The Golden Room (ch6)

2-DAY EARLY RELEASE FOR ALL MY PATRONS! THANK YOU!

I'm glad you were all excited about the kiss. I loved writing it~

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.

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														Chapter 6. Fruits Of Labor

They kept their relationship private for the next week or so.

Since they rarely ever saw each other for more than a second in the hallways during daytime hours at school, both Weiss and Yang couldn't describe just how badly they anticipated the end of the day now.

The day right after their first kiss, things had been a little awkward.

Yang had half-skipped, half-stumbled into the music room that afternoon, more eager than ever to see Weiss, but also more nervous than ever. She'd tiptoed in, heart already soaring a million miles an hour as she'd entered, finding Weiss with her back to her, playing the piano.

It had been such a familiar scene, Yang had temporarily forgotten that she needed to see it any differently than normal.

Weiss had glimpsed her and invited her over, and instead of sitting in the seats behind Weiss, Yang now took the bench seat beside her. After the first song had ended, Weiss had greeted her, asked her about her day, and then answered the same questions for Yang.

And once all the basic pleasantries had been exchanged, there was little else to do other than gaze into each other's eyes and lean in for another kiss.

From there, it was no surprise the rest of their afternoons took on a slight twist to their usual schedule. In between songs, Weiss would take a few minutes for a break, during which she'd loop her arms around Yang's neck and indulge herself in her lips.

And although Yang very much enjoyed hearing her sing and play her music, she had to admit she was starting to enjoy the intermissions a lot more.

They eased the romantic things into their routine, until the tight hugs and long kisses also became part of their "normal" afternoons.

It wasn't too difficult for Weiss to keep things a secret from her father. He'd often ask her about that friend she'd mentioned seeing after school, but Weiss would only ever give him brief answers, never once suggesting they were anything more than acquaintances.

But it wasn't that simple for Yang. Especially on those first few days, when she'd skipped and jumped her way up the staircases and ran all the way down the hallways, skidding to a breathless halt outside the library where Ruby and Blake were waiting for her, it had been easy for them to tell something was going on.

Ruby was more confused than anything, but Blake seemed to have an inkling right away.

But no matter what they asked or how often they asked it, Yang didn't give away any details.

Even when Blake once hit the nail right on the head and asked, "Did something happen with Weiss?"

Yang had kept her cool and just shrugged. "Not really."

She'd thought it was a convincing lie, and after that, she made it through her days driving Ruby and Blake to and from school believing she was in the clear. But it didn't stay that way for long.

It was that season now, the season where all the choir and band concerts were being held, and all the big sports games were underway.

Yang still had her practices the same time every day after school. But later in the evenings, after players had had a chance to go home, nap, eat dinner, and prepare themselves, they'd all return several hours later for games against other schools.

Sometimes they needed to travel to other towns or schools for away-games, and sometimes they returned to their own school for home-games.

On the days where she had a game later that night, Yang's practices tended to run longer, and would therefore encroach upon her time with Weiss a little. But she was always sure to text her in order to compensate lost time. She really wished Weiss would be able to attend just one of her games, especially if they were home-games played at Beacon High.

But Weiss had told her that her father didn't see any point in Weiss' attending such events and wouldn't approve of her going. So she simply settled for hearing about the games from Yang that night in text messages, or from her directly the next day after school.

Unlike Yang who had a game every other week now, Weiss only had one major upcoming performance.

During the school-wide choir concert, she'd been given the biggest, most complicated solo, and therefore her instructors during the day were pulling her aside several times a day in order to work with her. And in the afternoons when she was alone, she'd practice and sing that solo more than anything else.

Both of them became a lot busier, but they made it work, somehow. On the days when Yang knew she'd be staying overtime for her volleyball practices, she'd text Weiss beforehand to let her know as much. Then, Weiss would know the best times when she should focus on her solo practice, knowing she wouldn't be interrupted.

But on the normal days when neither of them had anything particularly pressing to do, they'd take it easy and enjoy themselves in one another's company.

Yang particularly made sure to enjoy her time together with Weiss for as long as possible, because in a few more weeks, the choir concert would be approaching, and she didn't want to bother Weiss as much as she did now.

As the week went on, Yang eventually told her as much one afternoon, right after Weiss had finished a song.

"Hey, Weiss?" She reached out and placed a hand on her girlfriend's knee. "With the concert comin' up real soon, I feel I should let you be these next few days. Maybe I shouldn't come in?"

Weiss was clearly shocked by the suggestion, and her eyes widened in dismay.

"That shouldn't be necessary," she said right away. "My father did say that he wants me to focus all of my free time after school now on perfecting my solo. But even I can't whittle away close to an hour a day just singing the same old thing. I'll need to take breaks every now and again." She offered a small smile.

Yang understood the invitation right away, and gratefully accepted.

"Okay. So then when you're taking a break, I'll come in and help you... relax."

"Right," Weiss affirmed, leaning a bit closer. "It'd be nice if I could have someone help me catch my breath."

"Or steal it away~"

Weiss rolled her eyes, but was already pressing her lips over Yang's, sharing a deep kiss.

So they did as they'd said they would.

For the final week or so before Weiss' concert, Yang would stay outside in the hallway to listen to her. It wasn't the same as watching her and being in the same room as her, but Yang was with Weiss frequently enough now to be able to envision exactly what she looked like as she played and sang; every ruffle in her blazer when she moved her arm or shoulder to reach the keys, every long strand of silver hair that would sway from her ponytail as she moved, every glimpse of her perfect face as she turned ever-so-slightly to one side or the other...

And as soon as the music stopped and she heard the telltale click of the piano key cover being pulled down, Yang was on her feet, hurrying inside to spend some quality time with Weiss.

That final week before the concert was stressful for Weiss. Even though she'd done her fair share of solos before, this one was rather extensive and complex, and a lot of people were putting a lot of pressure onto her to do well.

Sometimes, when Yang came in to sit beside her, she'd notice Weiss' breath get clipped whenever the anxieties became too great for her to handle alone. During times like those, Yang would just pull her into a big hug and hold her there, whispering reassurances that Weiss would be fine, that she'd be so amazing and astound the entire audience with her skill.

She repeated those things to Weiss in spoken words and in text messages until Weiss truly, truly believed them.

And at last, the day of the concert finally arrived.

That afternoon, Yang waited outside in the hallway until the very end of Weiss' practicing. Only when Weiss was beginning to pack up her bag did Yang enter and pull the girl right into her arms.

"Hey," she murmured, squeezing her from behind. "How're you doing? You feelin' okay?"

Weiss inhaled slowly, steadily.

"Yes. I know I'll do just fine. I've practiced so hard and for so long. I want to make this a success."

"You will," Yang assured her. "You always do."

"Thank you, Yang." Weiss tilted her head back for a kiss, and Yang happily gave it. She let Weiss go, promising to see her again that evening.

Luckily for Yang, Ruby was in the school's band on clarinet, so Yang had a perfect excuse to come to the concert tonight, without having to explain to people that she was also there for the pretty choir soloist.

That evening, Ruby showered while their mother washed her school uniform, since she would have to wear it again for the concert tonight.

Yang took a risk and dared to text Weiss good luck wishes and reminders to take deep breaths, both during her solo as well as beforehand.

Concert nights were always a little hectic, and time seemed to fly by from the time Yang got home with Ruby that afternoon, to the time they were back at school later that evening.

While Ruby went to join the rest of the band backstage, Yang found a seat in the auditorium. Her parents sat off to one side of her while Blake filled the seat at her other side.

The band concert would be happening first, and then the choir would perform. At the very end, their final piece would consist of the band and choir together, and that was the piece where Weiss had her big solo.

For the first hour of the concert, Yang sat happily listening to Ruby's band play their selection, always cheering and clapping whenever they finished a song.

Then it changed from instruments to voices as the choir took over. They walked onstage, line by line, filling in the rows of bleachers that had previously been vacant. The band members all sat down and held onto their instruments, giving their full attention to the choir.

Yang spotted Weiss in the middle of the last line to enter, the line that stood in front; she'd need to be able to get to the microphone easily for her solo.

For the majority of the concert, Yang sat back and relaxed, enjoying the performance. She rarely – if ever – took her eyes off Weiss, who was clearly in her element up there, enjoying every single note she sang.

Like the band, the choir's sound was very strong, supported, and pleasant, to the point where it almost sounded professional to a certain degree. A round of applause went up as they finished their current song.

Then, their final song was announced. The band was ordered to prepare for the joint piece.

Yang watched as Weiss stepped down from her ranks and approached the microphone. She stood with poise and confidence, knowing the next moment in time would be hers and hers alone.

No one else sang. No instruments played.

All eyes were upon her now.

For all the times Yang had told Weiss to breathe, now Yang herself was the one holding her breath.

She'd heard Weiss sing this solo a million times before. She knew just how good she was.

But when that cue was given, and Weiss started singing onstage in front of thousands of people, nothing could ever compare to it.

Her voice carried out around the entire room, ringing pristinely clear even as far as the back wall. She annunciated every note perfectly, supported every consonance, breathed in all the right places.

In just a few seconds, she mesmerized a room filled with people, as though she'd cast magic upon them.

Spellbound, Yang and everyone around her got lost in the sound of her flawless voice for a solid moment in time.

And then, as quickly as it had enraptured them, the band began playing, and other voices joined in. Weiss dipped her head and stepped back in line to continue singing the rest of the finale song.

Yang could sense that everyone else was equally as dumbfounded as she was. They'd never heard Weiss practice singing that solo before, so she understood everyone else must have been ten times as flabbergasted as she was – and Yang was still pretty darn flabbergasted.

She didn't pull her eyes away from Weiss, but she could still glimpse Blake at her side. Her best friend's jaw was hanging open, and her eyes were wide. Yang knew the rest of the audience looked much the same. Perhaps even Weiss' own father was impressed.

By the time the final note was sung and played, everyone in the room was enthralled. The subsequent applause was immediate and almost deafening. One by one, the audience members stood up to clap, but Yang was convinced that no one clapped harder than she did.

Her eyes were still glued to Weiss, who was being hugged and congratulated by a few of her fellow choir members. She then cast her gaze around the audience until she met Yang's.

They shared a private smile across the room - very brief, but very meaningful.

A moment later, the choir needed to file offstage, and Yang lost sight of her. That gave her a minute to slump back down into her seat and let it all sink in.

"Holy crap..."

Blake sat back down beside her.

"I'll say. That Weiss girl was amazing. Have you ever heard her sing before?"

"Yeah, all the time," Yang confessed without thinking. "But never like that."

"Really?" Blake mused. "I would've thought that she would've let you listen. You know, considering the fact that you spend every afternoon alone together with her down in the music room."

"Wha-?" Yang whipped around to face her, waving her hands. "Shhh! Keep your voice down! Do you want the whole school to know?"

"Do you?" Blake teased. "I mean, you were making puppy-dog eyes at her throughout the whole concert, Yang. You weren't exactly being subtle."

"Shut up!" Yang threw herself forward onto the shared arm rest of hers and Blake's chairs, burying her face in her arms. "You knew. I knew you knew, but still I-"

"Yang, calm down. It's not the end of the world. I mean, it's about time, really. You've liked her for a lot longer than you think you have, I'll tell you that much."

"What? How would you-"

But Blake just shook her head and stood up again.

"It's time to go." She offered Yang her hand and helped her up. Then, Blake lowered her voice and whispered with a smile. "Don't worry. You were only obvious enough for your best friend to notice. Not your little sister or anyone else."

Blake had just wanted to have a little fun. But before Yang could fret too much, Blake made certain to reassure her so she wouldn't freak out. Yang let out a heavy sigh and slumped into Blake's arms.

"Damn it, Blake..."

"Sorry."

"Just... don't say anything yet, yeah?"

"Of course."

When they parted, Yang gave her friend a relieved smile, silently thanking her for the support.

Finally, they shuffled their way out of the aisle to join Yang's parents and waited for Ruby to come down. She scurried out a few minutes later, clarinet case in-hand, jittery and excited.

"Phew! Soooo? How was it, guys? Was it awesome? Wasn't Weiss amazing? Yang, did you know she could sing like that?"

"Uh, n-not really." Yang grinned sheepishly as she tried to steer the conversation elsewhere, especially with her parents listening. "But hey, the band was totally rad. You guys nailed every song! Good job, Ruby!" She pulled her little sister in and ruffled her hair affectionately.

From there, she and Ruby said goodnight to Blake, who went back to her own parents. Yang kept glancing around through the crowds as they left the school, but she failed to spot Weiss again. She got the urge to text her, but knew Weiss' father was probably with her now, be it walking with her or driving her home.

So Yang held off until later that night, when she was lying in bed with the lights off. She was just beginning to type out a message when her phone buzzed first. It was Weiss, of course:

//What did you think of my solo? How was it? Be honest.//

Yang grinned and deleted what she'd been typing, and instead responded to the question:

//Weiss, you know the answer to that. You were absolutely incredible! Perfect! And I'm NOT just sayin that becuz you're my girlfriend, I swear.//

She sent that message, then typed out a more serious one.

//So... what did your dad and sister think...?//

It took Weiss a minute to respond to that, and Yang found herself holding her breath yet again. But Weiss' reply was only positive.

//My sister was highly impressed. I'm so happy she was pleased with me. As for my father, he said I did very well. He had nothing to tell me except praise. That's very rare for him. I'm so glad they both liked it.//

Yang was so relieved that Weiss had gotten her father's approval for once. It would take a load of stress off of Weiss, especially now that the big concert was over. Now, she'd be able to go back to her less extensive practices, where she could enjoy herself a bit more.

Yang typed back a quick reply.

//That's great to hear, Weiss. I mean it. You deserve it after how hard you worked. I'm so proud of you.//

Again, Weiss took a moment to respond.

//Thank you, Yang. Really.//

For a moment, Yang simply curled up in bed and relished this feeling of accomplishment. Weiss' big night that she'd been practicing so diligently for had finally come to fruition and ended well. She couldn't wait to see her again after school tomorrow. Yang planned to give her the biggest hug and kiss ever.

She was getting ready to text Weiss a goodnight message when her girlfriend beat her to it again.

//Now we just have your big match coming up on Friday. I know you'll do wonderfully, Yang.//

Yang smiled, hoping her reply would tell Weiss how happy she was.

//Thanks, Weiss! I can't wait to see you tomorrow! Good job again!//

//Thank you, Yang. I'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight.//

//Night!//

At last, Yang put her phone aside and closed her eyes. When she did, all she could see was Weiss, replaying the memories of her impeccable performance until she felt her conscious slipping away.

All that night, she just dreamed about how many time she'd kiss her tomorrow.

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A/N: Well, Weiss' big performance ended nicely! Yang's is up next!