Two times Weiss Schnee regretted finding the bees, and one time she did not
"We should wait until morning to cross the bridge." Jaune had a tone of finality when he spoke now. Weiss wasn't sure if that was because of his age or his suffering from loneliness and betrayal. Maybe both. "There are wolf-boar scouts at night in the Dark Acre."
That sounded as confusing as any other threat in this place, and Weiss had learned to respect them. At least a little bit more. She stretched her neck and winced at the knot there, massaging it with a gloved hand. The small clearing they called a camp was damp from rain and quiet with just the three of them. "Hey, are you cold?" Weiss asked Ruby, who blinked and shrugged, but her skin was cool to the touch. "Where's Yang with more firewood?" Weiss didn't ask anyone specifically, but Jaune shook his head anyway. One look around, and Blake seemed to also be suspiciously absent. Groaning, Weiss set out to the task of being the only responsible and mentally stable huntress in their party.
She knew what she would find before she heard the muffled laughter, and Weiss missed home a little bit more, even if the thought of home made her feel sick. But right now she really missed doors with locks.
"I don't mind it." Weiss heard Blake's voice, low and raspy, and she never wanted to hear it again. "It's part of you."
"But don't you think it's too cold? Or too hot? The heat transfer is insane with the metal," Yang responded, giving more information than Weiss was willing to process.
"I'm approaching this area!" Weiss yelled from about ten feet away from the giggling couple. "I repeat, I, Weiss Schnee, perfectly capable of hearing and sight, am approaching this area!" she repeated, to which the giggling increased. The nerve of these dorks.
Weiss crossed a tree line to find Blake's boots just hitting the ground, her jacket rumpled, and Yang's arms still shamelessly around her.
"Heya, Weiss," Yang greeted with a grin while Blake had the decency to blush.
"Unbelievable," Weiss murmured, arms akimbo. "You left a while ago looking for firewood," she accused Yang, who shrugged and pointed to the forgotten heap at her feet. "Ruby's cold," Weiss added with a drop of teasing, satisfied with Yang's furrowed brows. "I know this is exciting and new for you," she continued, "but not everyone is in the mindset to enjoy your honeymoon phase. So please keep your hands to yourselves."
"We were about to head back," Blake offered with a small smile. "Care to give me a hand?" There was a glint in her eyes as she asked Yang, but it took Weiss a second too long to catch up.
"No problem!" Yang responded, detaching her prosthetic while Blake piled it along the firewood.
"I can't," Weiss said before walking back into the tree line without a second glance in the direction of her adorable but insufferable teammates. "And you have a hickey, Belladonna!" she added triumphantly, marching back to camp.
0000
The rain never stopped. It fell mercilessly, and they haven't seen the sun in the Dark Acre for days. Ruby had barely been speaking, and the tension between their group was palpable, like a constant heartburn in the back of Weiss's throat. They had been taking turns watching Ruby, and tonight it was Weiss's time to try and convince their broken leader to eat.
"It's not that bad," Weiss said as she chewed on stale carrot-cheese, offering a piece to Little and another to Ruby. "It's aged cheese, if you think about it."
"Yeah," Ruby answered apathetically, turning her back to Weiss. Impromptu naps were another thing Ruby had started doing, which Little celebrated at first but then understood that it was a problem.
"Rest." Weiss tried to adjust Ruby's hood around her, but the girl shrugged her off. "I'll check on Blake and Yang for more food."
"I'm not hungry."
"I know." Weiss took a deep breath and stood on the moist ground. Her fighting skirt had seen better days, but she was Weiss Schnee, and she patted her thighs with grace and elegance as she set into the task of finding more food. Rain kept its ruthless pace, though as she walked farther from camp, it seemed to slow to an annoying trickle. Her hair was not doing well either way.
She found a tree with fruits Jaune would have to clear for them before eating, and as she spotted another fruitful tree, she heard a sound that made her stop in her tracks.
Not a grimm; not a Jabberwalker. Right now, not even Salem's laughter would make Weiss this instantly mad. Weiss groaned out loud at the sound of moaning.
"What have I done to deserve this?" Weiss expressed to the picked fruit in her hands. She located the source of the sounds, a small cave to the side of a clearing. Part of her wanted to ignore it and bleach her brain, but Ruby was alone and they needed food. Someone needed to knock some sense into those two. She expected such abhorrent behavior from Yang, but pulling Blake into it was too much. She left the fruit outside the cave and took a deep breath.
"Too much, too much." Weiss heard Yang's voice echoing in the cave, followed by a hiss. "Slower, Blake."
Weiss froze on her way inside because there was absolutely no way they were up to that.
"I'm sorry," Blake replied, her voice low and calm. A sound of kissing followed, and Weiss gagged. "I'm going to try again. Try to relax."
Weiss wanted to die.
"But you also need to push a little harder on the way out, or it won't work."
Scratch that. Weiss was dead.
She jumped inside the cave, her rapier in the air as her other hand covered her eyes. "I can’t believe you two are even in the mood for such lewd behavior!" she yelled, brandishing her weapon at nothing. "I’m giving you ten seconds to look presentable before I open my eyes!"
"Weiss, open your eyes," Yang deadpanned.
"Are you both dressed?" Weiss pressed further.
"Yes," Yang confirmed in a similar monotone.
Weiss opened one eye first, scanning the cave quickly. Both Yang and Blake were indeed wearing pants, and while Yang had her jacket off, intimate body parts were 100% hidden. Yang’s arm was detached, and Blake’s hands were around the base connected to Yang’s scar.
"It’s been bothering me since I got it back," Yang explained. "I usually need help when detaching the base."
Heat flared in Weiss’ cheeks. "Well, I see you already have assistance." Weiss nodded at Blake, her cat ears betraying the laughter her mouth managed to dampen. "I will be heading back to camp, then."
"What did you think we were doing?" One golden eyebrow was up, followed by a half-smirk. "Weiss Schnee, did you really think Blake and I were having s—"
"You have no limits, Xiao Long."
"How dare you"—Yang placed her left hand over her heart—"I would never."
"Is everything okay back in the camp, Weiss?" Blake asked before the teasing escalated.
"We’re looking for food."
"We won’t take long," Blake amended with a small smile. Weiss frowned at Yang, who grinned innocently as she left.
"C’mon, let me tell her," Yang said once Weiss was out of earshot.
"Don’t you dare."
"It’ll be good for her!"
"Yang, no."
"It was just some hand stuff," Yang said while shaking her prosthetic.
Blake couldn’t hold her giggles, leaning to kiss Yang’s cheek. "I love you… but let’s tone it down around Weiss. She might explode."
"We should set her up with Jaune."
"Yang, no."
0000
Through the sandstorm, Weiss heard the familiar shriek of a Nevermore. Wyvern and Lancers also took the sky, attacking at random intervals.
"Ruby. Ruby, open your eyes!" she begged her unconscious teammate. After using her eye power, Ruby had fallen limply, and it took most of what was left of Weiss' aura to clear the path to her friend. "Ruby!" she yelled, sand entering her eyes and mouth. "Ruby, talk to me!"
"We gotta bounce!" Nora yelled from behind Weiss. "I’ll help you carry her!"
"Wait, where are Yang and Blake?" Weiss asked with Ruby’s arm around her neck.
"They were the ones distracting the big flying chicken."
"The Nevermore?"
Nora shrugged, shooting a flying grenade in the direction of an approaching flock of Wyverns before helping Ruby up from the other side.
"Can you take her by yourself?"
"Weiss, we need to leave!" Nora’s statement was punctuated by Winter’s chilly attack somewhere above them.
"I’ll meet you back at Shade!" Weiss didn’t look back and ran in the direction of the fight.
"Weiss!" She recognized Winter’s voice. "You need to leave this instant!" Her sister had become overprotective since they returned, but there was a layer of fresh desperation in Winter’s voice as she landed next to Weiss.
"Have you seen Blake and Yang?" Weiss held her sister’s shoulders.
Winter’s eyes widened. "Winter?" Weiss insisted, but they had to break apart as a Lancer tried to sting her from behind. As the grimm froze to death, Weiss latched to her sister’s forearm. "What happened, Winter?"
"I saw the moment Yang’s aura broke. Blake was with her, but I haven’t seen them since. Weiss, come back here!"
Nothing could stop Wiess from finding her friends—her family. Hunters ran in the opposite direction, as it was clear they had been called to retreat. They trickled in behind Winter’s line of defense, but none of the hunters were Yang or Blake. She wasn’t going to give up; Weiss would fight wave after wave of grimm to find them.
Winter had taken Weiss by the waist when she heard the familiar sound of a high-caliber weapon.
Ember Celica.
"They’re here!" Weiss yelled before her sister carried her away. "Yang! Blake!"
"Help!" Blake’s voice, followed by more shots. Winter was gone in a flash, flying through the harsh storm in the direction of Blake’s cries. Weiss watched as Blake ran in her direction, with Winter carrying an unconscious Yang above them.
"We need to go!" Winter ordered, grimm’s growling intensifying with the lack of hunters. "Now!"
Weiss took Blake’s forearm, as her hand was occupied holding the left pair of Ember Celica. "You two need to stop running away!"
Blake chuckled a wet laugh, her eyes red-rimmed. "We love you too!"
