Keyboards (ch8)

FOR ALL MY PATRONS!! THANK YOU!

This chapter will be a bit of a change of pace now. A little less stress and drama, and a little more domestic fluff as they deserve.

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.

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														Chapter 8.

When Weiss next woke, she was confused as to what had happened for a moment. She found herself lying on top of Blake, but their legs were dangling slightly off the side of the bed; they'd laid down on it horizontally, and hadn't actually meant to fall asleep.

The room that had been bright with daylight before was now shrouded in dim lighting, suggesting it was evening time. Weiss jolted when she realized how long she'd been here at Blake's house.

Blake was still asleep beneath her, and Weiss nudged her gently.

"Blake…?" she whispered. "Blake, wake up! W-We fell asleep! Your parents might be home soon a-and I don't think they'd be okay with finding us like this if they were to come in!"

Weiss pushed herself up off the dark-haired girl and rolled onto the bed. She sat up and quickly started to adjust her sweater and hair, fretting about her appearance and what Blake's parents might think if they saw her looking like this.

. . .

Blake was a slightly annoyed at being woken up at first, grumbling under her breath as she tried to readjust herself and fall back asleep. It was only when Weiss continued to nudge her and speak that she finally opened her eyes and realized how long they had been asleep.

Sitting up next to Weiss, Blake drowsily grabbed her phone to check the time.

"Don't worry, Weiss. First of all, my parents are pretty cool, so they wouldn't freak out," Blake started, leaning over and wrapping her arms around Weiss. "And second of all, it's only 6:30. They left me a note saying they won't be home till at least 9:00." She dared to leave a small kiss on Weiss' cheek.

Standing up, she stretched herself out, working the sleep out of her joints before looking back to her.

"It's starting to get a bit late though, would you like some dinner?"

. . .

Weiss' panic was short-lived as Blake quelled her nerves. The hug helped a lot, and Weiss sighed in relief as she returned the contact, nuzzling her face into the side of Blake's neck, inhaling her scent like plums.

"Really? They won't mind? That's good… The last thing I'd want would be for you to get into trouble because of me."

The mention of food reminded Weiss how hungry she was. Aside from the tea Blake had made her previously, Weiss hadn't eaten since yesterday morning, and even then it hadn't been that much. She nodded slowly as she moved back a bit, pulling the blanket over her shoulders tighter to replace Blake's missing warmth.

"I'd love some dinner. I-I can help you, though! I don't want to make you do everything."

. . .

Blake hummed happily when Weiss nuzzled into the side of her neck, content to stay there if it wasn't for the rumbling in her stomach.

"I mean they would probably be a bit surprised to find me here with someone they don't know, but I doubt they would be angry. They trust me. And if you want to help with dinner you can, but you don't have to feel obligated. You're my guest after all, so I'm happy to cook for you." Reaching her hand out, she helped Weiss up from the bed. "Let's go downstairs and we'll see what's in the kitchen."

They started walking out of Blake's room and down the stairs. Blake made sure to keep her hand intertwined with Weiss'.

"Is there anything you like? Or don't like?"

As they entered the kitchen, Fang was sitting on the counter watching them enter.

. . .

Weiss smiled when Blake took her hand again, helping her to her feet. They headed down the stairs together, and Weiss kept the blanket over her shoulders, both because she'd gotten used to its weight and warmth by now, and because it had Blake's scent on it.

When they reached the kitchen, Weiss pondered for a moment. Her father had never cooked, so Weiss typically made her meals herself. More often than not, her supper consisted of a light salad and a slice of bread with butter, simply because it was easy to prepare.

But now, with more options available to her and with Blake happily offering, Weiss was feeling a little daring. She was tired of lettuce.

"Perhaps… do you have any pasta?"

Her father had told her once before how sickly and thin she was, but that wasn't why she'd made such a request. Weiss had seen many images of spaghetti and raviolis on her blog before, and she'd always been dying to find out what they tasted like. Now was as good a chance as any, and perhaps her only chance.

. . .

Blake waited patiently for Weiss' answer, easily able to tell the girl was weighing the options in her head.

"I can guarantee we have pasta. I always make sure there's because I cook it so much."

Getting to work, she let go of Weiss' hand and started pulling out the things she would need to cook dinner. She pulled out a pot from one of the lower cabinets.

"Could you start running the hot water in the sink? It speeds up the cooking if the water is already hot before you start boiling it." As she grabbed the pasta out of a cabinet she had a sudden idea about what to make for dinner. "Hey, would you like some chicken with the pasta? It's a little spicy. but I can tone it down if you don't like spicy."

. . .

At Blake's request, Weiss instantly went to the sink and turned on the left nozzle to get the water running. She ran a hand beneath the flow of water for a few seconds before it started to turn hot. Weiss withdrew her fingers and wiped them dry on a small towel hanging on one of the cabinet's handles.

"Chicken?" she parroted. "With pasta? I've never considered that before, but it sounds amazing! And a bit of spicy is just fine." She'd never had much experience with spicy things, but if it was Blake's specialty, she was more than willing to try.

Weiss stood to the side as Blake worked, helping her out with whatever small tasks she was asked to handle. She watched in awe as Blake went about preparing the food, and it wasn't long before a wonderful scent reached Weiss' lungs. She couldn't stop herself from stepping up to wrap her arms loosely around Blake from behind.

This morning, Weiss' world had been cold and shattered. But now it was warm and full of love, full of so many things she never thought possible, and the pieces were slowly falling into place.

Weiss kissed Blake's cheek briefly before releasing her.

"Need help with anything else?"

. . .

Blake's smile got a little bigger when Weiss wanted to try the chicken; she was always happy to cook for new people.

"All right, then can you grab the big pan for me?"

They started making preparations together after that, gathering seasonings and toppings and everything else they'd need. They worked together, Blake asking Weiss to take care of small tasks while she made sure the chicken didn't burn or the pasta got stuck to the sides of the pot.

When there was only a few moments left for the food to cook Blake felt slender arms wrap around her waist as Weiss leaned against her.

"If you want to set the table I'll take care of everything else." Blake kissed her before indicating where the silverware was.

Grabbing a plate, Blake took the chicken off of the stove and placed it onto the plate, putting it aside for now. Next she drained the pasta, moving it to a serving bowl and grabbed the pan the chicken had cooked in. Carefully she poured the runoff into the pasta, and mixed it together thoroughly. Cutting up the chicken, she mixed it in with the pasta and brought it over to the table where Weiss was waiting.

"Dinner is served," she said happily, leaning over to kiss Weiss again before taking her seat.

. . .

Weiss was amazed at how skilled and efficient Blake was with the food. She sat down and eagerly awaited the results of their joint labor. When the food was placed in front of her, Weiss couldn't help but smile.

"Thank you!" she beamed. "It feels like I'm at a fancy restaurant, and I'm sure the food tastes just as exquisite."

She laid her napkin out over her lap and picked up her fork, twirling the pasta a bit to expel some of the heat. She sprinkled a bit of cheese on top of everything before observing how Blake started eating. Weiss mimicked her, getting a bit of pasta and some chicken onto her fork before dipping it into the sauce. After blowing on it a bit, she took her first bite.

"Mm..." she hummed instantly. Weiss chewed slowly to savor the taste - just perfectly spicy for her pallet. Once she'd swallowed, her eyes went to Blake's and she smiled once more. "It's scrumptious! You should go to culinary school, Blake!"

. . .

Blake blushed heavily at Weiss' compliment, both of them picking up their forks to start eating. Blake added some cheese to her serving before mixing it together and starting to eat.

She could see that Weiss' face had lit up after having a few bites. Blake felt giddy inside since it was something she had prepared.

"Well... I don't know if it's that good," Blake stammered, feeling her face flush again. "It's just something I made through experimentation. My parents aren't home a lot to cook dinner so I usually end up making my own, and I like to try new things." She fell silent after a moment. Taking another bite of her pasta, she looked back at Weiss tentatively. "I'm glad you like it though. I always liked watching other people try my cooking."

. . .

Weiss wore a smile as Blake spoke, her face blushing slightly pink. Weiss took a bit of chicken from her plate and fed it to the cat purring and brushing against her legs.

"I can't remember the last time I went out to eat… But I can say for certain that whatever I had at the time wasn't half as good as this," she declared, taking another bite. "There's just something about it being homemade, you know? Everything tastes fresher, and it's even better when you know the person who cooked it put a bit of love into it as well."

She stopped suddenly, feeling a bit awkward from speaking so much. She felt her own blush coming on and looked down at her plate, embarrassed. "Sorry I'm rambling quite a bit. I don't… think I've ever spoken this much at once in all my life," she admitted. "I guess… it just goes to show how comfortable I am around you."

. . .

Blake noted the pink coloring come to Weiss' pale cheeks briefly before she bent down to feed Fang some of the chicken.

"No it's all right," Blake assured her. "You aren't rambling. I'm happy you're comfortable around me. I'm comfortable around you too…I… I really like you Weiss."

. . .

"Yes…" Weiss smiled softly. "I really like you, too. I guess that would explain before…" She trailed off, her mind bringing her back to several hours prior, of the kisses they'd shared on the bed. Weiss realized her blush had deepened, and she quickly shook her head and continued eating.

The rest of the meal passed by in silence, save for a few more compliments from Weiss. By the end of it, she had nearly cleaned her plate, which was a bit of a surprise for her. "Wow… Normally, I can't eat so much, but this… this was just so good. The best meal I've ever had, I'm sure. Thank you, Blake."

Slowly, she stood and brought her plate over to the sink and turned on the water to start cleaning it off. Weiss picked off the last few shreds of chicken and fed them to Fang before looking up to Blake. "Let me wash your plate for you at the very least."

. . .

"You don't have to, but thank you." Blake handed Weiss her plate as the smaller girl started toward the sink to clean the dishes. Blake smiled warmly as she watched her, heart still soaring in delight that she'd done well making her first ever dinner for her first ever date.

Blake checked the time to see only an hour at passed, and there was still plenty of time before her parents returned home. Stepping behind Weiss, Blake wrapped her arms the white-haired girl's waist, resting her head on top of Weiss' shoulder.

"You know... I'm really glad you decided to come over."

. . .

Weiss finished washing the dishes and turned off the water, putting the plates and utensils aside on the counter. She dried her hands on a small towel before holding onto Blake's hands where they rested, right over her stomach.

"I'm glad I came over, too," she murmured, closing her eyes as she leaned back against Blake's chest. "I'm glad you came all the way to my house this morning. I'm glad you sent me all of those messages online. I'm glad you found me that one day in the bathroom at school. I'm so thankful for everything you've done for me, Blake."

She reopened her eyes and looked down, slowly rolling up the sleeves of her sweater to reveal the bandages on her right forearm. There was a faint bit of redness seeping into them, but she imagined the blood had dried. She shivered, squeezing Blake's arms tighter around her waist to keep herself secure and standing.

Then, Weiss lifted Blake's hands up a little, holding them to the center of her chest. She kissed Blake's knuckles and then the backs of her hands, over the warm skin before holding the girl's palms over her racing heart for a long moment.

"Can you feel it, Blake?" she murmured. "My heart is only beating right now… because of you. It's yours and yours alone."

. . .

Blake closed her eyes, content to stand there as Weiss covered Blake's hands with her own. She could feel the smaller girl lean back against her, could feel her murmured words vibrate through Weiss' body. With everything Weiss said Blake smiled, every one of the memories replaying through her head.

She felt Weiss shake a little bit before squeezing Blake's hands tighter against her waist. Blake let Weiss move her arms, until they'd settled a the center of Weiss' chest.

Blake could faintly feel the beat of Weiss' heart through the clothing. Blake nuzzled into the side of her neck and sighed.

"I feel it, Weiss. I'm happy I can feel it, because it means you're here with me right now." Blake turned Weiss around in her embrace before holding the girl closer. "I swear that I'll do my best make sure you're safe and happy."

Leaning down she kissed Weiss again, more tenderly and fully than before.

. . .

She made a small, content sound as Blake turned her around again, and Weiss pressed close. Closing her eyes, she sighed, pressing her ear to Blake's collar, hearing the air pass through her lungs. When she focused, she could hear the steady beat of her heart as well, slow and full.

It was beautiful. And it was all hers.

"I'm so… so glad to be alive…" she mumbled. "Until today… I didn't have much of a reason, aside from talking to you. You're my reason to live now, Blake. I need you…"

She didn't want to think about tomorrow, about having to go back home, back to the house that had very nearly killed her. She wanted to stay here…

And she could, for a while longer. Judging by the small clock on the wall behind Blake, Weiss assumed there were still a few hours left they had to be alone until the other girl's parents came home.

"I think I should at least meet your parents," she murmured. "But what can we do until then?"

. . .

Blake hummed to herself, petting her hands gently through the long white hair, loving the sensation of the soft silken strands.

"Well, they won't be home for a few hours, but when they get here I'll introduce you. Until then we can... go back up to my room, o-or we can go into the living room and watch a movie. If you'd like..."

She wasn't sure what to do next. She'd never done this before, after all.

. . .

Weiss perked up instantly at the options, particularly the latter one.

"Oh! A movie sounds wonderful! I haven't watched one in so long!" She squeezed Blake one last time before stepping back, smiling softly, now keeping hold of the girl's hands. "I haven't watched a movie in years. And I haven't watched one with someone else in even longer."

She started walking toward the living room, shrugging her shoulders a bit to keep the borrowed blanket in place on her back as she led Blake toward the couch.

"What kind of movies do you have? I'm fine with anything… except maybe horror or gore."

She'd seen enough blood today.

. . .

"Then let's go watch a movie," Blake agreed. She held Weiss' hand and started pulling her towards the living room. "Oh, I have a really good Sci-Fi movie we can watch," she said as Weiss sat down on the couch.

Blake left her there for the moment and opened the cabinet beneath the TV. She pulled out the DVD and putting it in the DVD player. She then turned the lights off so the TV was the only source of light in the room. With everything done, she sat next to Weiss.

"This is one of my favorites. It's about a war between witches and fairies. It's based off one of my favorite book series."

. . .

"Oh, that sounds interesting. I don't think I've heard of a movie like that. I don't get to see very many, so I know I miss the majority of them." She made room for Blake to sit down beside her, and Weiss cuddled up into her side as the movie began to play.

Within just the first few minutes of watching, Weiss was captivated by the plot and storyline.

"I've certainly never heard of this before. It's really good so far…" Her voice trailed off due to her investment in the film, and she leaned her head on Blake's shoulder, holding the other girl's arm to her chest lightly to seek her warmth.

. . .

Blake hardly paid any attention to the movie once she realized Weiss was huddled up next to her, hugging her arm and keeping her warm.

Her mind couldn't focus on anything that was happening because she just kept looking down at Weiss, admiring the way her eyes would shine and sparkle with interest.

It was then she remembered an upcoming scene of war that was a little graphic. Blake felt a pang of worry in her chest and quickly nudged Weiss.

"Hey, Weiss? The movie gets a little violent later. Is that all right, or should I put on something else?"

She felt a little guilty already for not having thought it through properly. The last thing she wanted was to shock Weiss with something she wasn't comfortable seeing. Blake had never had to consider someone else's feelings like this before, and it scared her a little bit.

. . .

Weiss really was getting invested in the film, more so than she ever thought she would. She paid attention to the characters and even silently predicted a few things that were going to happen and was content to discover she'd been correct.

So the mention of violence made her heart sink a little.

"Well… You seem to really like this movie, and I'm getting a bit into it as well," she murmured. "It'd be a shame to have to stop it now. So… i-it's okay. Just… maybe when those parts happen, warn me beforehand?" she requested.

She shifted closer to Blake, prepared to tuck her face into the other girl's shirt if need be.

. . .

Rather than scared now, Blake was a little mad at herself for forgetting about the violence in the movie, especially after the day Weiss had gone through. She could see the new information upset Weiss, but knew she was trying to tough it out for Blake's own enjoyment.

"I'm sorry. I should've thought this through better." She pulled Weiss closer and placed a soft kiss on her head. "I'll fast-forward and warn you."

When things got a bit messy, Blake warned her beforehand as promised and fast-forwarded a bit, and explained what was happening instead.

It was toward the end of the movie when Blake realized Weiss' grip on her stomach had slackened, and by the time the credits were rolling Weiss had fallen asleep. Blake hugged her close and didn't let go for a long time.

"You had a long day..."

She kissed Weiss' cheek, then pulled her phone out she checked the time. Her parents would be home in about an hour.

But she could let Weiss sleep a little longer.

. . .

It felt so easy to fall asleep like this. Years of stress and borderline mental and emotional abuse had made sleep an uncommon thing for Weiss, and even more rare was to find a deep, comfortable slumber. Before in Blake's room, she'd almost achieved that, and now she was fairly close, too.

But she didn't reach it. Not just yet.

When she woke a while later, she was drowsy, rested but still tired. She was curled up in Blake's lap, clinging loosely to her stomach. Weiss made a small, tired sound, but was far too warm and cozy to sit up right away, the blanket draped over her shoulders and side. She peeked up past her bangs to seek Blake's eyes.

"Mm… Blake…" she mumbled. "A-Are your parents home? Should I get up?"

. . .

Blake contented herself by reading an article on her phone for a while. As she did so, she ran her hand up and down Weiss' back slowly.

About a half hour before her parents would get home, Blake felt Weiss start to stir, moving enough to look up at Blake through her hair. Blake smiled down at her.

"No, they aren't home. They will be in about thirty minutes if you want to get up now. Whatever you're comfortable with."

. . .

"Ah, maybe I should…" She could imagine she looked pretty disheveled right about now, especially after the long day she'd endured.

But it was hard to move when she was so comfortable like this. So she remained that way for a moment longer, burying her face into Blake's stomach and tightening her hug. She was tired, but she wanted to be awake and attentive for when she met Blake's parents.

Therefore, she forced herself up into a sitting position and rubbed her eyes, stretching her arms a little bit.

"Blake? Would it… be all right if I showered here? I don't mean to impose more than I already have, but… I feel so…"

filthy…

She couldn't say it out loud, but a guilty glance to her hidden wrist was enough to convey her meaning.

. . .

Blake's eyes flashed with emotion as she noticed Weiss glance at her bandaged arms. She gently bumped her head against Weiss'.

"That's fine with me. Let me show you where the bathroom is and grab you a towel."

Blake stood and stretched, holding her hand out for Weiss and helping the sleepy girl stand she led her upstairs. Going down the hall in the opposite direction as Blake's room took them to the bathroom. Blake let go of Weiss' hand so the other girl could go in while Blake grabbed a towel from the cabinet.

"Right knob is cold and the left knob is hot. There's shampoo, conditioner, and body wash in there, and here's a towel. Take your time."

. . .

"Thank you, Blake." Weiss nodded a little as she committed the information to memory. She accepted the towel just before Blake left the room and closed the door behind her.

Weiss stood there for a moment in silence, inhaling a few times as she got her bearings back. The long day was catching up to her, and she was looking forward to greeting Blake's parents and then simply going to bed.

She made quick work of removing her clothes, though she kept her arm bandaged and started running the water. She shampooed her hair and rinsed it out before conditioning it, all the while rubbing body soap all over her skin, particularly her arms. It was the best way to scrub off the awful, clammy feeling that had clung to her for so long in her life of stress.

When she finished, she slipped back into her clothes and padded her hair dry as best she could before exiting the bathroom and making her way back toward the living room.

. . .

Not knowing how long Weiss would take with her shower, Blake decided to go back down stairs. Turning the light on in the living room, Blake straightened up the couch a little bit before turning the movie off and just putting some television show on. She pulled out her phone and divided her attention between that and the TV as she waited for Weiss.

. . .

She padded down the stairs and walked quietly back into the living room, finding Blake sitting there in the lamplight. It was already dark outside, and the soft glow of the lights indoors were making Weiss drowsier than ever.

Slowly, she walked over to the couch and sat beside Blake. "Thank you for letting me use the shower. It was really nice." She padded the towel through her hair once more before draping it around her shoulders. Weiss leaned sideways, slumping into Blake's side as she hugged the other girl's arm.

"I'm so lucky," she said again. "So lucky that you found me when you did." She looked up and moved a little closer so she may kiss Blake's cheek, then squeezed her tightly.

. . .

Blake could hear Weiss walking behind her, but didn't fully notice the girl till she sat down on the couch next to her.

"It's no problem. I'm glad you enjoyed it." Blake put her phone down so she could give Weiss her full attention. Weiss' arms wrapped around her own as the white-haired girl rested her head on Blake's shoulder.

"We're both lucky. I'm lucky that I found you when I did, and at all. I don't know what I would've done if you had…" Blake stopped herself before she finished her thought. "I'm just happy to have you here right now, Weiss." She finished before closing the gap and kissing Weiss again.

. . .

She listened quietly, solemnly, bowing her head at Blake's words. "Yeah. I know what you mean. I could've been… gone today. By now, my father and sister would have-" She didn't want to think about it. She shook her head and squeezed Blake again. "You saved us all, Blake."

The kiss to her lips said so much, telling Weiss how much she was cared for and loved. She kissed back tenderly, her hands cupping Blake's cheeks. Her pulse was fluttering beneath the bandages, and it was only because of Blake.

If she had her way, they never would have parted from that kiss, but sounds from outside caused Weiss to tense up and go stiff before pulling away. "I think your parents are home. H-How do I look? B-Blake what should I do? What should I tell them?" she fretted.

. . .

Blake smiled into the kiss as Weiss kissed her back, slender hands reaching up to cup her cheeks. Blake's arms wrapped around Weiss, pulling the other girl closer to her as they continued their embrace. She could feel Weiss' heartbeat again.

To her disappointment though, the sound outside made Weiss tense up and pull away. Checking her phone, Blake saw that it was 9:45, meaning it was definitely her parents getting home from work.

It was clear Weiss was visibly worried at the prospect of meeting Blake's them.

"Calm down, Weiss. It'll be fine. And you look great." Blake kissed her again for reassurance as the sounds of footsteps came up the sidewalk. "Just be yourself, and they'll love you. I know it worked on me."

Blake dipped down to kiss her one last time before she heard keys at the front door.

. . .

Weiss enjoyed the kiss, then stood up and straightened her posture, clinging onto Blake's arm for a second before realizing that might not've been the best thing to do. She didn't want Blake's parents walking into their house to find a random girl they'd never seen before holding onto their daughter as though they were dating.

But… aren't we? B-But we aren't! Weiss fretted. I don't know what we are!

She didn't have enough time to think before the doors opened, and a couple walked in through the door. Blake's mother was only about as tall as Blake herself was, with short hair and a mature fashion sense. Her father was probably twice her size, and twice as broad.

"Blake, dear!" her mother sang. "We're home! Did you have dinner?"

Their eyes went to Blake, but their smiles faded a bit as they looked to Weiss, puzzled. Her father quirked an eyebrow.

"Who's your friend?" he asked in a deep, gruff voice.

Weiss threw herself forward into a formal bow, her wet hair flying over her shoulder.

"G-Good evening!" she gasped. "I-I know we've never met before, but I'm a friend of Blake's and she invited me to stay the night and I know I should have at least met you first! I'm sorry if this is incredibly rude of me, but I decided to take Blake up on her offer and stay the night! Blake really helped me out a lot today and I just-"

She cut off, realizing she was babbling and that Blake's parents were only giving her even more confused looks. She looked to Blake for help.

. . .

Blake could see Weiss was struggling as she stopped speaking and looked up at her worriedly. Stepping forward, Blake tapped Weiss' back, silently telling the girl to stop bowing.

"Mom, Dad, this is Weiss. She's spending the night. I hope that's all right with you. I know I should have told you first, but it was sort of a last-minute thing."

Blake realized that she hadn't taken her hand away from Weiss' back. She carefully pulled it back to her side so it wouldn't seem too intimate of an action.

. . .

She felt the light pat on her back and slowly straightened up again, standing stiffly beside Blake as she looked nervously to the girl's parents. But she soon realized there was nothing to be worried about. The man and woman were smiling and nodding to the two girls.

"That's fine," Blake's father said. "I'm glad you have a friend you can invite over, Blake. You deserve to take a break and have some fun every now and again." He reached his hand out. "The name's Ghira. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Weiss hastily accepted it and then did the same for Blake's mother, who was a little more enthusiastic.

"And I'm Kali. If you ever need anything at all dear, just give us a ring!"

"Th-Thank you," she said politely. "It's nice to meet you both. Blake has taken such good care of me. Thank you for letting me stay."

She was now significantly less worried about all of this. Her small smile was genuine now, though as soon as her hand was free again, she stood back behind Blake, still a bit nervous.

. . .

Blake breathed a little sigh of relief when her parents were fine with Weiss sleeping over, and she could tell the white-haired girl felt the same.

She thought it was really cute how nervous Weiss was. But she thought it was even cuter when Weiss stepped back to hide behind her.

"We were actually getting ready to go upstairs. both of us are pretty tired," Blake informed her parents. They had already started to settle back into their routine, nodding in acknowledgment as they went to the kitchen together.

"Of course," her mother said. "Let us know if you need anything!"

"Sure thing, Mom. Come on, Weiss let's go upstairs." Blake took Weiss' hand in hers and started to lead her back upstairs.

. . .

She was relieved to say the very least when Blake offered to take her back upstairs. Weiss nodded and followed Blake up the stairs and to her room, going a little slowly now due to her sheer fatigue.

They reached Blake's room for the second time that evening, and closed the door behind them. Weiss let out a small yawn, keeping hold of the other girl's hand. "I'm… so tired. But my hair's still wet. I don't want to sleep with it like this," she said.

She took the towel from her shoulders and ruffled it through her hair, but only served to make it more frazzled and unkempt. Sheepishly, she glanced up at Blake. "Would you mind helping me with this a bit?" she requested, sitting down on Blake's bed.

. . .

Blake closed the door behind them. By the time they got to the bed, Weiss was already yawning a little. Blake smiled as Weiss tried to dry her damp hair and only succeeded in making her it unkempt.

"Sure, let me grab my brush." Blake walked over to her desk and picked up the hairbrush there. Sitting down behind her friend, Blake pulled her close. "All right hand me the towel. I've got this, so you just relax."

. . .

Weiss drew her legs up onto the bed and curled them beneath her. Her posture was a little stiff as she waited for Blake to get situated with everything. Her heart was starting to thump again for some reason, and Weiss made sure not to turn look at Blake for fear of getting even more flustered.

She didn't know why she was reacting this way - they'd already kissed, she reminded herself. But for whatever reason she was still tense.

When Blake sat down behind her, Weiss handed her the towel and released another yawn. "Thank you for doing this," she murmured softly.

. . .

Blake waited until she had the towel, setting it down on her lap. She could see that Weiss had stiffened up a little bit. When Blake placed her hand on her back, she could faintly feel Weiss' heart drumming quickly. Blake patted her shoulder softly.

"Hey, you can relax. I'm just brushing your hair. And besides I've... kind of already kissed you." Blake blushed at her own comment.

She brought the brush up and starting to run it through Weiss' long white hair. Even though she had just showered, Weiss' hair had very few tangles, and the brush moved through it easily. She held the towel gently against Weiss' hair and started padding it down before removing it and resuming her brushing technique.

"Your hair is so smooth, Weiss. It's really pretty." Blake gently rubbed Weiss' back with her free hand as she continued, hoping to help put her at ease.

. . .

Blake's hand pressed to her back, and Weiss made a small, nervous sound. But Blake reminded her of what she already knew - the fact that they'd kissed and already established a more-than-friends relationship.

As soon as she felt the hair brush gently pulling through her tresses, Weiss sighed, relaxing a bit. It felt heavenly, to have Blake's hands warmly running down her back and through her hair, and the needles of the brush tickling lightly against her shoulders. With a sigh, her posture gradually began to slump, her eyelids fluttering closed.

As the moments went on, content little sounds kept slipping past her lips. She could feel her hair losing its dampness, and before very much longer, it was almost entirely dry. Blake had taken care of the few knots and also padded it dry for her, but her shirt was still a bit wet from it. Weiss shivered, slowly leaning back into Blake's chest, resting against her.

"Th-Thank you," she murmured, feeling her heartbeat begin to slow. "I really appreciate it, Blake."

. . .

Blake continued to rub Weiss' back, having finished brushing the girl's hair by this point. Weiss had started to make little noises of contentment once she was comfortable, sounds that made Blake blush.

She's so cute...

Weiss leaned back against her chest, resting her head against Blake's collar. Blake could feel her breathing calming down along with her pulse.

"You're welcome. I'm glad you enjoyed it." Blake set the brush and towel aside. She wrapped her arms around Weiss' waist, nuzzling her face into the other girl's drying hair. Leaning back, she pulled Weiss on top of her.

"Don't worry, Weiss. My parents rarely come into my room. They'll most likely stay away tonight since I have a friend over."

. . .

She felt herself being pulled slowly back, Blake's arms secure around her stomach to keep her in place. The dark-haired girl laid on her back softly, and with care, Weiss turned herself over so they were face-to-face, their stomachs pressed together.

Her eyes went to the door a few times until Blake reassured her. Releasing a sigh, Weiss relaxed fully against her.

"Okay… that's good, then." She could definitely rest a bit more easily now in knowing they wouldn't be disturbed.

Looking down now, her hair slipped over her shoulders, and she met Blake's eyes.

Weiss didn't even think when she leaned down to gently kiss the girl's cheek, then nuzzled softly into the side of her neck to hide her blush. She hugged Blake's sides, taking in a deep breath before letting it out, feeling Blake breathe in time with her. She wanted to speak and be quiet at the same time, but had to settle for the latter.

. . .

Blake could feel Weiss relax on top of her. Delicate arms wrapped around Blake's sides, squeezing her into a gentle hug.

She could feel Weiss breathing on top of her, until she was breathing in time with Blake.

They remained quiet like that for several minutes, neither one speaking as they held each other. When Blake did finally break the silence, it was to lighten the mood a bit further.

"So Weiss... do I make a comfortable bed?"

. . .

She could feel herself slipping off into slumber, her mind finally tiptoeing out of reality and into a world of dreams. It would've been an easy feat to do as much, considering how warm, soft, and calming everything was now, Blake's familiar scent filling her lungs to capacity.

But the playful voice had Weiss blinking her eyes back open quickly.

"Mm… Sorry…" she mumbled. "You're very comfortable, Blake. But I can get off…" Slowly, she slipped off of Blake's chest, instead curling up into her side. Weiss pulled the blankets up over the two of them, encompassing them in even more warmth.

"This is nice, too…" she mumbled, her eyelids falling shut again. "Anything's nice if you're there with me..."

. . .

Blake could tell that Weiss was more than ready to fall asleep now. Blake shifted with her to get situated beneath the covers, making sure to pull more of them up over Weiss, who she knew now was prone to the cold.

"I'm glad you're comfortable, Weiss. I'm glad you're here with me."

She rolled onto her side to face Weiss, wrapping her arms around the girl and pulling her closer yet again.

When Blake finally fell asleep next to Weiss she couldn't remember a single time she'd been happier when going to bed.

And she knew it was the same for Weiss.

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A/N: While editing this I realized that at the time we wrote it, we didn't even know Kali and Ghira's names or personalities, so I had to add that information in. Gosh, this is old..