Strangers I Know (ch 4)

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Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.

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						Chapter 4. Under The Sky

When Blake awoke, the morning was blue - dull, snowy light creeping in through the window to mix with the fading oranges of the fireplace and lamp.

Her eyes adjusted just as her ears did, and she recognized the faint thumping that had been her lullaby for the past two nights.

It didn't take long for the memories to come back to her, how she and Weiss had argued and agreed upon how they should sleep. The warmth of the blankets still secured them together, and accompanied with the dwindling heat of the fire, everything felt to be the perfect temperature.

She tried not to move too much just yet; judging by Weiss' slow pulse and deep breathing, she was still asleep, and after the experience the girl had had in the woods two days prior, Blake wanted her to rest as much as possible.

After all, she'd have to go back home soon.

She couldn't push the reality away any longer; her parting with Weiss was determinate and unalterable.

The thought left her sighing softly, almost dejectedly. Even though she had only encountered the girl two days ago nearly frozen to death, Blake had grown accustomed to her companionship in just that short amount of time.

Perhaps she was just needy, clinging to the warmest thing remotely resembling herself that could hold a conversation with her and return her embraces. There was only so much Schwarz could do for her, and after all these years, Blake found she really was hopelessly desperate in terms of seeking companionship.

And yet... she still felt it was something more than that, that it was the special bond she had formed with Weiss on their first night, the one that now linked them by aura.

Initially, she had thought that it might only last for the first few hours since she had shared her energy with Weiss in order to save her life.

But even now, as Blake closed her eyes and focused her senses, she could tell that bond had not faltered in strength at all. She was always able to feel the spark of her own aura, curling comfortably at the center of her body. But now, without a doubt, she could feel Weiss' as well, flickering just beneath her heartbeat.

It was profound, but something told Blake this was much more than a simple matter of their comfortable closeness.

There was a slight trepidation that made her shiver then. She had saved the life of one of the daughters of the wealthiest man in the village of Vale, but... she could only hope her bond with Weiss didn't put the girl in an even more dire situation.

At last, Blake was pulled from her reverie when she felt the white-haired girl shift beneath her, a small breath escaping Weiss' chest.

The Faunus girl lifted her head, immediately missing that gentle pulse, but the warmth still remained. She sat up and gave Weiss some space to stretch her limbs and wake herself up, watching fondly as the girl's long eyelashes fluttered open, little tired sounds making their ways past her lips.

When at last her mist-blue pools met Blake's golden ones, Weiss' immediate reaction was a small smile.

"Blake... did you sleep well? I felt you shiver..."

Her Faunus ears went flat in embarrassment as she flicked her gaze to the side.

"Don't worry, I slept just fine. What about you? I hope it wasn't too stifling..."

"Of course not. It was very comfortable." She needed to stop herself from saying she would have liked to sleep that way every night.

Where did such a thought even come from?

Before she could dwell on it too much, she redirected her attention to Blake when the Faunus girl carefully slid her legs over Weiss' and off the side of the couch.

"I'll get breakfast going after I shower. But first, do you need help getting to the bathroom?"

Weiss followed Blake's motions and slipped her legs off the bed, the socks she had been lent padding softly on the wooden floorboards.

"I think I can manage on my own," she declared. "After all, I've rested quite a lot these past few days, and built up my strength and aura. All thanks to you."

The appreciative smile and sparkling blue eyes had Blake blushing, wanting to look away. But she couldn't even do that. It wasn't a matter of diffidence any longer - she was well-aware of what she was feeling, and - with limited time now - was unwilling to keep denying it.

She was entirely and hopelessly smitten with Weiss, and if she hadn't known it before, she knew it for certain now.

/Damn it.../

Despite her thoughts, her touch was gentle as she placed a hand on Weiss' back for good measure to facilitate the girl's movement, supporting her as she stood. Blake followed along, stretching as she did so, popping her shoulders in turn while leading Weiss to the bathroom.

Blake headed to the kitchen to start the stove, washing her pots out before going about the usual routine. She filled one with water for tea, choosing Jasmine this time.

She went to her cupboard and selected one of a dozen or so cans of soup she had purchased in the village the last few times she had journeyed there. She used a knife to pry off the lid – she was very skilled with blades, after all – and poured the contents into the other pot to let them heat up, stirring it all with a wooden spoon.

Her ears flicked when she heard the bathroom door reopen, and she turned around to make sure Weiss made it back to the couch without injury. The girl was definitely in a much better state than she'd been in yesterday.

/Probably by tomorrow, she'll be ready to.../

Blake shook her head, not wanting to think about it.

She left the soup and tea on the stove as she called over to Weiss.

"I'm going to shower now, so just take it easy, alright?"

Weiss looked up from her spot on the couch where she was stroking Schwarz's head.

"Of course. Take your time."

While Blake was in the shower, Weiss curled herself up on the couch that had become so familiar to her within the past two days, and the black cat cuddled in her lap with a raspy purr. She looked to the clothesline Blake had made where all of their things hung, now thoroughly dried.

And yet, Weiss felt she'd grown accustomed to wearing Blake's pants and shirt by now.

She promptly shook her head.

/No. These are all her things. She's already been immensely sweet and hospitable, and I'm already indebted to her with my life. I can't keep taking advantage of her kindness./

She knew that weather permitting, she should start heading back home tomorrow. Her frost root was still lying in a clump on the small coffee table. They still had a tinge of blue to them, but they would only be acceptable for sale and purchase for a few more days at best.

She needed to get back to her father, and she knew Winter probably feared she was dead, and Weiss couldn't bear the thought of her sister so distraught. It made her stomach flip, and not even the enticing scent of the fresh soup from the kitchen did much to help.

She sat there for a while, not having realized she'd stopped petting the cat, her eyes glazed slightly and fixated on the window. She didn't notice Blake had emerged from the bathroom in a fresh set of clothes with a towel around her shoulders until the Faunus girl was right in front of her.

"Hey..."

The voice was soft, but Weiss still jumped a bit before blinking up at her.

"Y-Yes?"

Blake frowned; Weiss was acting nervous again, more like the timid girl she'd been yesterday morning and less like the confident, comfortable girl she'd been last night.

Blake sat down beside her.

"Are you okay?"

Weiss' smile had disappeared, and she heaved a sigh now.

"I just... feel so guilty thinking about what my father and sister must be going through right now. I need to get back to them as soon as possible."

Blake's ears went flat, but she tried to control her tone.

"I think they're more concerned about not having someone who can go fetch them their money-making plants anymore. I hope this ordeal will make them appreciate you as a person more..."

"I've no doubt it will," Weiss replied solemnly.

Blake frowned; it sounded like Weiss had accepted long ago that her family – or her father, at the very least – only cared for her skills, and any concern for her wellbeing was merely a guise or a euphemism.

Blake wanted to address how much she disapproved of such a familial relationship, but it wasn't exactly any of her business to state her opinion. All she could do was mutter a reply.

"I sure hope so..."

She went to the fire and fed it two more logs from the pile; it was getting low, but she had more wood outside to replenish it with.

Blake went back to the kitchen to fetch the pot of soup that had finished heating up. Aside from the cat's bowl and her own, she happened to have an extra one in case one broke and she was unable to go to town to replace it right away.

Rinsing them all out first, she then poured the soup into two of the three bowls, scrambling in her drawers for clean spoons. She picked several bits of meat out of her own bowl and deposited them into the cat's for his meal.

She then poured the tea into two mugs, the same ones she and Weiss had used last night. But before she could worry about how many trips she'd have to take with carrying it all, she turned to find Weiss standing in the doorway, offering to help.

Together, they managed to carry everything back to the couch, placing their mugs on the table and Schwarz's bowl on the floor for him to gobble up.

They ate slowly, savoring the heat and flavors of the soup.

"It's pretty cheap stuff," Blake warned her. "But it's got all the right nutrients."

"I don't think I've ever had this kind before," Weiss pondered. "I really love it. Soup's best in the wintertime."

Once they'd finished their food, they sipped idly at their tea for a few moments. The soft static of the radio had turned back to proper music by now, and the sounds danced around the cabin lazily, setting a carefree mood.

Weiss couldn't help but steal a few glances at Blake's ears as they twitched every so often, swiveling or perking up at certain turns of the music. She smiled once, and Blake caught her looking, causing her to blush.

Weiss found it incredibly odd how comfortable she was with sliding closer to Blake now without question; it just felt right being next to her.

Was it because Blake had saved her life?

Perhaps... but it felt like there was much more to it than that.

Weiss placed her mug down on the small table, next to her collection of frost root, and closed her eyes, resting her head softly on Blake's shoulder.

Blake was still for a few moments, enjoying the music and the warmth of the blankets, the fire, and of Weiss.

Before long, the bright sunlight outside indicated noon was nearing, and Blake knew she'd have to disturb the girl at her side. She shrugged her shoulders gently and slid an arm around Weiss' back to rouse her.

"I've got to go outside for a bit for chores and things like that. So you just rest here and-"

"I'll come with you."

The answer was immediate, spoken with a smile, and accompanied by an eager spark in those blue eyes. Blake's ears flattened in uncertainty.

"I don't know. You've been through a lot these past few days. I don't know if-"

"It's not snowing anymore right now, is it?" Weiss asked. "And if you recall, my aura prevents me from feeling the cold once it's activated."

"...But has it replenished enough? I don't want you to strain yourself and end up collapsing."

"I'm just fine, Blake. Resting yesterday and overnight let my aura replenish plenty. Besides, I'll only stay out for as long as you do, and I can handle the cold normally without my aura like any other person can. I only activate it if it gets extreme or freezing."

Blake was silent for a moment. She could tell Weiss was being earnest, and after two days of being cooped up in this heated cabin, some fresh air would do them both some good.

"Alright. I mean, I guess I can't really stop you anyway," she reminded herself. She held no authority over Weiss, after all, simply the input of a concerned caretaker.

Weiss visibly brightened at the prospect of getting to follow Blake outside.

"Wonderful!"

She all but hopped up to her feet, shedding the blanket from her shoulders and padding over to the clothesline before the fireplace. Blake followed suit, and together they picked off their respective clothes.

Weiss hummed as she pressed her shirt, coat, and pants to her cheek, feeling the warmth seeping into her skin. Blake tapped her shoulder to get her attention.

"I'll stay here and change. You can go into the bathroom if you'd like."

"Right. Thank you."

Weiss headed off across the cabin, and Blake watched the white cascade of her long hair swaying behind her until she was out of sight.

The Faunus girl sighed before pulling off her sweater.

After just a few minutes, they'd both finished changing into their respective, and significantly warmer outfits.

Weiss emerged and slipped into her coat – the same attire Blake had found her nearly frozen to death in just two nights prior.

Blake bit her lip at the awful memories that surfaced, but she quickly shook her head to dissuade them; Weiss was alright now.

The silver-haired girl made her way over to Blake as she wound her white scarf around her shoulders.

"I hate to trouble you," she said. "But when I set out to gather herbs, I forgot to bring gloves with me. With my aura activated, I couldn't feel the chill on my hands. So, if you-"

"I've got an extra set." Blake slipped past her and went to the closet, pawing through a few drawers and shelves for a moment before pulling out a pair of small, purple gloves. "These were mine when I was a kid. They're a bit small on me now, but I think they'll fit you just fine."

She handed them to Weiss before crouching down to start tying her boots.

Once Weiss had murmured her thanks yet again and pulled the material over her fingers, she sat beside Blake and pulled on her own snow boots.

When they'd finished, they helped one another up and Blake completed their outfits with snow hats – a black one for herself and another purple one for Weiss.

Weiss chuckled a little bit when she saw the two triangles poking out beneath Blake's hat. The Faunus girl blushed again.

"Sorry if I ask you to speak up. The hat stifles noises and such, but at least my ears won't freeze."

She went to the door, but paused in opening it; this would be the first time Weiss would be going outside since she'd found her. The girl wasn't using her aura now, but Blake still couldn't help but be a bit worried.

"Ready?" she asked.

A nod from Weiss, and Blake opened the door.

They were greeted with a rush of cold air, and they scurried out into the snow so Blake could close the door.

Weiss had seen the forest in wintertime before – many, many times – but never from this part of the woods.

There were different trees that held the snow and ice differently, icicles gleaming in the sunlight far up above them, tree bark coated in an armor of ice. The snow at her feet reached her ankles and was coated by a thin veil of ice on top that she needed to break in order to step through.

The chill of the breeze was welcome on her skin, and she refrained from using her aura just yet; right now, the cold was more refreshing than endangering.

Crystalline dust drifted down in puffs, shimmering in the sunlight as it floated down to the world below.

Weiss inhaled deeply, letting the crisp air into her lungs.

Blake did the same; though she was one for warmer weather no doubt, the cold was rejuvenating in its own way.

She'd specifically chosen to come outside now because it was midday, and the sun was at its strongest, but that didn't mean there was no risk of getting ill from the cold. She reminded herself she had a bit of work to do.

"Follow me," Blake said, watching her breath rise up in a white cloud.

She made deep impressions in the snow so it was easy for Weiss to follow after her as she skirted around the cabin. With a glance to the snow-covered roof, Blake heaved a small sigh.

"I thought so..."

"What is it?" Weiss peered over her shoulder.

"The gutter's coated in ice. This happened last year and it ended up getting damaged. I'm just going to try something to break some of the icicles off. Stand back a bit."

She ushered Weiss a few steps back before bending down to scoop up a handful of hard snow, packing it between her gloved fingers into a firm snowball. She hurled it up at the gutter, watching in satisfaction as it scored two icicles and broke them off, sending them crashing to the ground. Blake turned back to her companion.

"I'm just going to do this a few more times to alleviate some of the weight on the gutter."

"I'll help." Weiss didn't hesitate a second to offer assistance.

Together, they copied similar motions, packing snowballs before tossing them up to loosen some of the icicles. Aside from the occasional breeze and bit of birdsong, the only other audible sounds were the two girls' periodic huffs of breath, followed promptly by the shattering of ice.

Weiss activated her aura a bit so the cold wouldn't affect her hands as she touched the snow, and it didn't take them long before they cleared off almost every icicle.

A task that would've taken Blake another ten minutes or so out here in this chill had been completed in half the time thanks to Weiss, and it made her appreciate the thought of what it would be like to have someone else around to help out with such things.

/No.../ she reminded herself. /It's not like she can stay here forever. The sun's already melted a lot of the snow. I've got to bring her back home tomorrow.../

With the disheartening thought in mind, she placed a gentle hand on Weiss' shoulder to gain her attention.

"One more thing we've got to do. Then we can get back inside."

She led Weiss around to the back of the cabin where a noticeable mound of snow had gathered. She could taste Weiss' question on the air even before she asked what it was, so Blake took the liberty upon herself to provide an early answer.

"Firewood. This is the stuff I prepared in advance in the fall so I don't have to go hiking through the snow to get more during winter. We're almost out of it inside, so I just wanted to grab a few more logs to replenish stock."

It wasn't until she'd finished speaking that she realized she'd said "we're" rather than "I'm".

It had only been two days, and yet she was already so used to having Weiss around.

She was about to tell herself she couldn't get attached but... it was probably already far too late for that.

"Alright." Weiss stepped around her companion and headed for the snow-covered wood pile. "I'll use my aura and clear off the snow so you won't risk your hands."

Before Blake could even protest, Weiss set to work on doing exactly as she said. The Faunus girl stood by awkwardly as she waited; her guest was doing housework for her...

And yet, Blake felt she could understand Weiss' desire to repay the favor, make herself useful by means of gratitude. So she waited patiently as the white-haired girl denuded the snow from the wood and dug out the first few logs.

It didn't take Weiss very long; having her aura to cancel out the unpleasant feelings of biting cold certainly helped.

"Here." Weiss successfully managed to hoist the first log out of the pile and passed it over to Blake.

"Careful," Blake cautioned, watching the girl lift the wood. "Don't strain yourself." She knew Weiss' father had the girl do chores year-round, but this was a bit of a laborious task, and Blake couldn't help but worry for her.

"I'm alright," Weiss reassured her, pulling off the next log.

Blake managed to hold four of them before she stopped the girl.

"That's fine for now. We can come back and get more once more of the snow's melted." She winced when she realized she'd done it again and said "we". The next time she'd require firewood, Weiss wouldn't be here anymore...

Abruptly, she turned away. "Let's get back inside..."

She headed off, using the fresh footprints to ease the journey, going slowly as she looked around the logs in her arms. Weiss pulled one last log off the pile and carried it herself, trailing behind Blake step by step.

The wind blew through the trees, shaking them, causing a few tiny icicles to hurtle down and shatter below. Weiss looked up to find the sky that had been so deeply blue all this time was starting to dull in color, and she found her shoulders slumping at the sight of it.

She knew she'd have to go back home soon. The snow was already easy enough to walk through and would be even more melted by tomorrow.

Her father and Winter were probably already under the impression that she was dead, and Weiss knew she should ease their pain and bring them the herbs. Plus, after Blake had taken such good care of her, Weiss had gained her strength back and knew she'd be able to make the trek back to the village.

They were both silent as they rounded the cabin and eventually shuffled back inside.

Weiss deactivated her aura and instead relished the warm air inside as she placed her firewood down on the floor. Blake brought hers to the storage area beside the fireplace before coming back to gather Weiss' and do the same.

"Thanks for your help," she said. "Alone, this would've taken me at least another fifteen minutes. And that's another fifteen minutes of standing out in the cold I could've done without."

"Don't mention it. It's the least I could do after you saved my life and helped me recover."

They shed their coats, boots, hats, and gloves by the closet, shaking off clinging chunks of snow that Schwarz pawed at and chased around the room.

Once the two girls were left only in their sweaters, pants, and socks – all of which were still cozy and dry – they went to the kitchen.

Weiss helped Blake wash the clothes this time, dipping her hands into the bucket of warm water and scrubbing until the water was filled with bubbles.

Blake – working intently as she was – ended up getting a few bubbles on her cheek without realizing it. With a chuckle, Weiss foisted them off, brushing her palm lightly over Blake's smooth skin. She then dipped her finger into the water again and poked Blake's nose, leaving a few white bubbles behind. That earned a hearty laugh from Weiss, and Blake blushed red before painting bubbles on the girl's forehead in retaliation.

They battled back and forth as they washed their coats, scarves, hats, and gloves, before Blake grabbed a dry towel and cleaned her face off, and then did the same for Weiss.

The white-haired girl helped her hang the wet laundry on the clothesline by the fireplace to have it dry. Blake fed one of their new logs to the fire before stretching her arms up above her head until her shoulders popped again.

"I'll get supper started. Could you get the radio for me?"

Eager to help out, Weiss quickly padded around the couch and turned on the radio, fiddling with the dials until the static was exchanged for soft, lazy tunes. Blake nodded her thanks, ears flicking happily with the music, before she turned and disappeared into the kitchen.

With nothing else to do, Weiss sat herself down on the couch again and wrapped a blanket around herself. Schwarz jumped up to curl next to her, and Weiss cracked a small smile as she ran her fingertips through his fur, her eyes straying to the orange flames of the fire as her ears took in the melodies from the radio.

The atmosphere changed and settled into a languid one, tranquil and easygoing. Time seemed to slow down, passing with no hurry, no particular urgency at all as the afternoon sun moved lazily out in the sky above.

Blake returned with two sandwiches and their respective mugs of tea, and Weiss thanked her before she started eating.

The meal passed silently, save for the crackling of the flames and the hum of the music. When they'd finished, they brought their plates back to the sink and cleaned them together.

After that, Weiss watched as Blake retreated to the small writing desk at the far corner of the room, beside her bed. It was the first time since she'd been here that she'd seen Blake go there. But when she looked to the few shelves hanging around the room and noticed the books on each one, it made sense to Weiss that the Faunus girl probably enjoyed writing and reading as hobbies.

Weiss asked permission to take a book, and Blake happily let her.

The Faunus girl scribbled away at her desk beneath the lamplight, her ears flicking and swiveling all the while as she transferred her thoughts onto paper.

Weiss curled herself up on the couch beside the cat and started to read, savoring her time as she inhaled the scent of old parchment and burning wood. She took care when she turned each page so as not to wrinkle or crumple them.

In this way, the quiet afternoon transformed into an even quieter evening, one illuminated with a cottony yellow glow of warmth and melancholy.

Both girls were lost in their own minds with thoughts of tomorrow and what it would bring, and before long, Blake's hand stopped writing coherent words and Weiss' eyes stopped reading them.

A dull silence settled in, and even the radio's sound seemed to fade into nothing.

It was the kind of evening where past regrets came back to haunt the mind, and a person couldn't help but think of future ones to come. They both knew they could've changed things, but neither opted to make an effort to do so.

When the sunlight was exchanged for long shadows, Blake finally stopped her futile efforts at her craft. Her ears caught the sounds of hopeless repentance, and she stood from her desk to cross the room.

Weiss sat on the couch before her, the book closed and forgotten on the coffee table, hands to her face as she wept softly.

And long before she sat down beside the girl and wrapped an arm around her small shoulders to ask the question, Blake already knew the answer.

"What is it?" she murmured.

Weiss turned her face shamefully into the side of Blake's torso, hiccuping softly. Blake draped a blanket over herself and then another over Weiss as she waited for the response she knew to be coming; she'd known it herself only yesterday.

Weiss' voice was broken, scared, and small as she replied:

"I love you..."

Blake nodded, feeling the tears well up behind her own eyes as she pulled Weiss fully into a hug; perhaps the last she could ever give her.

She didn't know why it'd happened or how, but she knew it was real. For the both of them.

"Yeah..." she sighed, and her breath shuddered. "Me, too."

Weiss' sobs got a little louder, more despondent, and Blake didn't make an effort to hush her. She too, sobbed quietly over the girl's shoulder, tucking her face into that silken silver hair, closing her eyes as she breathed Weiss in.

What a fool she was. How had she let it come to this? How had she let it get this bad?

/And so quickly.../

The events by which they'd met had been spontaneous, Blake's actions to care for Weiss - extemporaneous. And the resulting mutual emotions had been unplanned, and unavoidable.

It was hopeless, and they both knew it.

And yet, they'd both read it and heard it a thousand times before – their story.

They'd just never expected something like love to be able to sneak up on them in reality, for it to silently envelop them and tug them in so subtly and softly until it was already too late.

They couldn't escape those gentle clutches anymore.

Neither wanted to, but both knew they must.

But not until tomorrow.

In defiance of what inevitably lie ahead, they squeezed the other in their embraces and cried, hearts throbbing as one, tears dripping in turn off cheeks and onto shoulders. Hands curled into shirts, palms mapped patterns over backs, fingers interweaved delicately through silken hair, desperate and unwilling to let go.

The sobs refused to die down, and the embraces only tightened, their pulses pounding harder and faster, proving to them that this was real and happening in their very arms.

Fingers caught tears and wiped them away, but somewhere along the lines, their hands became occupied with hair and shoulders and backs and arms, leaving nothing else to catch the tears but lips.

And weak as they were to their hearts and to one another, those lips eventually came together, ever so softly, uncertain and scared and bitter, but they couldn't stop.

Again.

Again.

Kiss after kiss, they breathed into one another, tasting salt and softness, a hesitant heat lingering between them before pulling them back together. It lacked the ardent force of established surety, but wasn't at all weak in terms of breathless passion.

With the moon rising, there wasn't enough time left to say everything they needed to, so they resorted to conveying it all through touch and tears.

Time wasn't on their side - it never had been - but they'd use it for all it was worth for as long as possible.

The tears gradually slowed, as did their pulses, and as did the kisses.

They laid down together, in the same position they'd kept the previous two nights, holding and being held.

They kissed until they couldn't anymore, until all they could do was breathe and wait for morning.

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A/N: See you next week!