Beneath The Sun

EARLY RELEASE FOR HIGHER-PLEDGING PATRONS! THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Epilogue to an older fic, Beneath The Moon.

I'm so glad Whiterose98 commissioned this from me! I feel this is one of my few fics that I really set up for an epilogue, but never got around to, so I'm thankful this person had me do it! I think we really needed it.

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.

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													Epilogue. Beneath The Sun

Blake was sitting there at Weiss' bedside for a much longer period of time than she'd anticipated.

She waited there all night, anxiously leaning over the edge of the bed, holding Weiss' frail, limp hand in both of hers. The machines kept beeping and flashing, and every few seconds, the mask over Weiss' mouth fogged up to indicate she was still breathing.

Blake was terrified that any of it might stop at any given moment.

The physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion had been pummeling Blake from the inside out, constantly, ever since the moment she'd brought Weiss here and transferred her into the care of the nurses.

Blake knew she'd never truly be at ease until Weiss opened her eyes again and told her what she'd promised to tell her. Until then, she'd continue to sit and watch over her in a silent, emotional vigil.

She didn't care how fatigued she herself was. She needed to keep an eye on Weiss, to make sure her condition didn't decline.

She committed the pace of the heart monitor to memory, so that any time Weiss' pulse became a beat too quick or too slow, she would call for the nurses to check on her.

She watched the mask on Weiss' mouth as it fogged up in time with her chest falling. Just to be safe, she kept her finger over the pulse in Weiss' wrist, making sure it was still flitting beneath her skin.

Blake memorized the way that she breathed, the way that her heart beat. She never let up on her task, nor did she ever tire of it.

The only time she'd been granted a temporary relief from it all was when Ruby and Yang arrived near the beginning. They'd rushed to Blake and thrown their arms around her, begging for answers and sobbing. Blake had hugged them back, grateful for their support and presence. She'd told them all that she could.

And for a time, they'd sat with her at Weiss' bedside. But once Ruby had gotten too emotionally distressed about it all, Yang had taken her to wait in the lobby instead.

That had been about three hours ago, and Blake hadn't seen them since. A nurse told her they had fallen asleep together in the lobby, and Blake requested she let them rest.

Now, she continued her vigil into the quietest, darkest hours of the night, in the time too far after midnight, but too far before dawn.

The nurses and staff encouraged her to rest, ensuring her that they would watch over Weiss diligently. Blake had no doubts that they would.

But she'd made a promise with Weiss. Blake was going to be there when she woke up, and she was going to hear Weiss say those three words back to her.

So Blake refused to leave her side, and she refused to fall asleep.

Oddly enough, she didn't feel tired. She was too worried to feel anything else.

She continued to wait in that chair, as close to Weiss' bed as physically possible, squeezing her hand ever so gently.

Everything was so quiet, save for the consistent beeping of the machines. Hearing those sounds was essential and reassuring.

But it also made Blake more anxious, in a way. She was so scared Weiss' heart might just suddenly stop altogether.

Blake had seen what they'd done to her. She'd seen the gruesome, sickening extent of her injuries. It could be all too likely that her condition might rapidly become unstable without warning.

It was the most terrifying waiting game Blake had ever had to play.

Whenever the silence was too great for her, she talked to Weiss, whispering desperately to her. Presently, she found herself doing it again.

"Please, Weiss..."

Her voice was raspy and cracked from all she'd been through this night. But she wanted Weiss to hear her voice, to know she wasn't alone.

"Weiss... please wake up soon... I want to hear you say it back to me..."

When she thought about what that moment might be like, Blake almost smiled.

But the relief, the joy, the happiness that would come when Weiss finally opened her eyes, seemed like some far-off dream. Right now, Weiss was still trapped somewhere dark and cold no doubt, somewhere she was still able to feel all of the pain and the terror of what the White Fang had done to her.

Blake's stomach heaved as the images came back into her mind yet again.

The blood that had been painted onto their dorm room windows. The trail of it she'd followed in the grass. The smears of it marking the trees. The ocean of it she'd found Weiss lying in.

There'd been so much blood...

Blake's throat tightened up as she started to cry again. This happened several times an hour, when everything just overwhelmed her all at once and brought her to tears. She was beginning to think she'd cried almost as much as Weiss had bled.

But the worst part of remembering it all wasn't even the grisly images of Weiss when she'd found her.

The worst part of it all was remembering Weiss had still been conscious enough to feel every second of that agony. And the fact that she'd spoken to Blake, and asked one thing of her:

"Let me go..."

The pain she'd been suffering had been so immense, so indescribably intolerable, that she'd been willing to die. Weiss had hoped she would die just so the pain would stop.

Blake still couldn't even fathom how awful it must have been, how excruciating...

But that meant something else as well.

That the pain Weiss had felt after being mangled and stabbed within an inch of her life had only been equalled by her desire to survive if it meant she could love Blake.

"Then give me a reason to stay..."

As much pain as she'd been in, her desire to love and live for Blake had been even greater.

That gave Blake a bit of comfort in it all, to know that Weiss loved her back. She knew that.

Now, she just wanted to hear it.

But just as had been true for the past several hours, all Blake was hearing now was the beeping of those machines.

The mechanisms produced a sort of white noise whenever they sounded, and by this point of the night, Blake's ears were beginning to sting as much as her eyes were. She didn't want to listen to those machines anymore. She didn't want to keep being reminded of what had happened to Weiss.

So Blake pulled her chair even closer, not caring that her legs were squished between the chair and the bed now. She released Weiss' hand with one of hers only to reach out across her teammate's body. Blake rested her palm against Weiss' far side, keeping the contact as light as possible. She allowed the rest of her arm to drape across Weiss' stomach, then paused.

Blake's ears continued to flick as the machines kept sounding, but Blake focused on Weiss herself this time. She could feel her breathing, very slowly, almost weakly, but it was much stronger than it had been when Blake had first found her out in the forest.

She waited for a long moment like that, relishing the feeling of Weiss' body moving beneath her hand, proving she was still alive.

Blake's gaze traveled over the sheets covering her, up to her collar where the clean robes they'd dressed her in were revealed. She let go of Weiss' hand just so she could comb a few locks of silver hair aside, tucking them behind her ear or over her shoulder.

It took her a moment to muster the courage to glimpse at Weiss' face again. Her mind just kept flashing back to the more horrid images of when she'd been covered in deep crimson and gaping wounds.

Blake had to remind herself that was over.

Right now, Weiss' skin was clean and pale, though the scar over her eye was as visible as ever.

Blake reached for it now, taking great care not to touch the mask over her mouth as she did so. Gingerly, she brushed the backs of her fingers over Weiss' left eye. A poignant swell of emotion rose up in her throat.

"Weiss... I'm so sorry..."

Biting her lip, Blake closed her eyes and lowered her head as the tears began to drip down once more.

She cried as quietly as she could, so she could still hear the machines. It was a while before she stopped and finally removed her hand from Weiss' face.

Blake slowly leaned herself forward and out of her seat just a bit so she may hold a kiss to Weiss' scarred eye. She combed her bangs aside, then kissed her forehead too, then her cheek.

"Please wake up..." she begged. "Please..."

Part of her expected Weiss to open her eyes right then and there.

But that was the part of Blake that had read and indulged in too many fairytale books.

In reality, Weiss didn't stir, not even a little.

Blake's ears drooped even further than they already had been. They continued to flinch away from the harsh sounds of the monitor. So she leaned herself down over Weiss, and gently rested her head on the heiress' collar.

Blake was tentative with her movements, never allowing the full weight of her head to press down on Weiss' chest. The last thing she wanted to do was make it even more difficult for Weiss to breathe properly.

She pressed the soft fur of her ear to Weiss' chest, but kept her cheek just barely touching the fabrics of her robes. Her ear flicked and adjusted instantly to a much softer sound.

Weiss' heart gave its pulse in time with the machines, but Blake found she liked hearing it this way much better.

For all she knew, the machines could malfunction. But Weiss' heart wouldn't lie.

It was much easier for her to feel and listen to her pulse this way, rather than to rely on the monitors or her wrist.

Blake closed her eyes and listened to the source itself.

Weiss' heartbeat was so slow, so soft. Even with her enhanced hearing, it was difficult to pinpoint. Sometimes it would get a little louder, and sometimes it would falter. But it never sped up or slowed down too much.

Blake kept one hand across Weiss' stomach, feeling her breathe evenly. Her other hand went back to Weiss', the one she'd been holding up until this point.

Blake tried not to think about the horrible things she'd seen earlier that night.

She tried not to think about the torment Weiss must have endured.

She tried not to think about what would happen if Weiss didn't wake up.

No... She will wake up. She has to. She promised... she'd say it back to me...

Blake whimpered, pressing her ear more fully over Weiss' heartbeat. The steady, consistent rhythm served to calm her down again.

She just listened for a while. Just felt the way Weiss' body moved beneath hers. Just listened to how her heart beat, and how the air came in and went back out. Just felt how her chest rose and fell, again and again...

Please wake up... please, Weiss...

Eventually, without Blake's realizing it, everything took its toll on her.

She didn't notice when she began to fall asleep, and she couldn't stop it, either.

But when she woke again, some undetermined amount of time later, the same sounds were still filling her ears. Weiss' heart was still beating steadily, and she was still breathing. Blake could still feel her chest moving in time with her breaths.

But there was something else she could feel, too.

Something she hadn't felt before.

There was an arm around her shoulders, and a hand upon her head, fingers curling and uncurling, stroking in slow, tiny motions through her hair, and over her ears.

When she opened her eyes, she didn't see Ruby or Yang or anyone else in the room.

Blake's heart jolted as she lifted her head from Weiss' chest as quickly as she dared, and turned her head.

"W-Weiss...?"

As soon as Blake said her name, a tiny miracle happened. Weiss opened her eyes.

"Weiss?!"

Blake pushed herself up, but not enough to have Weiss' hand slip out of her hair. She moved herself up along the bed until she was leaning directly over her teammate, gazing frantically down into her eyes.

In contrast to how panicked and excited Blake was feeling, Weiss moved with much less vigor. Her eyelids fluttered again until those pretty pools of winter blue were revealed. And already, tears were brimming in the corners. She couldn't speak because of the mask, but her eyes said everything.

But Blake started crying long before Weiss did.

"Weiss...? Weiss? Oh, thank goodness... oh god..."

Her tears dripped down onto Weiss' checks and neck before Blake sunk down over her in the lightest embrace possible. She didn't move Weiss at all in the process.

But she just needed to hold her. She needed to.

And something in the way Weiss trembled beneath her told Blake that Weiss longed to be held just as badly as Blake longed to hold her.

Blake wept into her shoulder and hair, no longer making an effort to censor herself or keep quiet. She could feel Weiss' hands shaking with effort as they wrapped around her shoulders and squeezed back with all their strength.

The relief and the joy Blake had imagined feeling in this moment had been nothing compared to the real thing.

Just like before she couldn't stop crying.

And just like before, she couldn't stop kissing Weiss.

She pressed her lips over Weiss' cheeks and her forehead and the bridge of her nose, peppering tiny, light kisses wherever she could manage.

With each kiss that was transferred onto Weiss' face, two more tears came with it.

It was a long, desperate moment before Blake pulled herself away and began to wipe her thumbs over Weiss' cheeks, slowly drying away the tears.

"Sorry..." she whimpered. "I-I'm sorry... was it too much...?"

She feared her sudden actions might have put a strain on Weiss. The heiress' body was moving at a much slower, much more delicate pace right now, and Blake was afraid that too much stimulation or motion might cause her distress.

But Weiss only shook her head from side to side, just a little bit. She curled her fingers more tightly into Blake's hair to coax her back down.

Slowly, Blake obliged, curling herself back over Weiss, sniffling all the while.

"Weiss... Weiss..."

Weiss guided Blake back to her chest, and Blake went willingly. She settled her ear back over the heiress' collar and listened again to the sound of her heart.

It was stronger than before – surer. It was a little faster too, but that was no cause for concern. Weiss was awake. Her heart was stronger, and her breathing was, too.

Blake wept into her robes and the bedsheets, clinging to Weiss as gently as possible, but as firmly as she dared.

Weiss still couldn't speak yet, so she simply stroked her fingers across Blake's ears, down through her hair, and over her shoulders.

The room was filled with emotion, but at the same time, an enormous weight had been lifted.

It took Blake several minutes to finally compose herself enough to sit up again. Gently, she took Weiss' wrists in her hands and moved the heiress' arms from around Blake's shoulders. She laid Weiss' arms at her sides once again and looked down over her.

"Weiss... thank god..." Blake lifted her own hands back to her mouth and sobbed into her palms, her ears constantly quivering between perking tall or flattening.

Weiss watched her, and when she blinked, more tears spilled back and down towards her pillow. Blake carefully reached forward to wipe them away again.

But Weiss' tears kept coming this time. Her chest began to jolt with little hiccups, and Blake could hear her making strained little noises. The heart monitor began to beep a little faster.

Instantly, Blake placed a hand on Weiss' chest and began to rub in slow circles.

"Hey, hey. Easy..." she whispered. "It's okay, Weiss. Please don't cry. I don't know if your body can handle it right now. Please don't..."

She swallowed thickly, terrified to think about what could still happen to Weiss. It had been horrible enough to consider the possibility that Weiss might never have woken up again.

But it was even more terrifying now that she really was awake to think about what could happen if she got hurt now.

Blake hushed her, rubbing Weiss' collar with one hand and using the other to pet through her hair.

"Easy..." she repeated. "Just breathe." She leaned down and kissed Weiss' nose again. "Please... just breathe..."

Weiss gave a little nod and did as Blake told her. She closed her eyes and tried to slow down her breath, allowing Blake's calming presence to aid her.

Weiss' hands found meek purchase on the sheets as Blake continued to soothe her. She was beyond relieved when Weiss' pulse dropped back to a steadier pace.

Blake watched her, and waited for her to open her eyes again. But it was taking a little longer than she liked. Blake needed to see her open them again. She'd spent too long watching them stay closed, with few hopes of ever seeing that wintery blue again.

"Weiss...?"

Her voice was small, but Weiss heard it clearly. She reopened her eyes a few seconds later, and Blake let out the breath she'd been holding.

"Thank goodness..."

Weiss' lips trembled beneath the mask. Blake realized she was trying to smile. Blake smiled back.

"You did it, Weiss," she whispered. "You woke up again, just like I promised you would. Thank you f-for... for not giving up..."

Blake started to cry again, and this time, it was Weiss who comforted her. She moved both hands and reached out for Blake's, rubbing the backs of her knuckles softly. Blake's shoulders drained of tension, and she released another sigh.

"I should call for the nurses now. Ruby and Yang are still out in the lobby. I should tell them you're awake."

But before she could make a move to leave, Weiss squeezed her hand a little, gaining her attention. Blake flicked an ear.

"What is it? Do you need something first? D-Does something still hurt?"

Weiss shook her head again. She kept one hand on Blake's, a silent request for her to stay a moment longer. With her other hand now, Weiss reached up to the mask on her mouth and tapped it. Blake's ears fell flat immediately.

"N-No, no!" Quickly, but gently, she caught Weiss' hand in hers, preventing her from moving it anymore. "Weiss, please. You don't have to."

She knew what Weiss wanted to do. She wanted to say those three words back to Blake, just like she'd said she would. But Blake didn't let go of her hand.

"Y-You've already said it back to me, Weiss. You've said it with your eyes. With your heart. You don't need to say it with your voice right now."

Slowly, she leaned down over her again and kissed her scarred cheek.

"The mask is helping you breathe. Please keep it on. I... I can't let you take it off... Wh-What if something happens-?" More tears welled up in her eyes, and her hand trembled over Weiss'.

But the heiress smiled up at her, blue eyes entirely calm. Weiss moved her hand in spite of Blake's and gripped the mask. Blake whimpered.

But Weiss wasn't shaking her hand away. She allowed Blake to keep her hand on top of her own. When Weiss gripped the mask, Blake did, too.

Blake understood. If something happened, Weiss was more than fine with Blake taking control and putting the mask back on.

Weiss only needed a minute. Just to tell her three little words.

The same three words Blake had been waiting so long to hear.

So Blake drew in a deep breath and nodded.

Slowly, she helped Weiss remove the mask, paying close attention to her condition as they did so.

As soon as the mask was removed, Weiss winced a little as she had to remember how to breathe on her own. Her chest shuddered, and she coughed a little.

Blake used her free hand to caress her cheek and soothe her. She slid her hand back down to Weiss' chest and rubbed slowly.

"It's okay," she whispered. "You're all right. You can do it."

She said as much, but should Weiss start to breathe too frantically or show any more signs of distress, Blake would give her the mask back right away.

Weiss did her best to stay calm. She closed her eyes and controlled her breathing until it had mostly evened out.

But Blake still became uneasy whenever Weiss closed her eyes now. Her voice rose with a hint of panic.

"Weiss? Are you okay?"

Weiss opened her eyes again right away and offered a thin smile.

"Yes... I'm... all right..."

"Oh..." Blake ducked her face into her shoulder, overcome with emotion as she finally heard Weiss' voice.

She continued tracing slow circles over Weiss' chest, able to feel a faint pulse beneath her palm. She brought Weiss' hand down into her lap for a moment along with the mask. Blake leaned over her a little more so she may hear Weiss' voice more clearly.

"Blake..." she rasped. "Th-Thank you, f-for..."

"It's all right," Blake soothed. She didn't want Weiss to get emotional and become short on breath again. "You don't have to thank me, Weiss." She bent down to kiss her nose again.

Weiss sighed. "Blake... I... promised I'd tell you..."

Blake leaned back again so she could look directly into Weiss' eyes. Her Faunus ears perked up tall, and a warm smile spread across her lips.

"I'm listening. I'm here."

Weiss drew in another deep breath as her tears started dripping down once again.

"Blake..." She concentrated on her breath, ensuring her voice wouldn't stammer or stutter when she spoke those three words. "I love you..."

Blake made a small sound in the back of her throat. Weiss' confession unlocked all of the emotions that had been building up behind Blake's eyes until now.

With a whimper, a sob, and a smile, Blake leaned down over Weiss and softly kissed her lips.

It wasn't like before, out in the forest. Then, Blake had needed to force the air into Weiss' lungs. It had been a hard, desperate, almost painful succession of kisses.

But now, it was different.

There was just as much fervor as there had been before. It was still fierce and desperate.

But it was softer, gentler, quieter.

Blake's tears dribbled down to join Weiss' on her face. The Faunus girl brushed them away with her thumb.

She wished she could keep kissing Weiss. But she knew for a fact there would be plenty of time for that later.

For now, just this much was more than enough.

With a sigh, she eased back, her breath still lingering on Weiss' lips. She was almost drawn back in for more, but she had to put Weiss' wellbeing first.

Blake nuzzled her nose against Weiss' before sitting back up. She combed through her hair again, her eyes welling with emotion.

"I love you, too," she murmured.

Weiss smiled.

After that, Blake positioned the mask back onto the heiress' mouth and slipped off the bed, planning to go inform the nurses she'd woken up. But she didn't leave without kissing Weiss' forehead one last time.

"Rest. I'll be back before you know it."

Weiss willingly closed her eyes. Blake squeezed her hand one more time, then smoothed out the sheets.

She took her leave from the room, told the nurses about Weiss, and watched as they scurried into the room.

Blake found Ruby and Yang just waking up on a couch in the lobby. She didn't realize it until just now, but the sun was rising.

She went to the sisters, told them about Weiss, and they pulled her into their arms and cried.

A short while later, the nurses allowed them all back into Weiss' room. She was awake and sitting up in bed now, without the mask on her face. Sunlight was streaming in all around, giving the room a warm glow of color.

The three of them rushed to her and threw their arms around her as gently as possible.

And Blake kissed her again beneath the warm rays of the sun.

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A/N: I'm grateful for the opportunity to get to finish this and wrap it up properly! Hope you enjoyed!