To Keep Me Warm At Night (ch3)

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

The next addition to this story for Tom! It's been a while since I last updated, but I hope whoever is still reading enjoys! This chapter is going to be the team comforting Weiss.

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.

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												Chapter 3. The Biggest Comfort

Everything was going well for Weiss. She was, of course, doing well in all of her classes, was learning new techniques during combat practice, and with the help of her friends and teammates was succeeding in opening up to more people, including herself.

In retrospect, she should have been able to guess that it was all a little too perfect. She knew better than anyone that 'perfect' didn't come without a price to pay.

Another successful day had turned into an easygoing evening, and then progressed into a calm night. Everyone else was already asleep as Weiss laid herself down and closed her eyes. She reflected on the things she'd done today as a way to help exhaust her mind until she fell asleep.

But just before she lost consciousness, she could sense something. It was as if a dark cloud was moving in over a clear horizon, pushed onward by angry winds until it enveloped her and blotted out the moon.

. . .

She was back at the Schnee mansion, though she couldn't remember ever leaving for it. Of all the places and rooms she could have been in, she was in her very least favorite.

Her father's office was dimly-lit and eerily quiet, though Weiss knew from experience that was about to change. Her father stood from his desk in one enraged motion, toppling his chair over in the process as his voice thundered in rage.

"You incompetent child! How many times must I tell you? You are going nowhere in life if you continue to follow this path! You are to follow my rules or pay the consequences!"

And Weiss knew she should just nod her head and agree to his face, though as always, she fully intended to go behind his back once she was free. But her voice betrayed her, rising up without her consent, standing her ground instead of holding her tongue.

"Then I will accept any consequences!"

She hadn't noticed them before, but now she can see Winter and Klein standing behind her father. Weiss looks to them for help, but to her horror both simply shake their heads and give her looks of undisputed pity.

As her father advances on her Weiss tries to run, but she finds her shoes glued to the carpet. She watches the hand rise up above her head, hears the rush of air, hears the heavy impact as it strikes her scarred cheek, hard enough to break bone...

. . .

Blake is the first to notice the noises Weiss is making. With her keen hearing she stirs even in her sleep and turns herself toward the source of the distress.

Upon opening her eyes, the room is dark as it should be at this hour of night, but she can easily see across the room to Weiss' bed. The heiress has her back turned to her and she isn't moving much, but Blake can detect a few small jolts here and there.

Blake's never been very good at comfort, in her own opinion, so she decides to call for backup.

Sitting up, she reaches up for Yang's bed and knocks quietly on the underside. The consistent light snoring cuts off abruptly with a moan. There's some shifting about, and a moment later her partner's blonde bedhead is hanging over the side, peering down at her.

"Blake? What's up?"

Blake inclines her chin to Weiss' bed.

"I thought you might know what to do..."

Yang follows her gaze. It's a little amusing to Blake how clearly she can see her go from tired teen into Big Sister mode.

"Lemme wake Ruby up," Yang murmurs. "We can all help out."

The blonde straightens up on her own bed and gropes around for her sleep cap. Once she finds it, she pulls it back on her thumb and index finger like a rubber band and fires it across the room into Ruby's bunk. Judging by the gagging sound her sister makes, she hit her mark.

Ruby sits up and pulls the blanket-curtain aside, rubbing her eyes.

"Yang, what the heck-"

"Sorry to wake ya. But I think your partner could use some help."

"Huh?" Ruby leans forward to peer over the edge of her bed. Now she can hear Weiss' little whimpers as well.

With all of them now awake and set on their mission, Blake gets up first and helps Yang down to the floor, then Yang does the same for Ruby. Even Zwei hops down from the top bunk to stand next to them. Ruby fidgets and calls out softly for her partner.

"Weiss!"

Blake and Yang can both tell that she's about to throw herself forward and wake Weiss up in a hurry. But they also know that while waking from a nightmare is a relief, it's much better if it's done with tact and care.

So before Ruby can shake Weiss awake, Blake puts a hand on her shoulder and keeps her back.

"It's all right, Ruby. We'll help her. It'd just be better if we don't startle her awake."

"But-"

"Here," Yang says, patting Ruby's head. "Watch how it's done. Big Sis knows what to do."

With that, she goes around Weiss' bed to the other side, the side the heiress is facing. She takes a seat on the edge of the bed, getting herself closer down to Weiss' level. On the other side of the bed, Blake and Ruby do the same.

Yang reaches out for her teammate, gently resting a hand on Weiss' shoulder, letting the backs of her fingernails dance across her cheek.

"Hey... Weiss?" Her voice is low and tranquil in contrast to whatever turmoil Weiss is going through in her dreams. Since all their talking thus far hasn't roused her, Yang knows touch has to be the way. "Weiss?" She strokes through her hair in slow petting motions before giving a very light push to her shoulder.

Weiss jolts again as her eyes fly open, a pained moan on her lips as she feels the palm on her cheek- But it doesn't hurt this time.

As she looks up, she finds herself back in her dorm room, and her father is nowhere to be seen. Instead, Yang is looking down at her with tender eyes.

"Hey," she murmurs. "Take it easy, Weiss. You're okay."

Weiss' voice comes out small and choked.

"Yang-"

"Weiss!" Ruby's been holding herself back all this time but now she can't any longer. She leans over Weiss and throws both arms around her as best she can from this position, squeezing her tight. "It's okay! It was just a bad dream!"

"Ruby..." Weiss braces herself up on her elbow and hastily puts a hand on her partner's back, glancing over her shoulder. "Blake too..." A small yip at the foot of her bed has her looking down to where a fourth smiling face is peeping over the edge. "And Zwei..."

Blake offers her a kind smile.

"We just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"I..." Weiss is quiet for a moment as she looks around to all of them after Ruby eases back. "I... I appreciate the concern. But I'm fine. Thank you for waking me, in any case."

"You sure?" Yang asks. "You don't wanna talk about it or anything?"

"Not really," Weiss mumbles.

"Well either way, it's over and gone!" Ruby reminds her. "So don't worry about it anymore, okay?"

"I'll do my best."

In truth, Weiss doesn't want them to go. Their presence here beside her suggests a feeling of love and support she's never really had before. Not like this.

But the prideful part of herself is still embarrassed they've even seen her this vulnerable. She can't afford to...

"You can't afford to let others know your weaknesses!"

Her father's voice echoes through her head without warning, causing her to flinch. The others don't miss it.

"Weiss?" Blake's the only one who speaks, but the sisters each inch a little closer.

And Weiss realizes what this is. That part of herself that won't allow her true emotions to show. That is the 'Schnee' inside of her. Not the genuine feelings her grandfather had worked all his life to share. But the fabricated ones her father had implanted to stain the roots.

This is the part that conceals, hides, lies...

Weiss won't allow it. Not anymore.

Expressing how she really feels has never come easily, but she doesn't see a better time to start trying than now.

"Actually..."

At her soft word, all of her teammates turn back to her. They'd been prepared to leave if that was what Weiss wanted. But now they remain still and listen.

"If you all wouldn't mind staying for a while longer... I think I'd like that..."

And it takes them all a moment to process this. That the prideful Weiss Schnee who's always turning people away has just asked them to stay. They're admittedly almost too happy to believe it.

"Y-Yeah!"

"Of course."

"Sure!"

Weiss offers a thankful smile to each of them.

But then they realize their next dilemma. How are all four of them possibly going to fit on one single bed?

None of them voice the question aloud, but they all do their best to try and figure it out.

Ruby goes first, crawling onto Weiss' bed and snuggling up to her side, wrapping her partner in a warm hug. Yang slides in on Weiss' other side, ruffling her hair from behind. The three of them can just barely fit, but they aren't about to have Blake sleep on the floor.

Ever the problem-solver, Ruby lays Weiss down on her back and shuffles herself to lie on top of her, grinning triumphantly. That leaves her previous space open for Blake to squeeze in beneath the blankets. Finally, Zwei hops up at the foot of the bed and curls up at their feet.

All three of Weiss' teammates snuggle up to her now, wrapping their arms around her and around each other in any way they can. As Blake and Yang are pulling the blankets up over Ruby's back, the brunette peeks down at her partner, resting her chin on Weiss' chest like a puppy.

"Weiss? Are you okay now?"

The heiress looks to Blake, then to Yang, and back up to Ruby with a smile.

"How could I not be okay? I have the most wonderful teammates ever here with me."

"Aw, shucks!" Ruby chuckles.

"Glad to hear it," Yang says.

"Now just try to get some sleep," Blake advises.

Now they're all content to take her advice.

After wishing each other goodnights and sweet dreams, the girls close their eyes.

Upon doing so, Weiss can sense those dark looming clouds creeping in at the corners of her mind once again.

But when she takes a breath and remembers Blake holding onto her left hand, Yang holding her right, Ruby hugging her stomach, and Zwei protecting her ankles, the cloud dissipates as though it had never been there at all.

Weiss falls asleep without fear of nightmares this time, surrounded by the biggest comfort of warm friends and quiet, all-encompassing love.

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A/N: It's been a while since I've ventured back to write some RWBY and Pollination is the best way to get back into the groove!