Keyboards (ch10)

EARLY RELEASE FOR ALL MY PATRONS! THANK YOU SO MUCH!

A short, silly little chapter before they get to their first date outdoors. I remember my friend specifically asking if we could do this, and I thought it'd be cute so we made it happen.

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.

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														Chapter 10.

When the next morning came, Weiss jumped out of bed, energized at the thought of being able to see Blake once again today. She got dressed and hurried into the kitchen to eat a quick breakfast, lucking out when she didn't run into her father or her sister along the way.

She left a note saying she'd be gone to work on her 'project' again today before slipping on her coat, gloves, and boots, and heading out the door.

The air was frigid today as well, but at least the sun was out and shining strongly overhead. Weiss took out her phone and texted Blake as she walked quickly:

//I'm on my way! It's cold out today!//

The thought of arriving at Blake's house to run into her warm embrace fueled Weiss to quicken her pace even more until she was running. She wasn't exactly the most physically apt person in the world, however, so she could only run for about a minute before she started to lose her breath in the cold.

By the time she knocked on Blake's door, she was shivering and panting, but eagerly awaited the reward she knew was coming.

. . .

It was about thirty minutes after her alarm that Blake finally woke up. Drowsily, she got out of bed and grabbed her phone, turning it on to check the time.

She felt her stomach drop. Weiss had texted her five minutes ago telling Blake that she was on her way.

"Crap..."

Hopping out of bed, Blake raced downstairs. She didn't have time to change out of her sleep clothes - Weiss would be there any minute.

Right as she reached the front door, she heard a knock on the other side. Opening the door, she saw Weiss standing in front of her. She was wearing heavy clothes and smiling.

"Good morning!" Blake greeted her. "Come in, Weiss. I'm sorry I look like this. I just woke up a few minutes ago. I slept through my alarm."

. . .

The door opened almost right away, and Weiss was a bit surprised. Blake stood before her in her pajamas - the same ones Weiss had seen her wear two nights ago. She was flustered and blushing, embarrassed for being seen like this with her hair and clothes so unkempt. Weiss chuckled as she stepped inside, finally getting her breath back.

"Don't apologize," she said. "It's your house, after all. I think it's adorable that you slept in." Without wasting another second, Weiss stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Blake, nuzzling into her collar with a sigh, breathing in her scent. "I know we've only been apart for a day, but I've missed you so much."

She stayed there for a moment before pulling back, simply to reach up and fix Blake's hair a little bit, curling her fingers through her dark bangs. Weiss couldn't keep the smile off her face as she leaned up to kiss her cheek.

"I hope you slept well."

. . .

Blake's cheeks were on fire. She could only imagine the heat pooling into bright red spots. She could feel her hair sticking up at odd angles, and she knew she must look like a mess.

"I know it's my house, but I don't want you to think I forgot about you coming over today."

Blake reciprocated the embrace, pulling Weiss close against her. They stood like that for a moment before Weiss eased back and started to fuss with Blake's hair. When she was apparently satisfied she leaned up and kissed Blake's cheek. Blake returned the favor.

"I did sleep well. Would you hold it against me if I told you that I dreamed about you?" Blake brought the other girl into the living room. "Make yourself comfortable while I go change. Do you want anything to eat? I haven't had breakfast so I can make us some food. I promise not to make an omelette."

Blake chuckled and kissed Weiss' forehead.

. . .

Flattered by the comment, Weiss smiled. "I'd say that's just perfect. Because I dreamt about you, too," she confessed, kissing Blake's cheek once more.

She removed her coat and shoes as Blake ushered her toward the couch. "I'm fine," she said. "I already ate. Although I trust you wouldn't make an omelette again, anyway. You go do whatever you have to do. Don't rush on my account. I've got nowhere to be."

They hadn't made specific plans for today, but Weiss was intent on going for a walk together with Blake at the very least. The dark-haired girl had mentioned several times that she was a runner, and Weiss was anything but. If at all possible, Weiss wanted to get stronger and enhance her stamina when it came to physical exercise, and she wanted Blake to help her do it.

. . .

"All right. Help yourself to anything in the kitchen if you get hungry or thirsty," Blake replied. "I'll try not to take too long getting ready." She headed to the bottom of the stairs, but paused before going up to fetch her clothes. Anything specific you want to do today? I'll dress accordingly."

. . .

At Blake's offer to make a suggestion, Weiss decided to speak her mind.

"Well… you'd said that you do a lot of running for school and things like that. And I've never really been very good at that kind of thing. I'm not very strong, and my condition makes it hard for me to be able to run for long periods of time, especially in the winter. I get cold too easily. But…" She looked up across the room to where Blake was waiting for her response.

"But I want to get better. Even if I can't get rid of this condition, I at least want to cope with it better. I know it'll take a lot of hard work, but I want to do the best I can." Her eyes grew misty as she remembered one of her goals that she'd never thought she'd live to see.

"I want to… be able to go for a long walk in the winter with the person I love one day. I want to enjoy the scenery even if it's cold, and I want to walk without getting tired. I want to go for a long walk with you, Blake. It's my dream."

. . .

Blake listened patiently.

On the one hand she wanted to help Weiss, knowing that it would make the girl happy.

On the other hand, the memory of Weiss' poor reaction to the cold yesterday was still fresh in Blake's mind.

Hoping that her mixed feelings weren't evident on her face, Blake thought about Weiss' request carefully.

"All right… we can go outside and I'll help you, but you have to promise me something, Weiss. If you start to feel lightheaded or feel bad in any way, you have to let me know. Your health and safety come first."

After the more serious part of her request, Blake blushed a little bit and dipped her head.

"And... I'd like to go on a long walk with you too, Weiss. It sounds like a lovely dream. I'm happy to be a part of it."

. . .

What Blake was asking was a bit embarrassing for Weiss. She felt like she needed to be treated specially because of her condition - she felt like a child who needed to be monitored at all times. All she wanted to do was go for a walk, and she couldn't even manage that much.

But that wasn't Blake's fault, nor was it her own. Weiss' life had been hindered for too many years because of this, and she wanted to get better. And to do that, she knew she'd have to agree to Blake's terms; had their positions been reversed, Weiss knew she would've demanded the same thing of Blake.

"Of course," she said. Weiss stood from the couch briefly to cross the room and stand in front of Blake. "The last thing I want to do is worry you, Blake. I'll be sure to let you know if I don't feel well. I promise." Reaching down, she looped her pinky finger with Blake's and smiled. "You can count on me."

. . .

Blake smiled.

"Good. Thank you, Weiss." Blake gave a squeeze back to Weiss' pinkie. She leaned down and kissed Weiss, smiling into it as their lips made contact.

She could still hardly believe it was reality, that she'd only just met this girl a few days ago, helped save her life, and now she was here in her living room kissing her. How lucky could Blake be?

When the kiss ended, Blake almost went in for a second, but had to stop herself.

"I'll go change so we can leave soon. Feel free to turn the TV on if you want, or get anything from the kitchen." She gently un-looped her pinkie from Weiss' and headed upstairs.

. . .

Once Blake had disappeared up the stairs, Weiss headed back to the couch. She didn't want to immerse herself with the television, so she just sat quietly as she waited, gazing about the room.

She hadn't gotten much of a chance to do it two nights ago; she'd been mostly focused on Blake and the movie they'd watched together. But for now, Weiss appreciated the little knick-knacks on the shelves, the pattern of the wallpaper, the locations of the windows. The cat sauntered in to greet her, and Weiss pet him for a few minutes before standing.

She decided to take Blake up on her offer and headed to the kitchen, opening the refrigerator and extracting an unopened bottle of water. If she was going to practice running and exercising herself today, she knew she'd need it.

She then returned to the living room couch, petting the cat idly as she waited for Blake.

. . .

Blake climbed the stairs quickly, turning into her room and closing the door behind her, not caring that it didn't shut all the way. She disrobed down to her bottom layers, shivering as the cool air hit her bare back and shoulders.

Opening her closet, she searched through it, trying to find something that she thought looked good, but still comfortable and warm. She could faintly hear the sounds of Weiss moving about downstairs and cooing to Fang.

Blake decided on a light purple sweater and pulled it on over her head.

That's when she took a step back onto a partially-empty water bottle. It rolled underneath her foot and she lost her balance. Her shirt was still stuck over her head as she tried and failed to stay upright.

With a yelp, she crashed down to the floor with a resounding thud as the pain registered in the back of her head. She laid there moaning, still trapped and blinded by her sweater.

"Ow..."

. . .

She'd been waiting patiently when she heard the telltale sounds of crisis. There was a loud thud, followed instantly by sounds of pain, and Weiss didn't hesitate for a second as she jumped up from the couch, startling the cat in the process. She ran to the steps and rushed up them, stumbling a few times and bashing her knees until she'd scrambled to the top.

"Blake?" she cried. Weiss skidded to a halt at the door she remembered to be Blake's. It was slightly ajar and in her haste she pushed through, her tone ridden with worry. "Blake? Are you all right?"

She didn't even realize right away how Blake wasn't wearing much clothing. Weiss knelt down at her side and helped her sit up a bit, tugging the sweater down the rest of the way to reveal her face. She cradled Blake's head in her lap, her eyes seeking hers.

"Blake?" she said softly. "I'm here. Are you okay?"

. . .

Blake groaned in pain; her head was throbbing from the fall. She closed her eyes tightly as she waited for the pain to subside.

She heard the fluster of footsteps and was vaguely aware of Weiss' presence before long. Her voice was gentle but still rang in Blake's ears.

"Ow," she muttered. "I'm all right. I just slipped. Give me a minute..."

They remained like that for a moment as the pain ebbed away. Weiss' hands were gentle and felt good as they massaged away the ache in Blake's skull. She almost wanted to curl up and go back to sleep...

And then Blake remembered she was only partially dressed.

Opening her eyes, she looked up at Weiss' face.

"So I, uh... just remembered that I was still getting dressed when I fell..."

. . .

Weiss continued to watch the girl's face, rubbing her chest and shoulders until Blake's expression visibly started to relax, her tight-knit eyebrows finally un-furrowing.

It was Blake's next statement that had Weiss freezing.

"O-Oh, is that so?" She hadn't even noticed Blake was half-dressed, but even now at the mention of it, she refrained from glancing anywhere but her face. Weiss reached one hand down to casually pull Blake's shirt into place, covering her stomach all the way.

"Well then, y-you should probably finish changing when you're ready…"

. . .

"Yeah... probably should," Blake agreed, with a small chuckle as Weiss pulled her shirt down. "Can you help me up?"

Weiss stood up and held her hand out for Blake to grab. Blake accepted and started to thank her.

But a sudden wave of lightheadedness twinged in the back of her skull. Blake swayed and fell forward. Weiss yelped, and though Blake felt her girlfriend's arms lock around her right away, she hadn't been prepared.

The two of them went down together this time.

. . .

It was all Weiss could do to grab onto Blake, making an attempt to catch her. But Blake's weight was too much, and Weiss ended up falling to the floor on her back. This time it was her head that collided with the floorboards.

"Ah-!" She whimpered for a brief minute as Blake's weight settled on top of her. "Ahh, ow… Blake? Are you-"

And then she remembered - again - that Blake was only partially-dressed. Weiss felt her face heat up instantly, and her heart rate doubled. She tightened her grip on her girlfriend, certain Blake could hear the turmoil in her chest, but a little too achy and embarrassed to move just yet.

"B-Blake…?"

. . .

Blake's head was swimming as she lay on what she thought to be the floor. Until the softness and scent of Weiss registered.

Blake was dazed as she waited for the lightheaded feeling to pass.

"S-Sorry. Weiss, are you all right? I'm sorry if I hurt you..." She could feel Weiss' heart - it was beating incredibly fast. She tightened her grip on Weiss, feeling more heat rushing to her face.

Neither of them wanted to move due to the embarrassment, but they both knew they'd have to eventually. Probably sooner rather than later.

"Are... Are you all right, Weiss...?"

. . .

What a fine mess they'd found themselves in. They'd only met three days ago, and had officially been dating for about two, so this was a very sudden and embarrassing development for the both of them.

Weiss didn't know what to do. She could only hold Blake tighter to herself, fearing that if her girlfriend were to get up, it would be bad for the both of them. But even as she was now, Weiss realized she was smothering Blake, hugging the dark-haired girl tightly to her chest.

"I-I'm fine…" she stammered. "I just…" Her head was still hurting a little bit, but above all else was the shyness; her heart was doing backflips. "I-I'll close my eyes and then you can get up and change, all right? I'll wait here until you've finished."

Weiss quickly let go of Blake's back and pressed her palms over her eyes, remaining on the floor on her back.

"A-All right, go put some p-pants on, please!"

. . .

Blake assumed her own face was about as red as Weiss' was right now. She was acutely aware of how fast Weiss' heart was racing and that hers was doing the same.

"Okay. That... sounds like a plan."

Weiss let go of her and covered her eyes with her hands immediately, as if just closing them wasn't good enough. Blake shot up to her feet, careful not to fall over again. Hurrying to her closet she grabbed a pair of jeans and put them on as quickly as she could.

"All right. You can open your eyes again." Blake made her way back over to Weiss and held out her hand.

. . .

Weiss remained on the floor, feeling every thump of her heart as she gradually started to calm down.

Even after Blake had given her the OK, Weiss waited an extra second just to be sure. When she finally did reopen her eyes, she was relieved to find Blake fully dressed and offering her hand.

"Thank goodness," Weiss wheezed. "My heart definitely wasn't ready for that." Shyly, she reached up toward Blake's hand and squeezed it.

. . .

Blake knew that Weiss flustered easily but it was still funny and adorable to see it happen.

Blake gave a tug to her wrist and helped her girlfriend up. As soon as she was on her feet, Blake wrapped her up in a hug, holding her close.

"Sorry. I'll try not to let it happen again, but no promises." Blake teased, and gave Weiss a kiss on the forehead. "So now that the excitement is over, are you ready to go on a walk?"

. . .

"W-Why you... don't go getting any ideas." she mumbled. "But yes, if you're sure you're dressed now, then let's be off, shall we?" She pulled away from Blake and spun on her heel to conceal her still-present blush, then headed for the stairs.

Weiss buttoned up her blue coat as she prepared to step outside into the cold winter day with Blake. Now that she was just minutes away from going outside, the anxieties were starting to work their way up into her chest. She did her best to push them back down and hooked her arm around Blake's.

"I can't promise I'll be able to go very far today, but we can at least walk to the park. I can try to jog a bit if you'll coach me!" She checked to ensure the little bottle of water was in her pocket before she began leading Blake to the door.

Despite the bit of nervousness bubbling up within her, this was also pretty exciting. She'd never done anything like this before - never had a reason to try, or a person to try it with.

. . .

Blake grabbed her own coat on the way to the front door and got ready with Weiss in the foyer.

"That's alright. We'll go at your pace. I'm just happy to be spending the time with you." Blake bent down to get her boots on. "Oh, before I forget, let me grab a few things." Blake hurried into the kitchen, grabbing herself a water bottle and some snacks for later. She stuffed them in her pockets before heading back to the front door where Weiss waited.

"After you," Blake said. She hooked her arm through Weiss' and stepped close, bracing herself for the cold, and whatever lie beyond.

. . .

Weiss waited until Blake was ready, then steeled herself to step outside. But before that, she hugged Blake again, relishing the last bit of her warmth.

She was nervous, but also very excited to take the first step with this. But as long as she was with Blake, she wasn't scared.

So Weiss eased back, hugged herself to Blake's side, and touched the door knob.

She pulled to open it, and took the first step outside into the snow.

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A/N: Okay, this little beginning of the morning had to be its own chapter or else the next chapter would be too long. Don't worry though, we will get to see their little outside 'date' next week! With perhaps a bit of drama...?