of the low volume, Weiss took the chance to finally study her surroundings, from the single bed with two sleeping bags set out atop the duvet, to the walls filled posters of boy bands and punk chicks, to the shelving unit lined with CDs, books and game. She took a second to note the presence of a beginner's sign language book before then ghosting over her music collection.

She could've chosen any song from those collections, but it wasn't ther song that mattered. Weiss just needed music, any music. Turning her gaze back to meet Yang's, she reached out her hand.. "Guess who learned how to dance between the ages of six and nine?" she asked smugly, throwing her hair back in a surprising display of confidence.

"Man, you're perfect…" Yang whispered in response as she took a step closer.

Trying to ignore the heat in stomach, or the electricity that sparked when Yang took her hand, Weiss led, albeit briefly. Each step proved easier than the last for Yang, as her masterful teacher gently guided her through each and every movement. While not exactly fleet-footed, Yang kept pace, only once stumbling over her own two feet. As the song continued, so, too, did their dance, Weiss's fluidity on full display as she pirouetted seamless around her partner, the edge of her yukata flitting up as her loose hair flowed seamlessly behind. Yang, meanwhile, focused more on placement and balance, lacking Weiss's grace but making up for it in pure presence.

"Okay!" Weiss cheered. "I think you're ready."

Yang's brow knitted. "For what?"

"For the big dip finale!" Weiss spun once more, coiling around Yang's form, connected purely by their hands and ending with a large stride out, pushing her hips and chest toward Yang as they posed.

"What do you mean the big dip finale?!" Yang asked, a little louder than intended. Weiss just smirked.

"Catch me."

With that, Weiss let her legs give out, sacrificing her balance and beginning to tumble back. Yang sprung forward, arms reaching out to wrap around Weiss's waist, stopping her fall just short of the shaggy carpetEven in her most intense workouts, she couldn't remember being left so breathless.

"H-How did you know I'd be able to catch you?" Yang asked, gazing down at Weiss, mere inches separating them.

"Because you always d-" Weiss paused, her breath hitching as she met that piercing gaze. The chaos bloomed in full, every feeling, every sensation, every confusing thought and buried want, clawing back to the surface as Weiss lay there, held up only through Yang's own strength. "D-Do…" she finished… and she gave in.

Leaning up Weiss cupped Yang's cheeks and brought her soft lips to meet Yang's chapped own pair. The roughness, if anything, only further aided Weiss in getting completely lost in her lust as she pressed her tongue against Yang's lips, and wrapped one of her legs around Yang's own offering herself to Yang, begging Yang to take her. It was Yang herself that broke the kiss, breath heavy, eyes wide. "Th-That is not how you dip…"

Weiss simply shrugged, and brought her lips back to Yang's.

What followed could only be described as a whirlwind. Every emotion, every sensation, every confusing thought and buried want, bursting free from the prison of Weiss's mind. Yang returned the kiss in force, hands roaming and bodies pressing upon bodies as they kissed, and they kissed, and they kissed.

Their bodies found the bed and their limbs found each other as they tangled and rolled and moved together as one. Weiss showed her appreciation, her gratitude in spades, but more than that, Weiss indulged herself. It was a kiss she never knew she wanted, and yet she was unable to get enough. Yang was the ultimate embodiment of warmth, heat, fire, and Weiss lost herself within it.

Throughout the night their breath was ragged, their hearts pounding, their pulses speeding, with each moment and each embrace deepening and deepening their kiss, until their bodies came to a stop. Their pulses slowed, their hearts calmed, and their breathing synchronised. Their hands, once roaming each other's bodies, came to a halt, and their legs remained locked together. Weiss had been the one to pull away, resting her head atop Yang's breast, cuddling into her warmth, her heat, her fire, and losing herself in sweet dreams and a promise of a beautiful tomorrow.

However, the next morning there was no warmth, there was no heat, there was no fire. The next morning, Weiss woke alone, in an empty bed, and chilled to her very core. She frowned, and shivered, and moved. Her hands found where Yang's body once was, and found the sheets just as cold as the winter air. She swallowed, hard, and glanced around, searching for the blonde, the sight of the discarded and forgotten about sleeping bags bringing back memories of the night before.

Her father, the alleyway, the fire, the bath, the duet, the waltz, the kiss… Oh God, the kiss…

Continuing to search the room, she eventually found her attention drawn to the stereo, where quiet beats continued to pump out of the speakers. Moving to switch it off, Weiss found herself unable to, brought to a pause by the note sitting beside it,

I'm sorry...