Yang led Weiss on a short walk to the student apartments on the west side of campus. There were a lot of people out walking tonight, and Weiss assumed they too were headed to parties based on their outfits. The two went into one of the busier buildings and up a flight of stairs before Yang found the room they were looking for. She knocked and, after a few words in the right tone of voice to the boy who answered, they were let in.
Right from the start, Weiss could tell she was as far out of her element as she could be. The music was ear-shatteringly loud, the crowd composed of the exact kind of people she tried to avoid, and everyone had some unknown concoction of alcohol in a red solo cup in hand. Her first instinct was to just turn around and walk away now, but she knew Yang wouldn't let her. She was already here, and she decided to try to make the best of it. She made a bee line for a set of open chairs on the far side of the room, and Yang walked over to join her after a quick flirt with the boy at the door.
"Whatdya think?" the blonde asked after she surveyed the room.
"I think I can feel my brain cells dying with every passing second," the heiress begrudgingly replied. "You seriously think this is fun?"
Yang grinned, "It is when I'm not sober, but I'll make an exception and not drink too much tonight. Speaking of drinks though, I'm gonna go get one. You want anything?"
"Is there anything without alcohol?" Weiss asked, although she had a pretty good idea of what the answer would be.
"I dunno, I'll check," Yang said with a shrug before wading through the crowd to reach the kitchen. She returned a minute later with two solo cups and set the one in the front of Weiss. "Here, I got you a Vacuo iced tea."
The heiress picked up the plastic cup with a sceptical look and gave it a sniff. Huh, it actually doesn't smell like alcohol.
She took a cautious sip, then another before finally taking a full swig of it, still not tasting anything that would send up a red flag. "This is actually pretty good. What's in it?"
Yang shrugged again, "I forget what all goes into it."
"Okay... So what are you drinking?"
"Vodka and cranberry juice. Want some?"
"No!" Weiss said in an instant, acting as if the drink even touching her lips would kill her. "I told you I don't want any alcohol. Unlike you, I have a reputation to uphold."
Yang rolled her eyes, "Whatever you say, princess. So what's new? I feel like we never really just talk."
Quite a lot is new, actually, Weiss thought, laughing in her head at her own humour. Maybe I can talk to her about this. She is Blake's partner after all. I'm sure she'd know a way that I can cheer her up, or at least help me find a good way to apologise for the way I've been acting lately. As for the other thing, relationships do seem to be her specialty. Well, more hookups than actual relationships I guess, but I'd assume the two are fairly similar. I suppose I'll try to ease into the subject, see what happens. I think I'll take all the advice I can get right now.
"Nothing much," Weiss nonchalantly replied, taking another big gulp from her cup. She was surprised at how much she enjoyed it, and wondered how she'd never heard of the drink before. "Mostly just getting ready for next semester. What about yourself?"
"Umm... Not too much I guess. There's this new guy I've been seeing lately, but that's all I can think of."
"That doesn't count," Weiss smirked. "You're with a different guy every week. The newness would be if you didn't move on to the next one after you got tired of sleeping with the first."
Yang stuck out her tongue, "You guys keep making me out to be the biggest slut on campus. I'm not saying I don't get around, but it's not like I'm banging a different guy every night, or even every week for that matter."
The hint of anger in the blonde's tone made Weiss start to sink down in her chair. "Sorry," she said quietly. "I didn't mean to offend you, I was just joking around."
Yang's face immediately softened from the apology. Not just because she could see that it was sincere, but also because it was one of the few times she'd seen a genuine emotional response from Weiss to someone else. "Okay, really, you need to tell me what's going on," she said sternly. "I've known you for a couple months now, and I've never seen you give an apology I'd believed you meant. Whatever's bothering you is obviously something big, can you please tell me what it is? I promise I can help."
Weiss shook her head, "It's... complicated. I don't know if I'm ready to talk about it yet. Can we change the subject, please?"
Yang wanted to press more, but hesitated. She'd never seen Weiss like this, and she didn't want to make things any worse than they clearly already were. With a comforting smile, she reached over and gave the heiress a gentle pat on the back, "If you're sure. Just know that I'm always happy to help if you need someone to talk to. Let's see, new subject... Umm... Read any good books lately?"
Weiss smiled weakly, "I think that's a better question for Blake. I don't think a day's gone by where she hasn't finished a new book. But no, I haven't. I don't do a lot of reading outside of textbooks. Although the book Professor Port is using for his class this semester is pretty fascinating. There are a lot of interesting theories and insights about Grimm behaviour and—"
"Boooring," Yang interrupted, grinning at the annoyed look she was getting from Weiss. "Oh lighten up. Not everyone shares your obsession with school. It'd do you some good to get out more."
"Isn't that the point of you dragging me here?" the heiress asked, partly as a sarcastic response but also out of curiosity.
Yang shrugged, "Well, yeah, but going to one party with me isn't gonna suddenly turn you into a social butterfly, which I doubt would ever happen anyway. You really do need to work on your social skills. We could give it a try here if you'd like."
"Okay... Go on," Weiss sceptically replied.
"I dunno, wanna just walk around and talk to people? Make some new friends, maybe pick up a cute guy, never know." Weiss' face fell slightly at the suggestion, leaving Yang wondering what she'd said wrong. She noticed the reaction only came after mentioning picking up guys, and made a connection in her head. "That's what's bothering you, isn't it? Something about a boy?"
There's just no escaping this, is there? the heiress thought sadly. Alright, I may as well just get everything out there.
Weiss sighed, "Yes and no. It's a couple of things."
"Well, let's just go down the list then, if you're ready to talk about it," Yang suggested, being sure to give an out to the conversation.
"I... Alright," Weiss said reluctantly. "I guess the first thing is Blake."
"Blake? What about Blake? This isn't still about her being a Faunus, is it?"
Weiss shook her head, "No, not at all. When we were in the library earlier, she asked me if there were any guys I'm interested in, which was a bit odd, but then she added in if there were any girls I liked. I didn't exactly react well to the whole girls part, and I really upset her. I didn't know that she was a lesbian. I apologised, but after the way I acted after finding out that she's a Faunus, I think I might've actually hurt her. I'm almost positive she hates me now and I don't know what to do to show her that I'm not the hateful bigot I keep making myself out to be."
"I don't think she hates you," Yang began after a moment of thought. "I doubt that she sees you as a best friend either, but hating you seems like a little much. How did she react when you apologised?"
Weiss shrugged, "She said there were no hard feelings, gave me a hug, and said that I'm a good friend. I know that sounds like everything's fine, but there was this... I don't know how to describe it, but it felt like there was something she wasn't telling me."
"I don't think Blake is the kind of person to keep secrets," Yang replied, then stopped to laugh at what she'd said. "Well, about stuff like this anyway, she's usually pretty upfront about her feelings towards other people. If she were really upset with you, you'd know it. If she said you're a good friend, then I'm sure she meant it."
"I guess..." Weiss said quietly, hoping that Yang was right. "I still think I need a better way to apologise for all this. Can you think of anything?"
"If you want to give a good apology, it should come from you, not me. But, if I were you, I'd take her out somewhere nice for an afternoon. Hang out, have fun, just act like a couple of friends."
Weiss thought it over for a moment before nodding, "That sounds good. Maybe we could go shopping, let her buy some nice stuff on me."
Yang rolled her eyes, "Nope, try again. Blake's not gonna be won over by being bought a bunch of expensive crap, especially when it comes from someone with more money than... well... anyone. Do something more personal, or just ask if there's somewhere she'd like to go."
"I can do that," Weiss said with a smile before finishing her drink. "Hey, mind if I ask you for a refill?"
"Wow, you're done with that already?" Yang asked, wide eyes.
The heiress shrugged, "Yeah, it was pretty good. Why?"
"Um, no reason really. I'll get you another. Be right back." Yang got up and once again braved the crowd, giving Weiss a moment to think over their conversation.
Alright, I think talking to her was the right call, at least about Blake. She was really understanding, and helpful, so I think I can trust her with my other problem. I don't know if she'll be able to give as much advice, but we'll have to see.'
While waiting for Yang to return, Weiss started to feel a little off. She felt a little dizzy, her head was a little fuzzy, but for some reason she had a warm feeling emanating from deep inside her. That's really weird... Maybe I'm coming down with something. Wouldn't surprise me with how many people are here. I can't imagine this place is sanitary by any standard. I swear, if I'm sick for the start of the semester because of Yang, I will be furious!
The brawler returned with Weiss' refill shortly after, and the heiress gladly took a few sips before setting it down. "You might wanna slow down," Yang commented, forgetting that she hadn't said anything about the contents of the drink.
Weiss gave her a puzzled look, "What? Why?"
"Oh, uh... There's probably a lot of sugar in that. Wouldn't want you up all night," Yang replied, pleased with her save. But, she still needed to quickly change the subject to keep Weiss from getting suspicious. "Anyway, onto the next item on your list of what's bothering you."
Weiss was quiet for a moment before letting out a heavy sigh. "Alright... But this stays between us, alright?" she asked nervously, receiving a nod. "Okay... Well, the other thing that's bothering me is... something Blake said while we were in the library."
Yang looked confused, "I thought that was what we just talked about?"
Weiss shook her head, "Yeah, well... there's more to it. I guess I should start by saying that I was raised in a really, really conservative house. Homosexuality was not a topic we ever openly talked about except for when my parents would make a comment about something in the news."
"Okay... What does that have to do with anything?" Yang asked, still not entirely sure where the heiress was leading into.
"Well, it never really occurred to me that I could be... you know..." Weiss continued. Her cheeks started to turn red as she spoke, her foot started tapping nervously, and her gaze turned down to the floor. "After she said that, it started dawning on me that I... I might actually like girls... I'm just so confused, and scared, and... and... I don't know, I don't know what to do..." Yang didn't respond right away, making Weiss look up to see how her teammate was reacting. To her surprise, Yang was wearing a huge smile. Not that she had expected a particularly bad reaction, but she certainly hadn't expected this. "Yang? Why are you smiling?"
"Because I'm so happy for you!" the blonde exclaimed, leaning over and wrapping Weiss in a bear hug. "Coming out takes a lot of courage, and I'm glad you found who you really are! You've changed a lot since I met you, and it's always been for the better. I know this'll be a good thing for you."
"No, no, this is NOT a good thing!" Weiss yelled. "I mean, I guess it is good to know what I really like, but I can't be a lesbian! I can't! My parents are going to disown me if they find out!"
"Oh come on, don't be so—"
"I'm not kidding!" Weiss interrupted with a look of absolute panic. "They really will disown me... My father will do anything to preserve the 'purity' of our family, and the company. He's fired major executives and cut ties with partners he's had for years when they came out... I can't imagine how he'll react when he finds out his own daughter is... is..."
Come on, don't do this here, Weiss thought, doing her best to hold herself together. Her attempt failed and she burst into tears, taking Yang by surprise since she'd never seen this kind of emotion from Weiss before.
Yang pulled her in close, letting the heiress rest her head on her shoulder. "Shh, shh, it's alright," Yang whispered, gently stroking Weiss' hair. "I'm here for you. Your whole team is. Nothing bad is gonna happen, I promise. Just don't tell your family yet. There's no need for them to know."
"B-But... but..." Weiss' muffled voice came between sobs. She lifted her head and sat back, wiping her eyes and taking a deep breath to calm herself down. "What if there's a girl I really like? What am I supposed to do? No, what am I even saying, this is stupid. I don't know for sure I do like girls, or that I don't like boys. I need to be absolutely sure before I let this go any further."
"Well, there's an easy way to find out," Yang smiled. "Ask someone on a date, boy or girl. If you think you like them going in, then you'll have your answer by the time your date is over. You know, there's a school dance coming up not long after classes start up again. Maybe you could ask someone."
"I thought it was the guy's job to ask me?" Weiss replied. "And besides, I couldn't take a girl as my date. It's way too public, and my father would find out somehow. I just know it."
Yang shrugged, "Then ask a guy. How about that blue-haired boy Sun brought to lunch? I don't think you took your eyes off him until we left. What was his name again?"
"Neptune," Weiss quickly answered, then blushed from how eager she'd sounded.
Yang grinned, "I think that answers whether or not you like him, or at least think you do. Ask him, see what happens. Either way, you'll have the answer you're looking for by the end of the night."
"I guess that sounds alright," the heiress said after taking a moment to think about it. "This is all just so confusing... All I wanna do is—"
Wait, did I just say wanna? I never say wanna, my grammar is... Um... What's the word? Impervious? No, no... Impeccable, that's it. Hang on, why don't I know that right away? And why do I feel so light headed, and...? Oh no... No, she wouldn't have, would she? But... it doesn't even taste like alcohol!
"Yang, what did you say is in this drink...?" Weiss asked with a hint of worry in her voice.
Yang gave her a confused look, trying to pretend she didn't know why the question had come up. "I told you, I don't remember everything that—"
"What DO you remember is in it?" Weiss interrupted, asking the question she realised she should've asked when the drink had first been handed to her. "There's alcohol in this, isn't there?"
Yang sighed, "Alright, yes... It's pretty much all booze. Vodka, rum, gin, tequila... I think there's lemon juice, maybe some triple sec?"
The blonde's rambling was clearly an attempt to distract Weiss and hopefully quell her anger a little bit. It didn't work, and the heiress looked as though she were about to shoot fire from her eyes. "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME THAT?"
"Because I needed to get you to talk to me about what was wrong," Yang replied with a level expression. "I admit it probably wasn't the best way to do it, but it worked. You've gotten everything out, and we can help you now. Don't you feel better having talked about it?"
"I... Well... I guess," Weiss admitted, although she wasn't happy to. "But next time wait until I'm ready, okay? I'd rather you just bug the hell outta me than get me drunk."
Yang smiled, "Can do. Now come on, let's have some fun!"
The rest of the night was a quick blur in Weiss' head. She could remember bits of broken conversations with Yang, although not what they were about. She remembered going with Yang to talk to a pair of cute guys, but the more she thought about it, the more she saw that they weren't as cute as she had originally thought. What she didn't remember at all was how much she'd had to drink, how she'd gotten back to the dorm, or at what time. All she knew was that the next morning came more abruptly than anticipated from a bright light shining in her eyes. Everything also seemed far louder than usual.
Wh... Wha...? she thought in a daze as she started to wake up. Her head was pounding, the sun seemed to be blinding her through the curtains, and above all else, she felt like she needed to throw up. Although, judging by the taste in her mouth, she assumed she already had. What... What happened? Where...? How'd I get back to the dorm? Holy shit, I feel like I'm going to die...
She rolled over to get the sun out of her eyes, and heard a little chuckle from the other side of the room. "Good morning, sleepyhead," Blake said with a very amused voice, almost taunting her hungover teammate. "I take it someone had a pretty good time with Yang last night?"
"Don't even start with me," the heiress groaned. Her nausea only got worse from talking, forcing her to curl up tighter and take slow, deep breaths to keep everything down. There was a metallic thud on the other side of the bed that sounded like a gong to her, and she rolled back over to see what had happened. She found Blake standing beside the bed, and the trash can had been moved over to be in line with her head.
"Just in case you need it," the Faunus girl said with a smile. "Anything else I can get you? A glass of water? Maybe some ginger ale?"
Wait, what? Why is she being so nice to me? After the way I acted yesterday...
"Y-Yeah, ginger ale sounds great," Weiss replied with an obvious look of confusion.
Blake just continued to smile, "Coming right up." She disappeared into the hallway, leaving Weiss utterly dumbfounded as to why she was being so helpful.
I can't believe she isn't more upset at me... I really need to do something nice for her, especially with the way I've been acting. Anyway, back to last night... What do I remember happening? Yang and I talked about Blake, and about my whole liking girls thing... Wait a minute, that's it! Blake can help me! I'm sure she went through this same thing at some point when she came out, maybe she can help me with it. I feel bad about asking her for help with how big of a jerk I've been lately, but I'll make it up to her somehow.