Bread And Citrus (ch7)

How lucky that this Freezerburn fic happened to be on my schedule during the new volume. And oh golly, that Freezerburn in episode 5 was so good.

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.

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							Chapter 7.

It was a restless sleep for the both of them that night, and the next morning was weighted with nervous anticipation.

Yang, who usually slept in until about 10AM, woke at 8 due to the excitement she was swamped by, even when unconscious.

She knew Weiss was already awake at that time and most likely already at the bakery. Yang didn't want to have to wait until after kickboxing lessons to see her today; after missing Weiss yesterday, Yang wanted to see her as soon as possible now.

When she checked her cell phone, there was already a "good morning" message from Weiss, which was always a wonderful thing to wake up to.

Yang would usually reply to her when she woke around 10, but this morning, she didn't reply right away. She didn't want Weiss to know she would be stopping by early today, so a lack of a responding text message would make the girl assume Yang was still asleep.

She didn't even bother slipping into a dress this time – such preparation would take too long.

So she moved quietly about the room as Ruby slept, gathering a normal, bright blouse and pair of shorts. She carried them to the bathroom to change, surprised her parents by being up so early, ate a quick breakfast, brushed her teeth, then returned to her room.

She packed her clean workout clothes into the usual bag along with a granola bar and a bottle of water.

At last, she stepped onto the edge of her bed to peer up into Ruby's. Her little sister was still sleeping, a soft, lazy snore slipping past her lips. Yang reached out to pat her shoulder gently.

"Ruby? I'm heading out early. I gotta go... see Weiss."

She was thankful that Ruby was still half-asleep, or else she would've asked Yang a million questions on the spot. But Ruby could only manage to groggily lift her head and blink her eyes drearily.

"Mm what? Weiss? Hold on, I can come too-"

"No ya don't," Yang stopped her. "Go back to sleep. I'll tell you everything later, okay?"

Before Ruby could protest or start to ask any more questions, Yang leaned forward and kissed her forehead to pacify her. Ruby exchanged whatever she'd been about to say for a yawn, and instead flopped back down onto her pillow and closed her eyes.

Yang smiled as she hopped off the side of the beds. Zwei had waddled into the room, and she scooped the dog up and placed him on Ruby's bed for her to cuddle with.

Once ready, Yang headed downstairs and out into the warm summer day.

It was hard not to follow her usual path like clockwork and head towards town in her usual direction. Instead, she went the way Blake and Ruby would soon take a few hours from now.

Despite how early it was for her, Yang walked at a brisk pace, alert and attentive as she made for the bakery.

Since it was a Saturday, the streets and sidewalks were a bit less congested than usual, and she hoped it would be the same case with the bakery.

She passed the flower shop where she'd purchased the single stem yesterday, and once she caught the old woman's eye, Yang paused for a chat. The woman had a knowing glint in her eye as she addressed the teen.

"How did it go?" she wondered. "Giving that daisy to your sweetheart?"

"Wh-What?" Yang blurted. "She's not my- I-I mean not yet- or maybe not ever, but-"

"Alright, alright, enough babble," the old woman said. "You go do what you have to do, dearie."

The words of encouragement boosted Yang's confidence a bit, and she dipped her head to the woman before continuing on her way.

The same pleasant scent of bread reached her nose before long, and Yang could see that a crowd had gathered up ahead at the bakery. She paused at the next building over, clutching the strap of her bag as she waited.

She didn't want to enter the shop when it was so busy, lest her presence distract Weiss from her work.

Besides, she didn't want her intended chat with Weiss to be interrupted by patrons, either.

So she waited for a good ten minutes or so for the people to file out of the shop, one by one.

Her stomach was doing backflips already; she could just faintly make out Weiss' voice calling greetings and farewells to the people.

When the last person left the shop with his bag of bread, Yang waited for a moment. She glanced around the streets and sidewalks, trying to determine if there appeared to be any other people bound for the bakery.

Part of her wanted more to show up so she could have more time to prepare herself. But the other part of her feared that waiting longer would only worsen her already-panicked nerves.

Therefore, with no one else in sight of the shop, Yang stepped forward.

Unlike usual, Weiss wasn't sitting down and on her break just yet, but rather she was readily standing behind the counter and prepared to greet the next person who entered.

Who just so happened to be Yang.

The second Weiss recognized her, the usual greeting broke out into a surprised cry of her name.

"Welcome to Schnee's- Yang!" With a gasp that she clearly feared had been a little too loud, Weiss promptly covered her mouth with her palm.

Yang couldn't help but smile a bit; clearly she'd caught the girl off-guard as intended.

"Surprise!" She grinned, sauntering in as if she weren't nervous enough to lose her breakfast right then and there.

"You're so early!" Weiss exclaimed. "I didn't expect you until later-"

"That was the point. I wanted to see you as soon as possible today."

As Yang walked closer to the counter, she noticed something different about Weiss' appearance. Other than the usual pretty white blouse beneath her blue apron, the soft, gleaming white hair, the sparkling blue eyes, and dazzling smile, there was an extra splash of a new color Yang had never seen on her before.

Peeking out over Weiss' right ear was the flower Yang had brought for her yesterday, with the little yellow center.

Upon seeing it, Yang couldn't help but grin goofily.

"So I guess you liked it, huh?" Her eyes flicked to the flower.

Weiss promptly nodded.

"Yes..." She reached up to touch the white petals gently. "I was so upset that I missed you yesterday... Thank you for washing my jacket, and thank you for the flower, Yang. It made me very happy." She paused for a second and took a breath, her smile fading just a little bit. "Is that... what you came here to talk about...?"

By then, Yang had reached the counter, and she stopped on the other side, one foot of polished marble between them now. The elevated flooring behind the counter put Weiss on eye-level with Yang, lavender meeting with mist-blue. Yang's smile also dwindled down, a silent indication as to how seriously she was taking this.

"Yeah," she confirmed. "I wanted to... talk to you... about some stuff... But like I said, I'm not really so good with words, s-so if you could just bear with me for a bit..."

She was already flustered, struggling to think of the right words to say even before she got to the heart of the matter. She needed to stop herself before she ended up babbling too much and making even more of a fool out of herself than she already had.

Weiss could clearly discern the blonde's dilemma, and it sent a pang through her chest just in seeing how difficult this was for Yang.

Perhaps she should've simply stayed quiet and let the other girl speak to the best of her abilities. But Weiss had a few things she wanted to say as well.

"If you don't mind..." she murmured, holding Yang's gaze. "May I speak first? Just for a moment."

She saw the relief in Yang's eyes at the request, relief that this would give her a bit more time to sort out her own thoughts. The blonde girl nodded, leaning forward against the counter a bit.

"Yeah, sure. Go right ahead."

"Thank you."

Weiss began by carefully removing the flower from behind her ear. As she pulled out the stem, a few strands of ivory hair followed after it, and it was all Yang could do to keep her hands from reaching out to tuck them back into place.

Weiss laid the flower down on the counter between the two of them, her fingertips brushing fondly over the delicate white petals.

"Yang," she began. "Do you know what kind of flower this is?"

Yang's eyes went wide at the unexpected question. She quickly dug back in her thoughts from this morning, scrambling to remember what the old woman had called it-

"Uh... a daisy... I think?"

Weiss nodded.

"That's exactly right. And do you know what a daisy symbolizes?"

Again, Yang felt her heart nearly stop.

"I-I um, I don't-" she stammered. "I- ahhh crap. I mean, I know there's a language of flowers and stuff like that, but I'm really sorry! I didn't think at the time to ask the meanings or anything like that. I just bought that one because it had the white petals and it reminded me of your hair, and I thought the yellow in the middle was kinda like mine and-"

"Calm down!" Weiss soothed with a smile. "Don't worry. It certainly doesn't symbolize something bad or anything like that. I know not everyone has the knowledge on the language of flowers like I do. But when I saw this daisy yesterday, I couldn't help but think of the meaning and I... it made me very happy, Yang."

Upon realizing that she hadn't given Weiss a flower that meant something offensive or hurtful, Yang relaxed a little bit. She remembered to exhale; if the flower had made Weiss happy, that was all she needed to know. Although, she was a bit curious now.

"So then... what does it symbolize?" she wondered.

A coy smile pulled at the corners of Weiss' lips as she replied.

"A daisy symbolizes innocence, purity, and loyalty," Weiss murmured. "Three of the most important things in the world, to me personally. It was a very touching gift to receive after a hectic day like yesterday. So thank you again, Yang."

The blonde nodded and did her best to reflect the smile. But internally, she was conflicted.

Those three things... they could easily be attributed to a friendship... but I want our relationship to be more than that...

Her shoulders had unknowingly slumped a bit; she might have ruined her chances due to her own lack of mindfulness.

She didn't know what to say or do next. She liked to believe that friendship was where they were, and if that's where Weiss wanted to remain, Yang didn't want to push or pressure her into anything more than that.

So when she next spoke, Yang's voice was soft, withdrawn.

"I'm glad you like it."

Weiss nodded, though she could tell there was something off with Yang now. She cleared her throat and continued speaking, to the other girl's relief.

"And of course, as you were saying, it does remind me of our hair colors put together."

Yang perked up a little at that, and Weiss was happy to find her eyes again as she went on:

"I was also reminded that... I never told you how pretty you looked last week."

Yang very nearly fell over, and had it not been for the counter already supporting most of her weight, she might have.

"Wh-What? Me? Pretty? Nah, I don't think-"

"Let me finish," Weiss interrupted pointedly. "Last week, I noticed it right away when you came in that you were wearing a dress. I wanted to tell you how pretty you looked, but that was the day I was sick, and I couldn't think to tell you. So even though it's a bit late, I wanted to tell you how pretty you looked that day."

Yang's jaw hung open and she gaped dumbly, like a fish out of water. Her face got increasingly redder by the second.

"I... You- what? I mean you, thought I- Awww man, I should've worn one today!"

Weiss giggled.

"It's quite alright. You look lovely just as you are now," she reassured. "I've also been meaning to ask how your cheek is. It doesn't hurt anymore, I hope?"

"Huh? Oh, that? Nah, it's fine! Ever since you iced it for me and ki-" Yang instantly stopped herself, transforming the last word into a fake sneeze she directed into her elbow. "I, uh. I mean... th-thanks, I mean. For all that."

"I'm glad it's better now," Weiss said. "Now then, one last- oh." She looked up past Yang's shoulder, and when the blonde looked back, she noticed a pair of customers had walked in.

With a knowing glance to Weiss, Yang stepped away from the counter as the white-haired girl got to work again.

It only took a minute to send the people on their way, but it was a full minute in which Yang was painfully aware of every throb of her pulse. She feared she was already sweating, and she almost felt like dashing out of the shop simply to run off the jitters.

It also made her insanely more self-conscious about the fact that anyone could walk in on them at any time.

But as soon as Weiss had sent the people off, she motioned for Yang to come closer once more. Nervously, the blonde took her previous spot at the counter, using it for support, grateful that it was hiding her trembling legs from Weiss' view.

"Sorry about that," Weiss murmured. "Now where was I...?"

For a moment, only the sounds of the radio music filled the air, and Yang swallowed loudly enough to make a sound.

"Right," Weiss said at last. "It was about that thing your sister had said the time she came in with you and your other friend. I believe it was something along the lines of 'my sister likes you.' Even after all that's happened since then, I haven't forgotten what she'd said, and I... I just wanted to know... what she meant."

Weiss was silent after that, and Yang had no idea what to say or how to say it.

She wanted to do a lot of things in that moment.

She wanted to run back home and drag Ruby from her bed and put her in a headlock to give her the noogying of her life.

And she wanted to faint on the spot just after hearing what Weiss had said.

Thankfully, Weiss was patient as she waited for Yang to sort out her thoughts and feelings, and she could only pray no one else would enter the shop right now.

Yang could feel the blush on her own cheeks just as easily as she could see the one on Weiss'. She really was thankful for the counter being right there, or else Yang knew she would've fallen over by now.

She swallowed again and again, chewing her lip and clinging to the counter, unable to tear her gaze away from Weiss' equally-anxious one.

At last, Yang couldn't stay silent any longer, and even if she hadn't planned out her words as much as she might've liked to, she needed to say something.

"Weiss..." she started. "Weiss... god, I uh... how do I..."

She put a hand to her face, the other braced against the marble counter just beside the daisy. She had to look away from Weiss for a moment to collect her thoughts a bit.

It was the feeling of a cool, gentle hand on her own that motivated her to continue. Yang peeked up past her bangs to find Weiss' hand on hers over the flower, supporting her quietly. Yang swallowed and tried again.

"Weiss... What Ruby said back then... she wasn't lying. I... Ever since the first time I c-came in here, I really, really liked you. And it's gonna sound awful, but... at first it was just because of how pretty you are. I couldn't help myself from admiring you. B-But even if it might've started out that way, appearance isn't the only reason I..."

She shook her head, clutching the side of her face as she looked down at the flower. Her vision was blurring and she could already feel the sting of tears coming on. The frustration that came with her inability to convey what she wanted to say was making her more and more upset, and she fought desperately to keep the tears back.

Sensing her dilemma, Weiss reached out with her other hand to touch the one Yang was pressing to her face. Gingerly, she brought both of the other girl's hands down onto the counter, persuading Yang to look up at her once more. Weiss smiled coyly as she covered Yang's bigger hands with her own.

"Yang, it's alright..." she murmured. "Unless you're blind, it's impossible not to notice someone else's appearance first. We're very visual creatures, you know. It's not wrong or bad to be drawn to someone simply by looking at them.

"Actually... I was the same way," she confessed. "Even the first time I saw you, I thought you were... rather stunning. Much prettier than the other people I've seen come in and out of this shop over the years. Your smile was very different from the other girls and boys I've met. And after I started talking to you..."

"Yeah!" Yang nodded vigorously. "I mean, you were super gorgeous from the start, but after I started talking to you, I only liked you more and more! You're a really hard worker and a great student, and you'd even risk your health for your grades. You're serious about doing what you love and I think it's really admirable."

She paused for a moment, amazed at herself for managing the entire sentence without messing it up.

Weiss' blush had darkened a few shades already, and her fingers were trembling lightly over the backs of Yang's hands. The blonde girl pulled her own hands free and covered Weiss' with them now, rubbing softly.

"Heh. Sorry i-if that was too cheesy or somethin'," she mumbled.

"N-Not at all." Weiss shook her head. "I'm just... I'm rather flattered you ever thought about such things. I don't honestly ever really think of myself that way, so... it was nice to hear coming from someone else. Especially you."

Weiss took over the conversation for a moment, giving Yang another rest.

"I really enjoyed the text messages you would send me. It was... the first time I ever had someone my own age worrying about me when I was sick, or just saying good morning or wishing me goodnight every day. I've never had that before, and I was always eager to hear from you. I never got bored of reading your texts, and I don't think I ever will."

It was Yang's turn to blush deeper and bite her lip again. Weiss felt the other girl's hands were shaking too now, and her own were as well.

So she only slipped one of her hands free and placed it over Yang's, and allowed the blonde girl's other hand to remain covering Weiss'.

Now that their hands were perfectly balanced out, and were equally shaking and being supported simultaneously, Weiss went on speaking softly.

"I admire you a lot too, Yang. You're quite charming, and obviously very committed to what you enjoy. You're strong, but also gentle. When I wasn't feeling well, you took care of me without a second thought. You were so kind... and not to mention just yesterday when you gave me this daisy. You always know how to make me feel better, Yang, even if you don't realize it yourself."

Yang released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding in.

"R-Really? I'm... wow, I'm... really glad that's the case. You always make me feel better, too. I didn't know I did the same for you."

Weiss merely nodded, squeezing the hand beneath hers a little tighter.

Likewise, Yang squeezed Weiss' as she went on.

"So... what Ruby meant before... she was right. I... I like you, Weiss. At first, I liked how pretty you were, and then I liked how smart and hardworking you were. I liked how you smile and how you laugh. And I still like all of those things. I just... I like you in a certain... way..."

Weiss' heart was pounding as she met those lavender pools once more. It was all she could do to remember how to breathe so she could ask.

"And... what kind of way would that be...?"

Yang swallowed again, blinking away the haze in her eyes as she focused on Weiss' sky-blue ones.

"It's..." She sighed a quivering breath, leaning away a little bit. But Weiss' hand remained steady on hers and quietly drew her back in.

Yang tried again.

"It's... It's the kinda way where... I wanna a-ask you s-something..."

If she had a dime for all the times she'd beat around the bush within the past five minutes, Yang knew she could've bought a house.

Ever-patient, Weiss nodded and encouraged her to finish.

"What would you like to ask me, then?"

A small, scared noise worked its way up the back of Yang's throat and slipped past her lips to sound like a whimpering animal.

"It's... I-I..."

She didn't want to back out of this. If she did, she knew she'd end up hurting Weiss, and consequently she'd never forgive herself.

She just needed a minute.

Weiss gave it to her, forgetting about work and the rest of the world right now as she gave her full attention to Yang.

"It's alright," she murmured. "You can ask me anything."

Another minute of radio music, then Yang nodded.

"It's... It's the kind of 'like' where I wanna ask you... if... if it'd be alright... to kiss you..."

She couldn't be sure if she'd actually said it, or if this was all just a dream. It all seemed too good to be true, so perhaps she was really still in bed sleeping in as always.

She regretted saying it almost as soon as it had come out of her mouth, because she knew this would make or break her feelings for Weiss forever.

The only reason she didn't run away was because her legs were shaking too much for them to be able to carry her as far as the door.

She'd die if she didn't hear Weiss' answer firsthand, anyway. Whatever Weiss decided, Yang promised to accept it.

The confession had reduced Yang into a stammering mess, but Weiss wasn't much better off. She felt almost dizzy, and the persistent, loud thumping in her chest was the only thing that kept her eyes open.

This was what she'd wanted to hear, and she'd heard it.

Now she knew Yang felt the same way she did.

But Weiss realized Yang didn't know that yet.

Yang didn't know if Weiss felt the same, and she wouldn't until Weiss gave a response.

All she could do was nod, and the smile finally returned.

"Yes..." Weiss whispered. "Yes, Yang."

Her voice was small, but Yang heard it clearly.

She wouldn't have believed it was real if not for the hands clutching hers, the scent of her perfume, the light breath that was caressing her cheek.

When had Weiss leaned in? Yang couldn't remember, although it couldn't have been longer than a minute ago.

Their eyes locked, and just in case Yang hadn't heard Weiss' answer, she could see the consent in her piercing blue eyes now.

Slowly, Weiss let her eyelids fall shut as she did her best to subdue her breathing.

Meanwhile, Yang's was erratic, but she reminded herself that she'd been the one who'd asked, and now that Weiss was telling her it was okay, she'd better go through with it.

It was disbelief that held her back as long as she hesitated, but despite the turmoil in her mind and in her chest, Yang's body moved on its own.

She leaned forward over the counter, until she could feel Weiss' breath on her lips.

She made sure she wouldn't miss, and at last, Yang closed her eyes.

Despite her efforts to aim, she ended up bumping her lips against the side of Weiss' mouth rather than the center. Yang made a small, nervous sound, about to pull away and either run or try again – she wasn't sure.

But before either could happen, Weiss saved her the trouble.

The white-haired girl moved her face to the side, trailing her lips centimeter by centimeter until she found Yang's fully.

For a second, their mouths only hovered against one another's, noses brushing lightly.

Then, they found some unspoken instructions to follow, perhaps instinct, or perhaps luck.

They tilted their faces, hands curling together as fingers squeezed knuckles.

It was a tiny kiss, one that lasted only a second before they pulled apart again. It was experimental, hesitant, as if to confirm this was real.

Their eyes reopened briefly, half-lidded gazes meeting and exchanging similar thoughts.

They wanted more than that.

So they tried again, and it was easier to find the other's lips this time.

They each pressed a little harder, the firmness of their lips working in contrast to the rest of their bodies, which trembled and threatened to give way under the intense emotions that swept over them both in that moment.

It was clear neither had ever kissed before – not like this. They were engulfed in the desire for more, each dragging press of lips leading to another, and then another until there was full contact.

Weiss could feel her heart soaring, and she knew she easily could have neglected her work and stayed like this for the rest of the day.

Yang probably would've liked that too, but there was one major setback to those plans.

It was all a bit too much for Yang too quickly.

The second Weiss felt the girl pulling away, she could tell it wasn't voluntary.

There was little else Weiss could do other than cry out, "Y-Yang, you oaf!" to prevent the blonde from collapsing to the floor, but even that didn't suffice in the end.

And even as Yang felt herself slipping from Weiss' hands, she could do nothing to save herself.

The final thought in her mind was that she'd forever be known as the girl who blacked out due to sheer elation during her first kiss.

But she didn't care, so long as she got to kiss Weiss again when she woke up.

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A/N: And Yang is down for the count. KO-ed by a pretty girl. Nice.

Ch8 preview: Weiss could only stare for a moment with her jaw hanging down as she watched the blonde girl fall to the floor, evidently too overwhelmed by their first kiss to do otherwise.

But it didn't take more than a few seconds for Weiss to push herself into action.