Chapter Text
After subtly checking her phone and finding no new notifications for the seventh time that evening, Weiss sighs and takes another sip of her water, her free hand tapping out a familiar rhythm before she stops herself. Setting down her cup hard enough to rattle the silverware, Weiss can’t help clenching her fist as if the action would be enough to dispel the unpleasant memories associated with performing from her mind.
Today is supposed to be a day where she could celebrate herself, but Weiss should’ve known that the fifteenth of May would never bring anything good; she’s known as much since her tenth birthday, when the ideal family portrait she’d grown up with was shattered by a harsh truth, one she had eventually accepted and resolved to not emulate for herself. Weiss has always found it ironic that she was born on a date that acknowledged the importance of families worldwide but didn't want to dwell on it too much now.
Instead, Weiss focuses on the fact that she is currently being stood up by her blind date. Of course this would happen the one time she decides to accept her friend Nora's matchmaking attempts, if only to get the other woman to stop pestering her with frequent reminders of her perpetually single relationship status. The fact that the date happens to coincide with her birthday is a complete coincidence. Somehow, Nora had finally convinced her to take a day off work and show up to this restaurant without revealing any details about her date, which was probably for the best, now that she thinks about it. Because if she did find out who had the audacity to--
"Is this seat taken?"
Looking up, Weiss is surprised to see a blonde behemoth woman smiling politely down at her. Her expression returns to a neutral mask as she gathers her thoughts. Rather, that's what she would do if the blonde hadn't spoken up again. "I just thought you could use some company. You looked kinda lonely." She pauses then rubs the back of her neck sheepishly at Weiss's icy glare. "No offense."
"Are you...supposed to be meeting me?" Weiss asks, not wanting to specifically reveal that she had been waiting for someone if this stranger wasn't her blind date.
"Supposed to?" The blonde tilts her head to the side as if trying to parse Weiss's question, and Weiss hates how cute she finds the movement. But she doesn't say as much out loud of course, instead choosing to stare her down. There’s a small smirk on the stranger’s lips now, and she’s leaning forward into Weiss‘s personal space, which is simply unacceptable, especially when Weiss has been able to sense a pickup line coming for years now. Weiss opens her mouth to stop her before she can start, but someone else speaks up first.
“Is this your guest?” The women turn and see the waitress who’s been checking up on Weiss far too often that evening looking between the two of them curiously, amber eyes scanning and seeming to see through them. Weiss doesn’t dwell on that captivating gaze though; her mind is too occupied by the question, her eyes flick to the phone that hasn’t indicated anything new was received for the eighth time that evening, her hand is gripping her glass of water a bit too tightly now, her next breath inhaled is a bit too sharp--
“Yeah. I am.” Weiss snaps her eyes up to the blonde, drawn out of her unsettled mind by the surprisingly gentle conviction in her voice. The flirtatiousness from earlier was gone, but her intensity was still there, with the way that she was focusing on Weiss’s tight grip now being the center of her attention. Amethyst eyes briefly jerk up, and Weiss is surprised to see a silent question there, this time asking if she can cross into Weiss’s personal bubble. She’s too taken aback to refuse.
Slowly, the blonde reaches out and gently pries Weiss’s fingers off of the glass, and Weiss can only stare as her perpetually cold hand is enveloped by a much warmer, more calloused, and larger one. A thumb hesitantly starts rubbing soothing circles on the back of Weiss’s palm, and Weiss knows a gesture of comfort when she sees one. What she can’t figure out is why this stranger would offer her any. They continue to stare at each other, silently searching for something they aren’t sure of yet from the other, until a cleared throat snaps their eyes to the waitress.
Amber eyes are locked on their hands, and Weiss notices how tightly the waitress is now holding onto the notepad in her hands, as if restraining herself from reaching out too. Blinking rapidly, Weiss can only glance between these strangers. A few small acts of kindness were the last things she expected today, and it overwhelms her so much that she suddenly stands and glares at them. This isn’t how the day is supposed to go, she tells herself; she doesn’t need pity from people she doesn’t know, people who likely have better things to do with their lives, people whose kindness she doesn’t deserve.
Opening her mouth to correct the misunderstanding, Weiss is interrupted by the blonde who now has her hands raised in front of her in a gesture of peace. Weiss tries to ignore how much she already misses the warmth that she seems to naturally emit.
“Sorry I’m late. I know you were waiting here for a while, but I’ll make it up to you tonight.” The words are met with a raised brow, and the blonde frantically waves her hands in front of her while swearing under her breath. She takes a deep breath to try and compose herself, which doesn’t seem to work, much to Weiss’s amusement. “Um...not like that. I meant...as we eat. I’ll entertain you for tonight. Well, more like keep you company all night. I mean--”
“That’s no way to treat a lady.” Both of them turn to the waitress again, and Weiss is surprised to see how relaxed she seems. This is the first time she’s met someone else who was able to slip on a cool mask as quickly as she can whenever she sees her father, but Weiss could tell there was more she wanted to say, if the way that she keeps tapping her pen against the notepad is anything to go by. “Since you’re already late, you should see if she still wants to have dinner with you.”
They’re giving her an out, Weiss realizes. Somehow, these women who’ve just met have conspired to give her a choice, and Weiss feels the fate of the night and of her future--of their shared futures--fall onto her shoulders just as their gazes do. She stares at them coolly as if she’s truly thinking this over, but honestly…
Weiss is lonely. She hates to admit it to herself, but she’s always made excuses on past birthdays to intentionally be alone and hasn’t allowed anyone to share today with her. This day though, if instead of meeting one mysterious blind date she meets two caring companions for the night, she’ll take it. It’s not like she plans on making them a regular part of her life.
“I wouldn’t mind some company for the night,” Weiss states as casually as she can because she doesn’t want to be seen as weak even though she can see her father’s disapproval after the words slip out. She blinks, dismissing the image in favor of the much more pleasant sight in front of her and can’t help her smile after the blonde beams as she takes the seat across from Weiss.
The waitress gives them both a small smile, but Weiss notices that she’s still tapping her pen away and raises a brow. She abruptly stops and quickly clears her throat. Weiss tries to ignore how cute she is and speaks up. “Is there something wrong?”
“No,” the waitress replies, a bit too quickly. Her amber eyes glance at her watch before settling back on the blonde then Weiss. “I didn’t mean to take up your time. I’ll pay for your meal to make it up to you two.”
Weiss narrows her eyes, both at the watch and the words. “Is that allow--”
“What my girlfriend--” The blonde laughs nervously when she’s met with two incredulous gazes. “I mean my friend who is a girl--means by that is that she’s flattered, but she doesn’t want to trouble you, especially when she can buy out this restaurant.”
Blinking, Weiss can feel both of their eyes follow hers as she looks down at her expensive outfit. Well, she did dress up for the date she was supposed to be having. Smirking slightly, Weiss wonders how they’d react if she showed them that this was a backless dress and is glad, not for the first time, for the fencing and martial arts lessons she’s been taking.
“Consider me paying for you a gift then,” the waitress insists, and Weiss sighs but hesitates now because she’s been suspicious ever since she saw the black watch that is the exact same model as her white watch. She’s curious now and is annoyed at herself for wanting to learn more about both strangers. Still, she maintains a cool mask, not wanting to seem too obvious about it. But again, today is not her day since they insist on being frustratingly sweet.
“If it makes you feel that bad, you can pay us back next time by taking us out to a fancy dinner because I’m splitting the bill with her.” The waitress frowns at that, and they have a silent stare down before she rolls her eyes and nods. Weiss stares at the triumphant blonde and considers whether arguing more is worth it when her stomach makes the decision for her by rumbling.
“Fine.” Weiss immediately snaps before either of them can make a comment. She glares at them, silently challenging either one to say something. Neither of them do, and Weiss smiles pleasantly. Weiss hasn’t felt this pleased on a day that’s supposed to be about her in a long time.
She’s uncertain if this dinner also counts as a date, but Weiss will just roll with it since this year’s birthday hasn’t ceased its surprises. After they order, Weiss raises an eyebrow at the blonde. “Who exactly is paying for me tonight? Thank you for that, by the way.”
The blonde wastes no time and extends her hand, which Weiss takes after a moment’s hesitation. Familiar warmth, along with her sheepish expression, eases Weiss’s tense shoulders, and she finds herself smiling at the other woman as she pulls away. “I don’t know who she is, but I’m Yang, your girl…” She winks. “Friend for the night.”
“Emphasis on friend.” Weiss states decisively, though she wonders if she’ll change her mind by the end of the night.
“Got it…” Yang leans forward then pauses before sighing. Suddenly she’s looking at Weiss worriedly. “I was serious about you looking lonely though. Were you waiting for someone?”
Looking away with a frown, Weiss considers how much she feels comfortable revealing to a stranger before nodding. It was an answer, sort of. It was the one that Yang was going to have to accept at least. “Why are you here tonight?”
When she looks back, Yang is frowning at her but decides to go along with the topic change. She then grins and jerks a thumb to a table near them where two young women are sitting. “The girl in the red is my sister, and I decided to take her out to an early graduation dinner before it really happens in a few weeks. Ruby decided to bring her girlfriend Penny, and orange is definitely her natural hair color before you ask.”
“I wasn’t going to ask,” Weiss immediately protests, but Yang just smirks because they both know she’s lying. Hurriedly, Weiss continues. “That’s sweet…” Memories of her own graduation suddenly flood her mind, and an unfairly bitter feeling starts to bubble within her. It wasn’t fair to compare how she had spent graduation alone, everyone else either unavailable or not allowed to go for one reason or another. She’s snapped away from the coldness of the past to the warmth of the present and of the woman in front of her when Yang ever so gently takes her hand again.
At Weiss’s raised brow, Yang hurries to explain. “You look like you could use some comfort. I don’t know where your mind goes when you’re staring off into space like that, but you don’t look happy. I’d offer a hug, but you don’t seem like someone who would enjoy that.”
“You’re right about that…” Weiss mutters; it’s the only response she can think of to someone who genuinely seems to care about her. Neither of them make a move to move their hands, and Weiss takes her eyes away from the point of contact long enough to meet the steady gaze in front of her. She’s never felt so safe in someone else’s company before, and the way Yang is rubbing slow circles around the back of her palm is unexpectedly grounding. Distractedly, Weiss speaks, though she’s not sure if she’s speaking to herself or Yang. “This still isn’t a date.”
“I know.”
“I’m serious!”
“I know.” A smirk is directed at her, and Weiss bristles as Yang leans forward. “But you wish it was.”
An abrupt laugh is her response to Yang’s words, and the smirk turns into a grin. Weiss tries not to think about how much she enjoys seeing both expressions on her face. Then, the blonde has the gall to wink at her, and Weiss gets the distinct feeling that she’s playing with what fire would be represented by if it was personified.
At this point, Weiss isn’t sure what she wants from the rest of the night or the woman in front of her, but she decides to have some fun for once in her life. Nora would be proud. Weiss smirks. “I’m not sure about that. In fact, I was just thinking about another woman, so I’m afraid you’ve failed to completely capture my attention.”
Yang’s surprised expression makes Weiss’s smirk widen, but what she doesn’t expect is for Yang to start glancing around, almost as if she’s looking for someone. They lean forward at the same moment, both intending to question each other but pausing when their faces are inches apart. Unfortunately for her, Weiss is the first to glance down, prompting Yang to suddenly lick her lips to speak--hopefully. Weiss doesn’t know what she’d do if the distance is closed. But none of them move back, so Yang speaks up first, hot breath ghosting over Weiss’s lips.
“So you’ve been thinking about the hot waitress too?”
That was not what Weiss expected to hear at all, and suddenly her mouth is open to...to...Weiss doesn’t even know what she wants to say anymore so settles for glaring at a suddenly grinning Yang. Because it is absolutely Yang’s fault that Weiss is suddenly thinking about that calming kindness, her presence like a shadow to settle over their tempers. It is absolutely Yang’s fault that she is reminded of those amber eyes that seemed to pierce through her and--
“No. Of course not.” Yang stares at her skeptically, that smug grin still on her face, and all Weiss wants to do is wipe it off. Possibly with her mouth. She isn’t sure; her brain is too busy processing other thoughts and recent events to think straight. Weiss amends her earlier declaration. “Well...not until you brought her back up.”
Suddenly, Yang slams a palm on the table, startling Weiss. Glaring at Yang suddenly, she was about to berate her but was interrupted.
“So you admit that she’s hot!” Aghast at Yang but mostly at herself, Weiss narrows her eyes. She doesn’t want to lie about this but absolutely refuses to acknowledge the truth. Their staredown gets interrupted by the same voice from earlier.
“Who’s hot?”
When Weiss turns to face the waitress, an answer has already been prepared, but her train of thought abruptly halts at the sight of the dark haired woman out of uniform. She has a leather jacket swung over one shoulder while her hands are in her pockets. Her amber eyes look between the two of them, and a smirk slowly spreads as the silence stretches on. The woman steps closer. “It’s me, isn’t it?” She asks so shamelessly that Weiss gets a very familiar urge to wipe off her smirk. Possibly with her mouth. Weiss doesn’t know anymore, but her night is suddenly much more interesting.
“Yeah, we were definitely talking about you.” Yang says, as unhelpful as ever. Weiss glares at her because even though it’s her birthday, nothing is going according to her carefully laid out plans. Before she attempts to defend herself, Weiss looks to the side and is thrown off by the light pink on the woman’s cheek.
Well, this is unexpected. And very interesting. Instead of the earlier annoyance, she feels intrigued and excited by the two around her, which is...unfamiliar. It’s a new feeling because not many people can keep up with Weiss Schnee, and they’ve been keeping her on her toes all night. Weiss watches her fidget, likely just as caught off guard by Yang’s shameless confession. She admits to herself how adorable she is and suddenly wants to see how many sides there are to this mysterious woman, which is the justification she tells herself for her next words.
Leaning towards the other woman, Weiss smiles innocently. “And what if we were talking about you?”
Now they’re both looking at her with wide eyes, and Weiss feels triumphant as she meets that amber gaze evenly. Out of the corner of her eye, Weiss sees Yang shifting in her seat, suddenly restless and eager. She almost has them right where she wants them; all she needs to hear is--
“Then I’d like to join you.” Smirks immediately follow her words, and Weiss just knows that getting acquainted with these two will turn out to be the worst best decision of her life. Weiss sweeps an arm out to gesture to...the table since there are no chairs left. “Where am I supposed to sit?” She asks, clearly amused now, and Weiss huffs.
“In my lap.” They stare at Yang, who is somehow lounging in her chair. The way her eyes keep looking between them suggest that her intentions aren’t entirely platonic, and Weiss is offended. Surely suggesting something like this in such a public place will drive her away--
“I don’t know...I think I’d rather have your pretty friend in my lap instead.”
“Honestly...same.”
“Hey!” Weiss says indignantly, though she can’t help joining in the lighthearted laughter of the others. She rolls her eyes. “Or you could just take a chair from another table. It’s almost closing time, after all…” Weiss trails off and frowns. That will mean parting ways with them.
There’s an awkward silence that follows her words, and Weiss can feel their eyes on her as she suddenly stands. It would be best to leave now before they start feeling sorry for her. The last thing she needs is pity from strangers on her birthday.
“Wait. Where are you going?” Yang quickly stands and is looking at her with the same concern she showed earlier. Weiss looks away.
“I have to go.”
“Oh. I...I thought...I don’t know what I was thinking…” Weiss gives her a grateful yet sad smile, which only makes Yang crinkle her brows in frustration. She turns to leave but is stopped by two different hands, each gently grabbing one of hers. With her back to them, Weiss hears one question from two voices.
“Do you have to go alone?”
It takes Weiss a longer time than she’d like to admit for the question to really sink in, and she realizes that they’ve been the first ones to provide any sort of company after so many years of being intentionally alone. Maybe it is time for a change after all.
“...Not necessarily. But it’s how I usually celebrate my birthday.”
“Oh. That’s why you look like that.” Yang says before her mouth clicks shut loudly. Weiss smirks when she remembers that her dress is a backless one and turns her head around to face them. Their eyes snap up from roaming her back, and Weiss decides that she does want their company for the night.
“What do I look like?” Weiss asks, a teasing tone to her voice.
“Come on. Don’t do this, Weiss.” There’s a small blush on her face as she says that.
“Your name is Weiss?” The other woman asks before seeming to realize that she did so. Now she was blushing, and Weiss smiles reassuringly.
“Introductions can be done later, but we should probably decide where we’re going first.”
“That’s easy. We’re gonna bake you a cake.” Yang states like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. She glances over to where her sister should be and sighs before looking back with a smirk. “Ruby left already, so it looks like I’m all yours...and yours for the night.” Yang winks at them both, and she’s met by raised brows.
“And where are we going to bake this cake?”
“My place?” The woman suggests, hurrying to clarify after seeing their surprise. “You said someone you know had left, so my place might be the best option for...a quiet night in. I live alone.” Weiss nods because she gets it, and she understands the waitress a bit more now.
“Sounds good. If it’s okay with Weiss, then lead the way.” Weiss nods, and she’s suddenly being led to a stranger’s apartment. She has a strong hunch that she won’t be needing to use her martial arts skills on either of them, a sense of comfort and security associated with the two who have seamlessly inserted themselves into her life.
Maybe they each felt that way in some capacity since the trio was still holding hands until they needed to let go so the waitress could open the door. No one mentions it at all later, so Weiss brushes it off as something normal. Friends hold hands all the time, after all. And Weiss likes to think she’s found two for life.
As she appraises the apartment, Weiss raises an eyebrow at the seemingly unused kitchen. What immediately follows is a sudden realization, and she tries to appear calm as she turns to face them. “Do either of you know how to bake a cake?”
Blank stares are her only response, and Weiss sighs. The woman starts looking through her cabinets for something while Yang clears her throat. “I have...experience in the kitchen.”
“But that experience doesn’t include baking.” Weiss raises a brow, and all Yang does is shake her head with a smile on her face. She wants to be annoyed with Yang, but she surprises them both by letting out a small laugh. “And how is this cake going to get made?”
“With this.” The woman is suddenly in between them, and they all look at the screen of her phone--an expensive one, Weiss notes--that has a recipe pulled up. She continues explaining, and Weiss can’t help noticing how they’ve all somehow managed to fit themselves comfortably into everyone else’s personal space, arms casually resting on and around each other. “We can just follow this recipe. And before you ask, I’m not a baker.”
“Wonderful.” Weiss sighs, staring at these perplexing women. “Why did you agree to this absurd idea anyway?”
The smirk she gets in response is downright dangerous, Weiss decides. She’s remembering earlier tonight and is tempted to wipe it off, especially since the woman is leaning back in a self satisfied way now, as if she’s been waiting for that question. Though amber eyes lock with hers, it’s obvious that the woman is speaking to them both.
“Maybe I just wanted to bring you two home with me.”
This is dangerous, Weiss thinks, but she’s still moving closer until she’s looking up at those amber eyes with an intensity that she hasn’t felt in a long time. “And what is there for us here?”
“Me. What else could you want?”
Off to the side, Weiss hears a sharp intake of breath and doesn’t have to look to know that Yang is staring at them just as intensely. Weiss can only smirk at how surprisingly bold she seems to be in a familiar space. “I’d like to know your name.”
“It’s Blake,” she says, breaking eye contact to address Yang too. Weiss follows her gaze and confirms her earlier prediction, intense amethyst eyes flicking between them quickly.
Baking a cake didn’t seem so bad now, not when Weiss can put something on the line. She steps back, and their eyes immediately follow the movement. “Are you going to say that you’re my gift now?”
“Your gift is anything you want it to be.” Blake doesn’t miss a beat, so Weiss responds just as fast.
“If the cake is good, perhaps you two will get a token of my appreciation.”
That is all it takes for them to start reading and planning the recipe. Weiss shakes her head and sighs, though she can’t help the smile that spreads as she walks over to help them. With three people, she expects them to bake the tastiest cake she will have the pleasure of eating.
After all, how hard could baking anything, especially a cake, be?
If nothing else, the cake is...edible.
After this ordeal, Weiss concludes that she should probably lower her expectations with these two, at least when it comes to matters of the kitchen. Granted, it isn’t entirely any of their faults that the result is disappointing, but Weiss wonders if the universe is trying to tell her something.
Even after finding out that Blake didn’t have enough ingredients for a big cake and calculating how much they’d have to use for a smaller one, things had been going smoothly until Yang accidentally spilled some flour on them. A spontaneous food fight ignited, and Weiss was too busy trying to win with minimal stains to complain about the mess or how irresponsible they were being.
Now that a ceasefire has been called, Weiss glances over to see Blake picking at the stains on her clothes while Yang is prodding the completed cake with a wooden spoon to try and make it look presentable, not bothered at all with her own appearance. Weiss frowns at the mess on her dress and runs a hand through her suddenly messy hair.
“Would one of you help me out of my dress?”
When they both try to rush towards her but end up tripping from the flour on the floor, Weiss can’t help the sudden laugh that escapes her. It doesn’t last long once she sees how close they are, Yang bracing herself above Blake so they won’t crash into each other. A charged silence descends on them, and Weiss continues to watch and wait for something, for someone to--
A timer Yang had set earlier shatters the silence, and she clears her throat before getting up, turning it off, and holding out a hand to help Blake up. Once they’re standing again, Weiss doesn’t mention how their touch lingers just a little too long but instead wordlessly turns around.
After hearing a bit of shuffling, Weiss feels two different hands on her, contrasting sizes but the same gentleness in their touches as one runs a wet cloth over her to clean her back while the other fumbles with the zipper on her dress. Weiss can’t help smirking as she feels more of her skin getting revealed, but she doesn’t let the dress drop just yet.
“If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you two just wanted an excuse to touch me.” Weiss turns around, still holding onto her dress, and eyes the wet cloth in Blake’s hand skeptically. Yang winks at her while raising her hands in a gesture Weiss assumes is supposed to represent her innocence.
“Hey, I did help you unzip your dress. Nothing suspicious from me.” Weiss hums at that, not necessarily agreeing but also not having any argument to use against her. She then turns to Blake, who raises the wet cloth in a silent answer, though the smirk on her face is suspect.
“And that’s your excuse?”
“I just wanted to help you out. You seem like someone who doesn’t like messes.” The words are innocent enough, but Blake’s tone is anything but.
“That’s true,” Weiss confirms as she calmly drops her dress. She continues on as if Blake and Yang aren’t shamelessly checking her out. “But if you really want to help me out, you’ll have this dress cleaner by the time I step out of the shower.”
Opening her mouth, Blake looks like she might object but thinks better of it. She nods, and Weiss plans to put an end to the conversation there until Blake has to make one more comment. “Do you need anything else, princess?”
Huffing, Weiss turns and strides away. She’s not sure if she’s more annoyed by the nickname or the fact that Yang started obnoxiously laughing after it was said. Honestly, Weiss thinks as she steps into the shower, she’d have to be a fool to willingly spend time with two people who have managed to break through her barriers as effortlessly as they have done.
But maybe she is foolish, Weiss considers, as she steps out about twenty minutes later in a new towel because she doesn’t have any other clothes here. Briefly, the thought of changing that for the future occurs to her before she pushes it to the back of her mind. That would imply that they’d be back sometime, and Weiss can’t think of anything as bad--
She stops. And stares. Yang and Blake have done a decent job of cleaning the kitchen while she was gone, but Weiss is more focused on the cake currently set out on the living room table. They’re both looking down at it while quietly talking, and Weiss takes a moment to admire how they’re unconsciously leaning into each other before making her presence known. “What’s going on?”
When she steps in front of them, Yang’s face practically lights up and even Blake has a small smile on her face. Yang gestures to the misshapen cake. “We’re trying to figure out how many candles to put on your cake.”
Raising an eyebrow as the words sink in, Weiss glances down before meeting their gazes evenly. “I’m not sure if one candle will stay in place, let alone twenty-four.”
“Oh, you’re older than me by a few months.” Yang says, glancing at Blake then back to Weiss with a smirk. “You two should be nicer to me since I’m the youngest.” Weiss glares at her before looking to Blake curiously. That was interesting, and she files the information in the back of her mind for future reference. For now though, their attention returns to the cake.
“Are candles necessary? Couldn’t you just place the number on there somehow?”
“But that’s not fun!” Weiss opens her mouth to retort about how impractical that is, but Yang continues. “And your birthday should be a fun day.”
Looking between them both, Weiss shakes her head in disbelief, though there’s a smile on her face. “Believe it or not, I have had fun. This is...the happiest birthday I’ve had in years.” Weiss quietly adds. She looks up and is met with searching gazes, soft expressions that are willing to take in everything Weiss is willing to share and respect what she doesn’t.
It feels freeing to be accepted as she is, and Weiss quickly blinks the sudden tears in her eyes away. None of them comment on it, thankfully. What they offer in lieu of that are gentle touches, a firm hand on her shoulder and strong arms encircling her from behind. Weiss mutters her thanks, having never been good at expressing gratitude, but neither of them bat an eyelid at the jumbled words.
After a few moments, their attention returns to the cake, and Weiss doesn’t say anything about how those fingers on that firm hand have started drawing circles on her shoulder or how a chin is gently resting on her head, things she’d usually complain about, and yet…
“So what are we doing about this cake?”
“I still think candles--”
“Blake, please tell me you have a good alternative.” Weiss says, glancing over at the other woman who is currently trying to contain her laughter. She only manages a barely restrained smile as she shrugs.
“Drawing out the number twenty-four should fit and stay. If it wasn’t so late and the cake was actually formed correctly, I’d probably draw something small on it for you. I’ll just try to make the number look as fancy as possible.” Blake smirks when she glances back to Weiss. “I hope it meets your standards.”
Huffing, Weiss is about to state how she doesn’t have standards, but that would be a lie, and they all know it. They’ve only known each other for hours, but Weiss can already tell that this isn’t the last time Blake will try to get her to say something she shouldn’t.
After Blake finishes drawing a two with a little tiara on top and a fancy four next to it, she steps back, letting the others examine her work. Sighing, Weiss rolls her eyes as Yang laughs aloud at the headpiece, nudging the birthday girl jovially, and she sees that even Blake has a small smile on her face. Weiss wants to see it more often and makes it a personal goal to try and make her happy, as a friend should.
“So you’re just gonna make a wish without candles?” Yang asks, still slightly disappointed as she stares down at the cake before sitting on the floor and leaning back on her hands casually. She’s joined shortly by Blake, who rests her head on a bent knee, position just as relaxed.
“That is the idea.” Weiss says, just barely managing to restrain herself from berating their poor postures. Instead, she shakes her head and sits on the couch like a sensible person, silently enjoying not having to look up to make eye contact with other people for once. She’s about to close her eyes to make a wish when suddenly--
“Wait! You can’t make a wish yet. We almost forgot one of the most important things!” Yang proclaims before proceeding to sing. After a few moments, Blake hastily joins in. The song is as off key and mostly garbled as Weiss expects, but the sentiment makes up for it. When they’re done, Yang cheers enthusiastically, which makes up for Blake’s simple nod of acknowledgement. Weiss smirks back, amused by how Blake is apparently too cool to even clap.
“Did you forget anything else?”
“That should be it. Happy birthday, Weiss!” Yang says, draping an arm casually over Blake’s shoulders and pulling her in to join. After rolling her eyes, Blake repeats the words with a smile. Weiss feels an unexpected urge to hug them but ends up closing her eyes instead.
Weiss’s wish is inspired by how comfortable she feels around these two and how she doesn’t want that--them--to go away anytime soon. She doesn’t realize she’s smiling until Yang quietly speaks up.
“You should do that more often.”
Opening up her eyes, Weiss meets Yang’s gentle gaze and even gentler voice curiously. Yang points to her lips, and Weiss and Blake both stare as they try to figure out what exactly she wants while trying not to get too distracted--
“You should smile more. It makes you light up, and you deserve to feel happy.” Yang says, the words sweet and innocent in contrast to the way she suddenly smirks and licks her lips after noticing their eyes on her. Weiss really wants to wipe it off but ends up yawning instead. It’s been an emotionally exhausting day for her, after all. Yang’s expression softens. “I guess the princess needs her beauty sleep. Well, maybe just sleep. I think you’re beautiful enough already.”
“Do you often flirt in conversation or am I--are we--exceptions?” Weiss asks, willfully ignoring the sudden blush on her face. Maybe exhaustion is lowering her inhibitions, but she wants to know the answer.
“I think I can make a lot of exceptions for you two…” Yang murmurs slowly, as if the realization is a revelation to herself too. She looks between them, slightly in confusion but mostly in awe, and Weiss has to look away. When was the last time someone looked at her with genuine interest? Weiss doesn’t like to think about that, so she looks to their third, only to be met with a gaze just as intense despite the differences present.
Although Blake’s expression reveals nothing, her eyes are a bit darker than earlier as they drift between them with an intense surety that Weiss has only seen reflected when she looks in the mirror before business meetings. Certainty is certainly present, Blake’s posture even straightening from earlier. Weiss should feel better that they’ve seemed to come to some realization, but it’s her who’s unsure now, and she truthfully doesn’t want to think about this yet. So before either of them can voice their thoughts, Weiss states that she’s tired.
Immediately, the conversation shifts to sleeping arrangements for the night since it was somehow decided that they’d be staying overnight. After confirming her agreement, Weiss focuses on finishing her piece of cake as her friends talk quietly. Her mind is too addled from the women, their scrutinizing gazes, and the unfamiliar feeling of comfort in their presences. Weiss pushes her cleared plate away, resting her head on the table and closing her eyes for just a few moments…
Soft voices drift in and out of her consciousness, and Weiss feels weightless for a short while before being gently set down on what she’s sure feels like a bed. She can sense movement around her, hushed voices comforting enough that she lets herself relax even as she’s being slightly adjusted. Footsteps fade out, and Weiss feels slight pressure on her forehead, making her smile as those lips hastily pull away as if realizing what just happened. Weiss can think about that in the morning though, choosing instead to wrap her arms around the other woman and drift off just as footsteps fade in, the bed dips, and she’s wrapped in a hug from behind.
“So that’s why you never answered my messages last night!” Nora exclaims with a sigh of relief. “I thought something happened to you so I went to the restaurant, but they told me that you left with two women. I didn’t know you had it in you, boss!” A slap on Weiss’s back accompanies her words, and she almost drops her phone. What she does do is glare at the enthusiastic employee, who by now is unfortunately immune to that.
“I don’t know what you’re implying, but nothing happened.”
“That’s where you lost me! You go home with women who look like that and nothing happened?!” Weiss sighs, rubbing the bridge of her nose and feeling regretful that she shared various pictures of the three of them subtly taken by Blake while they had been baking. This early, there are only two other employees in her gym, and they both give her sympathetic looks at Nora’s loud voice. Of course, this just means that they’re hearing everything she’s saying, and Weiss gives them a strained smile. At least Pyrrha and Ren aren’t the type of people to pry.
Honestly, Weiss hadn’t intended to share those photos with anyone, but she had apparently been staring at her phone for far too long that Nora had managed to catch her off guard. “In case you’ve forgotten, I was actually supposed to be meeting someone you set me up with.”
At that, Nora does deflate a bit. “I know. Sorry about that…” She perks up again. “But you found someone--someones--better!” Weiss only hums in acknowledgement, which Nora takes as a victory. Suddenly serious, she lowers her voice while she has Weiss’s attention. “I think you should use one of those as your lock screen background.”
Raising a brow, Weiss glances at her photo gallery again. Her current lock screen background is one of the ones that was already installed on the phone, and she never saw a reason to change it. Swiping through the pictures, Weiss frowns. She can list out faults for each one, from the angle to lighting. Why would any of these be a good idea? Perhaps sensing the question, Nora’s voice is the softest tone that Weiss has ever heard her friend use.
“You look happier than I’ve ever seen you in the years that we’ve known each other. Even when we threw that surprise party last year, and that one had a llama!” Weiss looks at her, unamused at the reminder while considering her words. “Wouldn’t it be nice to have a reminder of how happy you were--how happy you still can be in the future--every time you check your phone?”
Keeping her eyes trained on her phone so that she won’t meet Nora’s searching gaze, Weiss furrows her brows. That does sound good, like something to look forward to, but Weiss isn’t sure they’ll even contact her again. They might’ve exchanged numbers, but that didn’t mean that they’d actually do anything with them. She decides that yesterday was a rarity, a light in the darkness of the years prior. The few minutes of silence is too much for her friend, Nora sighing and patting her shoulder before walking away to get ready for the workday.
Even after Weiss enters her office, her eyes don’t leave her phone screen as she keeps going through her photos. She can’t help but notice that she does look happier despite being covered in flour. Weiss finally settles on a picture that shows the three of them laughing at each other while they’re all a mess then sets her phone down as she glances at the time. The gym won’t run itself, after all. Briefly, Weiss wonders how they’d react if they found out that she runs a gym or about the various awards she’s received over the years when she’d compete, and she smirks before returning to work. It’s an interesting improbability that stays with her until the end of the workday.
As usual, Weiss knows that the day is over when Nora loudly knocks then slams open the office door. Weiss is honestly just amazed that there are no major repairs needed for her office yet. For some reason, she’s especially eager today as she marches right up to Weiss’s desk and slams her palms down in excitement.
“Two new people joined the gym today.”
“That’s good…” Weiss says with a raised brow, waiting for some sort of punchline.
“They didn’t know that you own this gym until I told them.” When Weiss continues to stare at her, she grins. “I think you should give them a personal welcome whenever they come back.”
“You’re suggesting I greet every new person who walks into my gym?”
“Not everyone, just your new friends.” Weiss blinks at her then groans in disbelief. Now they’d be part of her life before she decided whether or not she wanted them to be, and she’s unsure how she feels about it after yesterday’s events. Pyrrha chooses that moment to walk in, right as Weiss is muttering how the universe has unexpected ideas for her life.
“Do you believe in destiny?” Pyrrha asks, and Weiss has never seen her so serious.
“You...think our meeting was fate?” The redhead glances at Weiss’s phone, which is conveniently lit up from a message notification from Yang. But that’s just a coincidence, Weiss tells herself, looking away from the sheer joy of her new lock screen background to face her friends.
“What I think is that they bring out a side of you that we haven’t seen in years.” Pyrrha says carefully, not bringing up anything or anyone that might cause Weiss to close herself off from the conversation. She steps forward, placing a gentle hand on Weiss’s shoulder, clear concern present in green eyes. “I think they’re good for you, and the fact that you didn’t look like you wanted to maim someone when you arrived this morning proves it.”
Small moments from the morning come back to her, and Weiss is smiling before she realizes it. She sighs and tries not to think about how they all took too long to get out of bed or how Yang can cook up a nice breakfast or how Blake manages to sound so soothing as they all tried to wake up or how easily sharing space was between them as they moved around the kitchen, never colliding but always revolving--
“We’re just friends.” Weiss proclaims, her voice unwavering but her thoughts unbalanced.
“I never said you weren’t,” Pyrrha says quickly while giving Nora a look to stop her from objecting. Nora just grins but does manage to keep quiet...about that at least.
“Are you going to at least check the message?” Weiss sighs and unlocks her phone if only to get her friend to stop pestering her about the completely platonic relationship she’s suddenly found herself in.
Staring at the message, Weiss’s words are slow as she tries to process the implication of the invitation she’s gazing at. “I’ve been...invited to join a group chat with them.”
For the second time that night, Nora slams her palms down in excitement, but this time, there’s a wide grin on her face.
“I’m going to show you all of the most important memes.”
“The what--I don’t need to know any of that!”
“What else would you talk about with them?” Weiss hopes that they’d talk about anything else, but there’s only one way to find out. She accepts the invitation and can’t help but roll her eyes fondly when Nora cheers.
Weiss is welcomed by subdued sarcasm from Blake and too many reaction images from Yang, which she’s sure is supposed to annoy her but instead makes her smile. The expression stays on her face as she looks back up at the other women, and Weiss feels a lingering lightness in her chest for the first time in years.
The future's looking brighter, and Weiss can’t wait to see how her life will change from here.