Confessions (ch4)

2-DAY EARLY RELEASE FOR ALL MY PATRONS!!

I'm glad you guys are still following and enjoying this even though it's set so far back in the timeline. It's still crazy to me how far we've come in canon.

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.

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														Chapter 4.

A pained gasp hissed between her lips when the Grimm's hand curled around her throat and pinned her to the ground, her arms shaking as she struggled to keep the snapping teeth of the Beowulf away from her face. They closed on air, a sharp clicking sound echoing every time its jaws shut and strands of spit flinging in all directions.

Blake's vision went in and out of focus, the Grimm's white teeth and red eyes blurring into a mass of inkiness as she tried to squirm out of its hold. Gambol Shroud lay useless just by her head, knocked from her grip during the fall, and any chance of retrieving it depended on her escape.

She thrust out a leg, the heel of her boot connecting to its stomach and for a brief moment. She felt its claws loosen. It roared threateningly, the decaying smell of its breath fanning over her skin, and she choked on the scent. The sound would no doubt attract others, and she kicked again, her eyes watering.

She wasn't going to die here.

The Grimm yelped when her heel sunk into its flesh, and it pulled away. Breath filled her lungs, and she drank in heaving gulps as she scrambled for Gambol Shroud. Her hands grasped the hilt like a lifeline, dirt and fallen debris sinking under her fingernails.

She turned, blade raised, and the Beowulf leaped. Claws caught her cheeks - aiming for her throat - and she flinched at the sting, but Gambol Shroud held fast, the tip piercing through muscle, organ, and bone. The beast writhed, gathering her neck in its hands, but with one ruthless twist of the blade, she saw the light leave its eyes.

Gasping breaths left her like whines, heart beating with enough force that Blake thought it might jump from her chest as she pulled herself to her hands and knees. It didn't, but as she stared at the red leaves on the forest floor, she retched.

She wasn't allowed the pleasure of relaxing, though, and she pulled herself to her feet after her stomach had emptied of all its contents. There were monsters on her heels, but right now, that was the farthest thing from her mind.

. . .

Weiss glared down at the beasts from her glyph, counting her blessings that there weren't any Nevermores among them. There were eight boars left, three wolves and an Ursa. Usually a pack like that would take all of team RWBY to defeat, and even then any victory would be by the skins of their teeth. But alone? And in her condition?

She had one bottle of Dust left, and her aura was starting to drain dangerously low. Even now, the circle she was kneeling on was fading in brightness, and her vision was blurring…

"Damn…"

A wave of dizziness crashed over her, and she slumped sideways. Her glyph vanished beneath her, and for a split second, she fell. Only by a desperate display of skill did she manage to get it back, holding up just feet above the snapping jaws. All the monsters needed to do was wait; they knew she wouldn't last much longer.

But Weiss wasn't going to give them that satisfaction.

Yet, she also realized she couldn't fight them yet. Not here. She couldn't waste her last bottle of Dust on them.

No. She needed to find Blake first.

With a grunt, Weiss cast another glyph and jumped clumsily up, landing heavily and with all of her usual grace absent. She hunched forward, closing her eyes as she attempted to slow her rapid breathing. She felt for Blake's aura once more, trying to seek out the candle of light within the darkness.

She reached out, concentrating.

Blake…

A moment later, she reopened her eyes, wiping more blood from them.

She found her.

Without a second thought, she staggered to her feet just as her glyph disappeared, but she cast another. It was a slow, painstaking process, and she was crawling more than jumping, falling after every new leap, but she was moving. And the Grimm were following her, just as she'd planned.

She continued to follow the light of Blake's aura, letting it lead her to where she needed to be. Each glyph seemed to bring her closer, and yet farther away. But she kept going, and the beasts followed her. She gasped audibly with every movement, and the sound was louder than her perusers' howls. It was annoying, breaking her focus, but more than anything, it terrified her. She could hardly breathe…

Blake… Blake…

Another glyph. Another stumble.

And then, she saw her.

From her vantage point above the trees, Weiss felt the light within her resonate as a blur of black caught her eye below. There were Grimm all around her as well, and Weiss could tell Blake was on her last legs. And she'd led another pack of them right to her.

But that was the heiress' plan.

"Blake…" She tried to call out a warning to her, but her voice wasn't strong enough. Weiss coughed, seeing red on her palm when she pulled it away. Teeth grit, she saw the Grimm that had followed her had noticed Blake and started to head toward her. This was it.

Mustering every last shred of breath in her, Weiss called out one more time.

"Blake!"

She wanted Blake to know she was there, that she didn't have to fight anymore. Because Weiss was going to end this now.

. . .

She had told herself a long time ago that she wouldn't live with regret.

The first time had been when she'd joined the White Fang, young and naive and so ready for change.

The second had been when she'd left, a little bit downtrodden and more than hopeless, that what she had set out to do ended up amounting to nothing.

But she'd learned to deal, came to terms with the fact that she wasn't turning her back on her family. She was trying - would keep on trying - and during that time, it was more than enough to quell the regret.

And the moment she heard Weiss, her voice a beacon in the chaos, Blake could feel the words she had left unsaid crawl up the back of her throat like fire - prodding at her lips the second her eyes found Weiss, and she wanted to spill it all. The aches and pains were nothing, a mindless numb she shoved in the farthest reaches of her mind. No regrets.

"Weiss!"

Her body felt heavy, limbs weighed down by fatigue, but right now it was just her and Weiss. She wouldn't let that slip through her fingers.

. . .

Blake shouted her name, and it gave her the last shred of strength she needed.

Weiss released her glyph and jumped, all pain forgotten in that moment. The wind whipped past her bangs, slicing against her face and she braced for the impact of the landing-

There was a stumble as her boots hit the ground, but she straightened immediately. She could feel Blake's back pressed against hers, weak and trembling and about to give out.

The two packs of Grimm were upon them now, and there was a split second of silence, all sound white noise…

And then it was hell. Snarls and growls and powerful swipes, but Weiss was ready for them. She took her last bottle of Dust and crushed the glass with her bare hand, letting the contents scatter over the hilt and blade of her rapier.

A small amount of her remaining aura was the spark that triggered the rest of the attack. She sent it out along her left hand, and when combined with the Dust, Weiss saw the spark of blue-

She swung Myrtenaster in a full circle around them both, lifting it above hers and Blake's heads with a shout. She ignited the Dust, and lightning crackled instantly at her rapier's tip. It flashed out into a wide circle around them, following the arc of her weapon, stretching out with ravenous, violent fingers. It struck every last beast in the surrounding area, cutting through thick hide and armor like knives through leaves. There were short yowls before the only sounds were bodies crashing to the ground. The corpses began to dissipate, and then Weiss and Blake were alone.

It was unreal. Weiss kept expecting more to emerge from the trees and charge them, but that didn't happen. She could hear Blake's harsh breathing behind her, her aura still so weak even though Weiss was so close to her.

The heiress tried to look back over her shoulder, fighting for air as she tried to speak past the dry coughs that tore at her throat. "B-Blake we… we did it-"

But the world turned into a dark blur before she could even meet Blake's gaze.

Myrtenaster slipped from her hand, and Weiss collapsed to the forest floor that was dyed an even darker crimson than the leaves.

. . .

The moment it all ended, she felt weightless; even in spite of the pain, the rawness to her throat, and her trembling limbs, Blake felt like she might float away.

When she looked at Weiss, the heiress' face was a mess of scratches and drying blood, and the words that escaped her mouth weak and rasping.

Blake reached out - wanted to be pulled back down to earth by her. Blake wanted to touch her, hold her, make sure Weiss was real and alive against her, and Blake's fingers brushed over the skin of her hand, but not a second later she collapsed.

"Weiss!" Blake breathed, the name escaping her in a gasp and her arms slipped under Weiss', intending to keep the both of them up, but the remaining strength in her body was nowhere near enough.

They slumped into a heap on the ground, a mess of tired limbs and exhausted minds. Blake pulled Weiss close, arms circling Weiss' smaller form and hands curling tight into the fabric of her dress. Blake couldn't fight the initial tendrils of panic that snaked up her spine - caused her heart to pick up running.

"Weiss?" She sucked in a shaky breath, her voice barely a whisper as she brushed her lips against Weiss' temple. To her relief, a pulse fluttered softly against her skin, shallow breaths trailing lightly over her collar.

"Weiss..." Softer this time, nearly a prayer, and Blake held Weiss tighter, the heiress' name an endless stream from her lips. Weiss, Weiss, Weiss.

. ..

She couldn't make sense of anything. Her body didn't even feel real to her, her mind, a distant feature she couldn't even grasp. She felt like she was in quicksand, thick and unrelenting as it tried to drag her down into the depths and drown her. It was dark, darker than anything she'd ever known. She couldn't feel her heartbeat-

-but she could feel someone else's. The familiar light in the shroud of black, the faint little glow like a candle that led her home.

She was calling her name. She sounded so scared…

Blake…

The name was on repeat in her mind, and Weiss tried to open her eyes. Her senses came back to her in a rush. First was touch - Blake's touch - warm and shaking but alive. Second was taste, the taste of blood. Third was the stench of it. Next, she heard her girlfriend's voice clearly, and then-

-Weiss sucked in a sharp breath and it hurt, god it hurt, but she needed it and-

-finally she opened her eyes.

And Blake was there, holding her, crying over her, her pretty golden eyes distraught with pain and her voice heavy with fear. She was covered in blood, but she was alive. Weiss wanted to hold her so badly, but she couldn't find the strength.

"B…Blake…" She rasped her name to reassure herself it was real. "Blake you… you're hurt-" Everything felt like it was on fire inside of her. She knew her aura was almost depleted, and some ribs were undoubtedly snapped. She realized the frightening shortness of her breath was probably because one of her broken ribs had punctured a lung.

She looked up at Blake with terrified eyes as tears slipped past them, mixing with the blood on her cheeks. Weiss was terrified. She didn't think she'd be able to keep her eyes open much longer.

"B…Blake…" she whimpered. "I don't…. I don't want to die…"

. . .

At the sound of her voice, Blake pulled away to look into Weiss' eyes. They were half-lidded and bloodshot, but they were undeniably and irrevocably Weiss.

"You're not going to die," she said, stern despite the crack in her voice as she combed her fingers through Weiss' bangs, pushing the strands slick with sweat and blood back from her face. "Not after all of this. I promise."

Blake fell silent, a small smile forming on her lips before she tucked Weiss' head underneath her chin. God, what could she do? Her body felt seconds away from crumbling, aura so far gone it'd take days of rest to replenish. Weiss needed medical attention and fast, but with the rest of their group so far away and help even farther still, Blake was at a complete and utter loss.

She curled around Weiss, pressed her closer as if that's all it would take. Blake buried her face against the crook of Weiss' neck, breathed her in.

"I like you."

Awkward and inexperienced, that's what she was. Couldn't so much as hold her own life together, let alone another person, and the realization left her shaking.

"I like you."

A whisper - a clumsy press of lips against skin. Desperate. As if that would keep Weiss here-

"I really like you."

-with her.

Her hands tightened, an arm curling around Weiss' shoulders and the other shifting just under her knees. An exhale, and Blake tried to stand, but her legs trembled - buckled under the added weight and she sunk back to earth. Her hands clenched in Weiss' dress, holding her steady, and Blake choked back a cry of pain. She pressed her cheek to Weiss' head, took a moment to catch her breath and tried again.

No regrets.

"I love you, Weiss."

. . .

Weiss felt a dull throbbing in her chest, and the blood was roaring in her veins, trying to pump to her heart and keep it working. Another whimper slipped past her lips as Blake reassured her she wasn't going to… wasn't going to…

She wasn't going to die.

Not after all of this. Not after the fight she'd just put up. Not after she'd just confessed her feelings to Blake the night before. Not after Blake had just reminded her of how strongly she felt toward the heiress, how strongly Weiss felt toward her.

There was still so much she wanted - needed - to do. She wanted to go places with Blake, go on dates, go to classes. She wanted to study together and read together, eat lunch together and brush her hair for her, curl up at her side at night again and remind Blake that Weiss loved her, too. She wanted to hold her tightly and entirely, listen to her heartbeat and feel whole with Blake beside her. She wanted to kiss her again…

Weiss couldn't keep her eyes open very much, but she focused all of her remaining energy on keeping a grasp on her consciousness; she knew if she let go of it now, it wouldn't be coming back. She had fought a forest-full of Grimm and won; what kind of a huntress would she be if she lost the battle now?

Blake was carrying her now, and Weiss wished she could tell her to stop. She could feel the warm blood from Blake's worst wound seeping into her shoulder as her head rested against her girlfriend. Weiss willed the fabrics of her clothes to stop the bleeding.

She scrambled to grasp the last bits of her aura. There was enough to share. And she did her best to do so, letting the healing energy flow through her veins and follow the path to Blake's injury. Weiss liked to believe it helped, if only just a little bit.

For a few moments, there was silence between them, broken only by Blake's desperate panting as she tried to run. Weiss' breath had grown quiet, her body too weak for gasping.

Until the coughing started.

It came out of nowhere, but Weiss assumed it was due to a particularly hitched breath of air. Coughs raked her body, tearing at her from the inside out, bones aching as she jolted in Blake's arms. She tasted blood again, felt the hot tears as she hid her face in Blake's shoulder and trembled, biting the fabrics to keep her mouth shut, to try and keep the coughs down.

She wasn't going to die.

. . .

The warmth Blake felt as she stumbled through Forever Fall shouldn't have scared her. It felt like life, a mild flicker that gave life to her limbs, no matter how minuscule it was, but in her mind she knew.

Weiss was trying to heal her, and it took every ounce of self control not to scold her for it. It wouldn't have stopped Weiss from trying anyway, so she continued on, pausing only to catch her breath and place a soft kiss to the top of Weiss' head. A silent thanks if nothing else.

The forest was quiet, nothing like the eerie silence when they had first arrived. Now, it was mocking. Her shallow and choppy breaths deafening in the still air, echoed by the sudden coughs erupting from from Weiss' throat.

Blake fumbled, the wound on her side aching, and she crumpled to her knees. Breathing ragged and pulse quickening, she tried not to let the fear get to her, but when she gently coaxed Weiss' face from her shoulder and saw blood collect a the corner of her mouth, Blake felt her heart drop. She stood, shaking, pouring every last ounce of energy into her legs.

"Weiss. Weiss, don't do this to me..."

Her steps wavered, muscles aching, but two could play the stubborn game. She had a chance, and she would tear that apart for all it was worth.

. . .

Blake had stumbled, and Weiss whimpered a muffled apology, knowing it was her fault. Blake could hardly hold herself up, let alone Weiss, too. The heiress was doing all she could to share a measly bit of her aura with Blake, but it wasn't enough. She could still feel the warmth of her girlfriend's blood as it continued to spread from the wound in her side. Blake couldn't afford to lose any more blood…

Weiss wheezed as deeply as she dared, fearing every breath widened the puncture in her lung. Her body rocked back and forth with weak coughs, and hearing Blake's racing heartbeat against her ear only served to make Weiss' increase as well.

Were they… going to make it back?

Blake stood again by some miracle, and Weiss concentrated on channeling her aura once more. They'd been moving for some time now, surely… surely they were almost there…?

They could've been lost for all they knew. The others might not have encountered any Grimm and simply gone back without them. What if no one was looking for them…?

The thoughts terrified Weiss almost as much as Blake's warm blood against her side, almost as much as the blood she felt pooling inside her lungs. Weiss coughed again, needing to get it out, lest she drown from the inside. But she knew it was only a matter of time before she lost the strength to cough anymore.

Blake was trying so hard to get them back and get them treated. Weiss had to wonder what was best for her at this point. She wanted to tell Blake to leave her behind, but the heiress knew what her answer would be; the same answer Weiss would give if their positions were reversed and Blake asked her to go on ahead. If they were going to die despite their words from earlier, Weiss wanted to do so together.

But she didn't want to die. Not like this…

It was all she could do to keep her aura flowing to Blake, and Weiss wished she could do more, wished she could help her. She wanted to tell Blake that she loved her again, but she couldn't manage to find the breath to do so. So Weiss did all she could and apologized again.

"Sorry…"

. . .

"Don't-" A sudden stinging pain, and her breath hitched. She counted to three, exhaled slowly, and started again. "Don't apologize. It's not your fault."

It was hers. If only Blake had been paying attention, if only she hadn't been such a fumbling idiot, then maybe she would have had the strength to get Weiss to safety. Instead, here she was stumbling through Forever Fall without a clue. It felt like she was walking in circles, every step holding the possibility of failure, and she wanted to to scream.

"We're going to be fine." Hollow. God, she hoped Weiss didn't hear. She'd be able to deal with the guilt - the fact that she had failed - as long as they made it back before time ran out.

Somebody should know they were still missing. Somebody. Blake would get them there. She would. She had to.

. . .

Weiss couldn't keep her eyes open anymore, so she let them fall shut. She could feel the trickle of the blood coming back into her lungs and it bubbled, but she couldn't cough anymore.

With her deteriorating state, her senses heightened, and the taste and scent of blood were poignant, made her tongue and sinuses sting. She could feel every throb of her heartbeat through her body, but it was getting slower, and Weiss thought perhaps it wouldn't be so bad to just let it take her…

But then, there was another sound. Past Blake's hammering pulse filling her head, there was something else, more distant but familiar.

Voices? It was just the far-off din of them at the point when the words were still unrecognizable, but it was surely conversation.

Weiss wanted to tell Blake, but she couldn't make enough sense of herself to do so. She hoped Blake could hear it.

We're almost there, Blake. Then you can rest… You need to rest…

Weiss couldn't share her aura anymore. There was nothing left to spare. The flow of it stopped moving toward Blake's wound, and Weiss felt the blood creeping back out slowly.

She hoped she wasn't imagining those voices.

. . .

Her ears twitched, flicking beneath the disheveled bow, and she could have sworn she heard something. She didn't want to get her hopes up, didn't have the heart to look past the illusions her mind had obviously created, but she did anyways.

It felt so good to stop, the haze of her mind conjuring dull splashes of color rushing towards them - greens and purples - and for a moment she entertained the thought that they had been found. Those sounds had to be voices, but they were muffled and undecipherable in her stupor, and they sifted through her ears like grains of sand.

Blake swayed lightly on her feet, clutching Weiss tight to her chest, the noises finally dissolving into a mindless static that bled away into nothing.

Just silence.

And then the world went dark.

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A/N: Re-reading and editing this years late I'm still so blown away by my partner's writing of Blake. I found myself sighing and squealing several times. It was a treat for me, and I hope for you as well.