330Until I have the time and inspiration to write a bigger RWBY fic for volume 7 events, I guess I'm just gonna keep adding to my drabble collection here.
This is an idea I've written a least a dozen times, the Schnee-Faunus talk these two deserve to have. I've been writing it for years and now it FINALLY happened in the show. But I feel it was way too brief in the canon, so I'm expanding it, again.
Spoilers for vol7 ep3
Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.
Chapter 69. A Proper Talk
All throughout their mission in the mines, something has been stirring in the back of Blake's mind.
She hasn't been able to stop thinking about what Weiss had told her earlier, how she'd apologized to Blake directly for all of the horrible things her family had done to the Faunus.
Blake had wanted to say something back. She'd certainly wanted to do more than simply rest a hand on Weiss' shoulder, but she'd been so surprised by the comment she hadn't had the proper time to react, and the Ace Ops had cut things short within seconds.
But now, as they retreat back to their new room in Atlas Academy for a bit of rest and recuperation, Blake can't keep her eyes away from the heiress' back. Ever since they'd announced they'd be coming to Atlas, Weiss has been more tense than ever before, and that was saying something. Even now, after they've claimed a victory, she hasn't relaxed all that much.
Ruby and Yang decide to discuss things and train a bit more with Jaune and the Ace Ops, so Blake soon finds herself alone in their new room with Weiss. They've each sat on their beds, which are next to each other just like back at Beacon, only without the sisters' bunks dangling above them. Ruby had proposed to set things up that way again, or 'even better,' to just stack all four of them on top of one another since the ceilings here were higher, but Weiss had shut down that idea with a decisive flick to her leader's forehead.
Blake smiles in recalling the conversation. But when she looks up, Weiss is solemn and quiet, methodically pulling a brush through her hair that's now thick and wavy thanks to the braid. She hasn't said a word all the way back to the Academy.
Blake isn't sure if she should bring up their previous conversation right now, but she can't imagine she'll be presented with another opportunity anytime soon. So after twirling her fingers nervously through her new short-cut hair, Blake clears her throat.
"Hey… Weiss…?"
Weiss blinks, lifting her face up as if she'd been snapped out of some sort of trance.
"Hm?"
Blake flicks an ear, giving her a questioning look. Weiss nods, inclining her head to offer her bed to her. Blake gets up and sits down beside her, not too close or too far. She folds her hands into her lap, ears drooping a little.
"I just felt we should have a proper talk. I… I didn't get a chance to thank you for what you'd said earlier in the mines. I know nothing that your family did to the Faunus was anything you wanted to happen. Even if you were compliant in it… you can't blame yourself for that. Although I'm sure you always have, and you still do…" She tapers off, wondering if she's already crossed a line.
Weiss has stopped brushing her hair now. She seems to have gotten even more tense, which is the opposite of what Blake wanted. Weiss sighs softly, but doesn't make eye contact with her.
"You really shouldn't be thanking me. I still haven't… done anything to right my wrongs. There's only so much that saying 'I'm sorry' can do. I want to show it…"
"But you are. You have," Blake insists. "Believe me, Weiss. I know. You aren't one of the humans who benefits from our suffering, and you never were. You're trying to make thing right, which is more than can be said for most humans..." She keeps trying to find Weiss' gaze, but hasn't yet. "On that note… I should probably be the one apologizing…"
Weiss finally lifts her head a little and flashes her a glance, but Blake misses it.
"Why is that?"
It's Blake's turn to heave a guilty sigh.
"What you'd said… how your father would get so angry whenever one of his Dust shipments got ruined… I was responsible for some of those train crashes. I helped Adam derail those trains… And I never once considered the man we'd be enraging in doing that might have a family he'd take his anger out on…"
A heavy moment passes between them. Blake's ear flicks as she hears Weiss inhale, but it's shaky and thin.
"It's all right… Winter would protect me, and I would protect Whitley. It wasn't always bad…"
Blake can't look at her. She knows Weiss is lying. A tightness grips her throat and lodges her voice, but she manages to croak a question.
"Did he hit you…?"
She doesn't miss the tiny sound Weiss makes, somewhere between a whimper and a wry laugh.
"Not always-"
"You're lying." Blake lifts her gaze again now, trying to find hers. "He always hit you, didn't he?"
Weiss shakes her head, her hair screening her face from view.
"Only because I… I was the one who spoke out… Our mother would argue with him for a while before storming out, then Winter would feign compliance to appease him in hopes he would calm down, and Whitely was always too young and scared to defend himself. So I would take the hits for the four of us…"
"And some of those hits were because of me," Blake growls, voice breaking. "Some of the worst nights of your life were because of me-"
"Stop." Weiss reaches out and touches Blake's hand, which she'd balled up into a fist. She looks up at long last, and Blake sees only misery in her eyes. "Don't do this to yourself, Blake. None of it was your fault. It was all my father's doing. Both my suffering and yours. All of it." She looks away. "And even as I grew up - even as I lost Winter to the military, and Whitely began to follow my father's ideals - I never once tried to oppose him…"
"Because you couldn't!" Blake cries. "How could you have opposed him? He was your father. I couldn't oppose Adam, either-" She still chokes in saying his name. "Those men… they were supposed to love and support us… but all they did was manipulate and hurt us and lead us astray. And it's because of them that we hated each other." She relaxes her fist now and opens her fingers, turning her palm up to hold onto Weiss' hand gently.
"Now that they're gone… now that we've broken away from them… we've started following our own paths and living by our own ideals… and look where we are right now." She smiles. "A Schnee and a Faunus, together on the same team, protecting each other and fighting for what's right. No matter what they said or did to us, we're our own people now, Weiss. And I'm so grateful to have met you."
Her ears tune in to the sound of a small sob. Weiss lifts her free hand to her face and wipes her eyes, though her palm lingers on her cheek, as if re-experiencing the sting of one of her father's strikes. Her shoulders tremble, and tears begin to fall into her lap.
"I'm so sorry, Blake…"
"Don't be. It's all right. For what it's worth, I forgive you. I forgave you a long time ago, Weiss."
Blake lifts her arms and wraps Weiss in a soft hug, something she never would've imagined herself doing just a few years back. She pulls Weiss a little closer, wanting to convey her truthfulness, her support. Weiss sobs again, raising her arms shakily to fold them loosely around Blake's shoulders.
"Thank you, Blake…"
"There's really no need, but you're welcome."
She holds Weiss a moment longer, until the tears have stopped. The huntresses ease apart, though they still keep their hands together. Weiss sniffles one more time, but now her eyes are bright and determined.
"I'm going to try and make things right again, Blake. In any way I can."
Blake nods.
"Me, too. And I'm glad to have you by my side for it."
Weiss dips her head.
But just when Blake believes they're finished here, Weiss surprises her with one more brief hug. Blake returns it and purrs a little. When she thinks about it, Weiss had gotten to hug both Ruby and Yang upon their reunions, and most-recently Winter as well. It feels nice for Blake to finally get her turn.
After a moment, they ease apart once more. Weiss gathers her hair to one side, and Blake makes a silent offer, which the heiress accepts. Blake re-braids Weiss' hair for her with a smile.
"Now that I've cut mine, I might have to amuse myself with yours and Yang's a bit more."
"That's fine. Yours really suits you."
"Thanks."
When they've finished, the two of them get up and head back out together to join the others for supper.
A/N: It's really interesting to write this again now. I wrote the same idea of apology and forgiveness in the past before we knew so many details about Adam and the rest of the Schnees, so it was neat to see what changed about my writing this time around, as opposed to then. And some parts have stayed just the same.
I do wish they would've gotten their own proper hug, too, though...
Please review!
