Keyboards (ch11)

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

Time for a romantic winter walk in the park! Perfect for the holiday week, so this timing worked out well!

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.

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														Chapter 11.

The day was still a bit chilly, but with Blake at her side, Weiss felt immensely warmer now. She stuck close, sharing her own body heat and savoring Blake's as much as possible, her eyes trained ahead on the familiar scenery of the town.

Now that she thought about it, Weiss really didn't go outside much, other than to walk to and from the bus stop. Even in the warmer weather when she wasn't at risk of her condition and prone to the elements, Weiss was usually cooped up in her room and busy with schoolwork. Her family didn't go on vacations, so it wasn't often at all she got to be outside for longer than a few minutes.

As they walked, Weiss watched her breath float up around her. Though she was next to her, Blake was leading slightly, as she knew where the nearby park was. As soon as it was in sight, Weiss felt her lips curl into a smile.

"We're here." It was exciting now that Blake was actually going to train her on how to run and build up her stamina a bit. "So how do we start?"

. . .

Blake could tell that Weiss was enjoying herself. She thought it was cute when the other girl watched her breath float up with each exhale. Blake kept close to her, making sure to support Weiss and keep her as warm as possible, given the circumstances.

When the park was in sight she began leading Weiss toward the flatter area where the field was covered in a light layer of snow.

"Well, how about first we take a short walk around the park and plan a route we'll run? Then I'll show you some stretches, and then we'll jog. If you're feeling up to it, we even try to can sprint before we go back to my house."

. . .

"All right," Weiss nodded. "That sounds fine. I think I can handle it. It sounds easy enough."

And it did sound easy, at the time. And for a while, it was. They walked around the park as Blake had suggested, keeping to the little sidewalk that cut through the trees and bushes. Everything was covered in a frosting of light snow, and the large pond they passed by was coated in a thin layer of ice.

Weiss could imagine how the scenery looked in summer or spring; green grass, blues skies, and blossoming colors in the flowers around them, but for now it was just greys and browns. Even so, Weiss enjoyed the lack of color; the shades of whites reminded her this was the winter walk she'd always longed to go on. And she was with Blake.

But after several minutes of following the path, after the walk to get here, Weiss' breath started to strain. She tugged on Blake's arm and nodded to a vacant, nearby bench.

"Let me just sit down for a moment…"

. . .

Blake enjoyed the scenery, and the feeling of getting to be outdoors with her girlfriend, but she kept a close eye on Weiss. So as soon as Weiss started to falter, Blake was ready.

"Sure thing. Just take it easy. We can take as long as you need." Blake cleared off the bench a bit before they sat down. Once Weiss was seated Blake pulled her closer to share her body heat. "Maybe we'll skip the running for today."

. . .

"Right…" Weiss sighed. "Maybe it would be best to skip for today. Just walking around the park should be fine. We can plan out a path today, and then use that to run on for tomorrow." She was already feeling a bit guilty for having to make them stop already, but at the very least, they could use today to plan tomorrow.

For a few minutes, Weiss leaned against Blake's side and closed her eyes, concentrating on her breathing. Her heart was thumping a bit beneath her coat, and her chest felt cold, but with Blake next to her, she felt she could fend it all off. She hugged herself closer to her girlfriend until the shivering stopped.

After a few minutes of rest, Weiss could breathe easier again, and she re-opened her eyes. She got out her bottle of water and took a sip to soothe her throat before capping it and putting it back in her pocket.

"All right. I think I'm ready to go again," she announced.

. . .

Blake waited a few minutes with her, gently stroking through Weiss' hair and leaving a few kisses behind as well. She wanted to show she didn't mind having to wait for her.

She was relieved when she finally felt Weiss' shivering stop, and her breathing became easier. Blake followed suit and took a sip of her own water bottle, then reached into her pocket and grabbed the snacks she had brought.

"Would you like something to eat? I brought protein bars and granola bars."

. . .

"Oh, that's perfect!" Weiss happily accepted one of the protein bars and unwrapped it, stuffing the trash into her pocket to dispose of later. She bit into it and chewed, savoring the flavors of the nuts and raisins as opposed to the rather tasteless chill of the air that resided on her tongue at present.

After they'd eaten and drank a bit more, the two girls stood together and continued on their way. They stuck to the sidewalk that cut through the park, determining that half the milage might be better for Weiss than covering the entire park in one go. She did have to request Blake to stop several more times along the way, however, and every time, it made Weiss a little more disheartened.

As the two of them sat on a bench for the fourth time that day to allow the white-haired girl to catch her breath, Weiss couldn't help but notice the other couples walking happily about. With a withering sigh, she leaned sideways onto her girlfriend.

"I just want that," she mumbled. "I want to be healthy enough to be able to go on a long walk together with you. Why is that so much to ask for…?"

She wasn't really expecting an answer, but rather, she was voicing past regrets and current dreams. She wanted to achieve this more than anything. For Blake, and for herself.

. . .

Blake didn't mind all the frequent stops to rest, but clearly Weiss did. She made it clear by voicing her regrets. Blake squeezed her hand gently and bumped her shoulder to Weiss'.

"Hey, you're doing great, Weiss. Don't forget we walked all the way here and around the park, so we have gone on a long walk together. And you'll only get better the more we practice, so don't get discouraged."

Blake let her fingers brush over Weiss' cheek. She turned Weiss toward her and left a soft kiss on her cheek, pink from the cold.

. . .

Weiss nuzzled Blake's nose softly once the kiss ended.

"…You're right. Sorry for being so glum about it. I'll try to keep looking on the positive side like you, Blake." With a smile, Weiss leaned into her girlfriend's side once more, resting her head on Blake's shoulder. She dozed for another moment, until she felt ready to move again. "All right, let's go. We can probably start heading back to your house now."

They stood and continued on their way, finishing their half-lap around the park. Weiss only needed to stop them one more time for a rest before they were on the path back home.

It was about half a mile away from Blake's home when she started coughing.

At first, they were just inconvenient itches in the back of her throat, and Weiss grunted and made several attempts to clear them away, but to no avail. Before long, she was releasing full, hard coughs into her elbow, and then bouts of them were assaulting her lungs so badly she needed to stop walking.

Her hands clutched Blake's arm tightly, tears clinging to her eyes as she hacked roughly. It was always hard to calm down once this sort of thing started; she'd just have to suffer through it until it'd run its course.

. . .

After the rest of the walk had gone so smoothly, Blake jolted in shock when Weiss suddenly started coughing. The sounds of her rasping voice stung Blake's ears even more than the cold.

It got bad quickly, bad enough they had to come to a complete stop. Weiss clung to her arm with nearly all of her weight, and Blake had to reach out to hold onto her so she wouldn't sway. She could see small tears in the corners of Weiss' eyes.

Trying not to panic, Blake kept her voice and her girlfriend steady.

"W-Weiss? Hey, take it easy. You'll be okay." Blake pressed a little kiss into Weiss' hair. At the same time she gently rubbed her heaving back in small circles to try and soothe any discomfort.

. . .

It was almost surprising for Weiss when she felt Blake's arms around her. Within the past few days, she'd gotten used to Blake's presence and closeness, but only in quieter atmospheres. In the kitchen at Weiss' house and in Blake's own bedroom, all of those times had been more delicate moments.

But this one was loud and painful, different than the physical feeling of a knife on her wrist, but the internal scratching and hacking tearing at her lungs and throat weren't any less agonizing.

And still, it wasn't as bad as it usually was. Weiss had suffered such attacks many times before, usually on her way to school or on the way home in the wintertime. Sometimes, it even happened if she'd neglected to close her window all the way and a cold breeze slipped into her bedroom. All those times, she'd been forced to deal with it alone.

But now she had Blake.

Weiss had never known what it felt like before to have someone hold her through the discomfort, to have reassuring words spoken into her ears, and cajoling hands rubbing her shuddering back. With Blake there to help her through it, Weiss' attack only lasted half the time it normally would have. By the time she'd calmed down and wiped her eyes, she looked up to Blake and sighed.

"Th-Thank you…"

. . .

Blake held Weiss close to her as the coughing fit racked her body. It terrified her. She didn't know what she could do to help, if anything. This was something Blake couldn't really save her from or help her with like she had in the past. All she could do was keep whispering reassurances.

Thankfully, after about a minute, the coughs started to subside, and Weiss started to calm down. Blake gently thumbed away a few of the tears on the girl's cheek.

"You don't need to thank me. I'm just glad it's over. How are you feeling? Do you need to sit down?"

. . .

Weiss shook her head as the last of the coughs subsided at long last. She wiped her coat's sleeve over her face and finally cleared her throat, though her voice was rasping when she spoke again.

"No… I'm all right now…" she panted. "Thank you, anyway, Blake. It… wasn't nearly as bad with you here this time. Thank you…" She hugged the taller girl again and sighed. "I think we should head back now, if that's okay. We've done quite a lot today."

She kept her arms around Blake and leaned against her as they walked the rest of the way to the house, fending off the shivers. She'd enjoyed the walk through the park, but now she was looking forward to a relaxing afternoon inside.

. . .

Blake was relieved when Weiss suggested going back. If she'd been the stubborn type to keep trying, Blake isn't sure what she would've done to try and persuade her otherwise.

"I agree. Let's go, then." She started walking, slowly enough for Weiss to keep up without aggravating her cough. Blake helped support her girlfriend all the way and kept a hand in hers.

When Blake could see her house, she fished her keys out of her pocket and hurried them to the door. Upon opening it, a warm gust of air came to meet them. Blake sighed.

"Made it," she said, kissing Weiss' head. "Okay, you go relax while I get started on some tea. Is there anything else I can get you?"

. . .

Weiss sighed too as soon as she was back inside.

"No, I'll be alright. Thank you, though."

Weiss removed her coat and hung it on the coat rack, then stepped out of her shoes and put them aside. The heated house was a haven to her after the long walk in the cold winter air.

But with more practice, she'd someday be able to come back here comfortably after a walk, or even a jog. She'd just have to heed Blake's advice and keep putting in effort to achieve this goal of hers.

She sat down on the couch as her girlfriend had instructed, waiting for Blake's return. In the meantime, Weiss leaned back against the cushions and closed her eyes, feeling the slight ache in her lungs finally die away, until it didn't irritate her throat to breathe.

. . .

Blake took off her jacket and hung it up next to her girlfriend's. She made sure Weiss was all right in the living room before heading into the kitchen.

She turned the hot water on as she rummaged through the cabinets to find the teabags and started to prepare everything. After just a few minutes, she'd finished making two hot mugs of Jasmine. She added a bit of honey into Weiss' to help sooth her throat.

Fang followed her back to the living room where Blake handed her waiting girlfriend her cup and carefully sat down beside her.

"Here. This should help."

. . .

"Thank you," Weiss said with a polite smile.

They enjoyed the tea in addition to another movie. Weiss discovered that Blake had a love for science-fiction and action films with a dash of humor. Weiss found herself chuckling at a few particular lines in this film. But by the end of the first hour, the warm tea in her belly had made her inclined to fall asleep curled up at Blake's side.

She woke up a few hours later to find Blake hadn't had the heart to rouse her. With a tiny yawn, Weiss hugged her girlfriend loosely before sitting up.

"Mm, you should've woken me. I keep falling asleep at your house…" A glance to the clock told her it was time to head home. She sighed. "I should go. Could you walk me home if it's not too much trouble?"

. . .

Blake had been enjoying the quiet time alone with her sleeping girlfriend. She'd been debating letting her sleep until evening as an excuse to have Weiss sleep over again. But when Weiss did wake, Blake accepted the fact that she needed to go.

"I'm glad you got a bit of rest." Blake glanced at the clock and frowned, but turned it into another kiss on Weiss' temple. "Of course I'll walk you home. I'm just going to feed Fang, then we can go."

. . .

Weiss complied and stood, crossing the room to retrieve her jacket and slip back into her shoes. She blinked rapidly in order to keep herself awake as she waited for Blake. After a few minutes, her girlfriend re-emerged and prepared to leave.

Once they were ready, they headed out, and Weiss took up her usual position in hugging Blake's arm as they walked. The air was growing a bit cooler now that it was getting late, and Weiss tried not to breathe through her mouth. She only needed to stop Blake once for a rest on their way back to her house, and Weiss felt somewhat accomplished about that.

Once she reached the front door, she strained up to kiss Blake's cheek.

"So… can we do this again tomorrow? I want to get better as soon as possible. Let me know whatever days are best for you and when you're free." She hugged Blake for a moment to savor the last of her warmth for the day, then kissed her again. "And thank you for today, Blake. It was nice to finally start working toward my dream."

. . .

Blake savored her last walk with Weiss for the day. If Weiss hadn't been bad with the cold, Blake definitely would've tried to extend their time together, but as things were she had to accept their parting. She walked Weiss up to the front door of the house - the house Blake didn't particularly like. She didn't like having to leave Weiss here every night to huddle up alone in her room.

But Blake focused on the moment and the kiss Weiss left on her lips. Blake kissed back.

"Of course we can do this tomorrow. Did you think I'd say no? If I ever say no, you can assume I've officially lost my mind." She eased back and ran her fingers through Weiss' bangs, letting them brush her rosy cheek. "I'm more than happy to help you reach your dream, Weiss. Now go get some dinner and I'll see you tomorrow."

She leaned down for one more kiss and made it last.

. . .

They parted, and Weiss went inside, though she peered through the window to wave to her girlfriend one last time. She stayed there until Blake had walked away and Weiss couldn't see her anymore.

At that point, she went into the kitchen to prepare a meal for herself, receiving Blake's text indicating she'd gotten home just a few minutes later.

Weiss' father wasn't home right now, and Winter was likely locked away in her study. So Weiss could enjoy her meal in peace, without the potential pressure of being interrupted or asked questions. She texted Blake for a while as she ate, and afterward went up to her room to visit her blog. It wasn't long before she video called with her girlfriend, and enjoyed the peaceful evening after the long day.

When she finally said goodnight to Blake, Weiss curled up in her bed to find that it didn't feel quite as chilly as it had been, even though it was still the heart of the coldest season. She liked to believe it was because of the practice she'd done today, that walking the park with Blake had allowed her condition to improve just a bit.

If these were the results, she couldn't wait until tomorrow when she could do it all again.

. . .

Blake hated leaving, but she smiled and waved back to Weiss before turning away to walk back on her own. It was a boring and chilly trek without Weiss there beside her.

When she finally got home it was dark outside as if it was midnight. She turned on the lights as she went about making herself dinner and feeding Fang. The entire time she was texting Weiss as per usual, and when she finished her dinner she went upstairs for a video call.

They laughed and chatted and shared videos like always. When it was time to hang up, Blake went to bed with a smile on her face.

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A/N: Baby steps! Happy holidays to all!