I Think I Like You – Yang POV

Epilogue: A Sister's Perspective

My sister has never been the best at hiding things.

She always gets flustered really fast and overly compensates with her body movement when she has something she's refraining from saying, like tugging at her neck collar or refusing to make eye contact

Growing up, I never did notice this behavior much. She was a good kid, maybe a little hyperactive and excitable, but good nonetheless.

However, during our senior year at Beacon, I notice her demeanor change ever-so-slightly - once she joined the council.

The first day she joined, I remember in the moments after our introductions, we proceeded to start arguing and chattering amongst ourselves.

I laughed as Jaune tried to defend himself and the other members were quick to take a side. Resting my hands on the table, I took a brief moment to look across the room at my sister.

"Is it always like this?" She asked the council president, Weiss, eyes wide in questioning.

Weiss turned to her with an irritated expression and my sister looked down to the floor, probably intimidated beyond belief, the poor girl.

"Sadly, yes this is it." The pres gave a familiar sigh that I knew all too well at that point. "Welcome to the student council."

Early on, there were days I would watch her out of the corner of my eye, while I was barely paying attention to playing games on my phone or absentmindedly handing off folders to Blake.

Being the older sister, I had always felt responsibility for Ruby, especially with our moms out of the picture. It was second nature to me at this point to observe her whenever she was near me.

"This is too hard, Weiss. I told you I can't do it!" She would complain, attempting for the tenth time to run to the copier correctly.

"Quit doubting yourself and just press the buttons as I say!" Weiss fired back at her.

Ruby bit her lip and twiddled her fingers together. "But last time I accidently copied all those pages wrong! I don't want that to happen again."

"Yes, as I'm thoroughly aware of, seeing as I got an earful about the incident from Ms. Goodwtich." Weiss griped, pinching her nose in frustration. "Now, just press the color preference button!"

"I'll mess it up!" Ruby fretted.

"Stop acting like a third grader!"

"Stop yelling at me!"

My sister was skittish around her, warry, and I could tell Weiss wasn't in the least bit thrilled to have a new member to train, especially one as giddy and somewhat dense as my sister.

They clashed, butted heads about almost anything. It was enough to give the rest of the council a headache to say the least.

I don't exactly remember when, but at some point, their demeanor around each other… changed, like something had happened between them. Weiss was still harsh and bossy, but somewhat less so around Ruby, as if she felt bad for treating her like she was inferior or foolish at times.

Ruby was a whole different story though. I've never seen her stick to someone as close as she would to the president. She acted like she was a baby koala bear and Weiss was her mom, who she clung to with an urgency that was a little off-putting, not bad or anything, but noticeable even to someone as, admittedly, blockheaded as me.

I never did ask her about it though.

"Hey, Blake." I asked one day, whilst we were sitting alone, counting folders in the council room. "Do those two seem different to you?"

"Hmm?" Blake inquires, absentmindedly, not paying full attention as she flipped through the filing cabinet.

"My sister and the pres. They're acting weird, right? It's not just me seeing that?"

Blake only shrugged and tucked some more papers away. "I think it's nice they're finally getting along."

"I guess… It's just weird seeing Ruby stick to her like a piece of gum stuck under her shoe or something."

Blake glanced over at me through her eyelashes, her dark hair hiding most of her eyes, watching me as I sifted through folders distractedly.

"If you're worried about your sister finding someone she'd rather hang out with than you, you should be happy. She's a senior, not to mention her own person."

I exasperatedly held my head up and reached my arm out to gesture. "Well, duh. I know that. I just don't want Ice princess screwing with Rubes head, she's impressionable."

"She's not the only one." I heard Blake mutter.

"What was that?"

"Nothing. Can you hand me the reports at the bottom of the stack?"

During one of our meetings I made the slip up of calling Weiss Ice Queen in front of Ruby. Needless to say, her reaction was not what I expected.

"I said, don't call her that."

The animosity of her words had stunned me into silence, confusion, and I made up for it the only way I knew how, through humor.

"Geez, Rubes, I'm sorry. Didn't know you hated nicknames so much."

At the time, I didn't know what to think. Never had I seen my good-natured sister be so set off like that. I started to think maybe Weiss had something to do with it, the way she was hot-headed and stubborn had been rubbing off on my little sister.

We made up later, both of us admitting we were somewhat in the wrong, but I couldn't help the nagging thought in the back of my head that the president might have been responsible.

I brought it up to Blake the next day, as we sat eating lunch under a tree in the courtyard. Blake munched on an apple and she flipped a page in her book, while I explained my thought process to her, knowing she would understand the situation best of anyone.

"Well, what do you think? Is my sister's purity being tarnished by the pres?... She did leave the house this morning without thanking me for pouring her milk. Oh god, what am I gonna do?"

Blake finished the line she was reading and annoyedly took her bookmark to set between the next page, shutting the book with a satisfying thump. "First off, Weiss is uptight, not boorish. Second, you could see it as a good thing your sister is finally standing up for something. And third, could you please stop dropping your farcical, internal-crisis problems on me during lunch? This isn't your therapy session."

I groaned and fell back onto my back in the grass. "I'm just worried is all. She's never had a friend like this before."

"What about the orange-haired girl I see her with sometimes?" Blake questioned.

"Who? Penny? She doesn't count."

"Why not?"

"'Cause Penny's… different." I said, like it was the most obvious thing to know.

"Different how?"

"I don't know!" I groaned again, covering my face and peaking through my fingers at the sky. "They're both antisocial geeks who don't understand how to give a proper greeting. Weiss is like - she's like the final boss in one of those games - where if she defeats you then your reputation is ruined forever."

"How dramatic." Blake deadpanned. "You should join theater club."

I sat up and gave her an incredulous look. "This is serious!"

The quieter girl blew out a tired breath of air and rested her hands on her knees, sitting crisscross and leaning back against the tree behind her. "Theatrics aside, you should just let it be. Ruby's got a good head on her shoulders. She's not going to go join a gang or something because Weiss taught her how to defend herself."

"She might!"

"Yang."

"Gah! Whatever! I've played Yakuza, I know how these things go!"

Blake stared at me for a few moments before she started chuckling, a rare sight for my soft-spoken friend.

"I think you two are more alike than you realize."

I found myself watching them on multiple occasions.

During the chalk-walk, as I walked around helping students resupply on materials and complimenting their designs, each time I looked over to those two, Ruby always seemed to be looking at her.

Whether it be chucking paper airplanes at the Schnee or giggling in a way I know she only does when she's trying to push your buttons, they always seemed to be engaged in some way.

At one point, Velvet brought me some water towards the end of the event and I remember how glad I was too see her, since she was never around much anymore after leaving the council.

"You didn't have to bring me this, you know?" I said, opening the bottle and taking a few long swigs anyways. "We got Blake on water duty for a reason." I finished, wiping some water off my mouth.

"Oh, don't worry. It's really no bother. You all have so much on your plate as is."

I looked back over to the sign in table, having seen Ozpin walking up to my sister and the pres. Ruby was leaned over, continuing to pester Weiss by nuzzling into her shoulder, Weiss looking as though she's ready to throw my sister across the courtyard.

"Those two just never quit, do they." I sighed, saying it as more of a statement than a question.

Velvet raised a questioning eyebrow and looked over to where I was watching the older council member attempt to pry my sister off her arm. "Who? Those two? You can't be serious?"

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"They seem really close to me." Velvet stated, shrugging.

I laughed and shook my head, taking another quick swig of water. "Close, hmm...? I haven't heard that one before."

"I think they're quite cute, actually." She inquired, switching her gaze to some students working on their chalk design. "Oh, wow. That's a really nice one. I think I'm going to go check this out, you want to come with?" She asked, beginning to walk away.

I gave her a smile and waved her off. "Nah, I gotta keep helping around. You have fun though!"

Letting my hand fall, I sighed and shielded my eyes from the baking sun, turning back towards the sign in table.

Ozpin was walking away from the council members and Weiss had turned to Ruby, giving her a flick on the forehead. Ruby held her head and whined before the two began arguing once more.

Cute, huh?

I mean, Weiss and Ruby have had many fights.

There was one right before Nora's bonfire that had the two seemingly at each other's throats for days. It was tiring to say the least.

The only way I was able to convince Ruby to come to the party was by telling her Weiss was going to be there.

It has always been hard for me to see my little sister upset, and Ruby is not one to be upset by many things. Sure, when she was younger she was a bit of a crybaby, but she's always had this sense of right and wrong – a good intuition, I suppose. If something is unfair she'll let you know and if someone if being treated wrong she won't take it at face value.

She might not know of her moral compass herself, but it's helped me out more times than I can count throughout the years.

Anyways, the two leading council members seemed to make up during Nora's party, albeit, they were still somewhat awkward, but at least they were talking again.

There was one day I was supposed to be taking Ruby home, she had ridden with me on my bike that morning instead of her bicycle.

I remember walking out of the council room, expecting her to be behind me, and turning around to find she wasn't there.

Peeking my head around the corner, I saw my sister and Weiss… watching at each other?

After a moment, I called for Ruby, making her jump and skittishly jog passed me out of the council room. Although I hadn't made it a big deal or thought much of it, I did find it quite odd at the time.

Ruby had been turned away from me, so I couldn't see what expression she was making, but the pres had this… look on her face.

A look that I had a very hard time interpreting.

At the time, I was probably just too dense to see it, but for anyone else, it must have been easy to tell – the two of them shared something special.

I don't know if I can describe true surprise to you – that feeling of what being in pure shock feels like.

Maybe it's that moment your parents tell you Santa and the tooth fairy aren't real? That moment you're lying in your bed at eleven at night and remember you have a paper due the next morning? Or how about walking in on your pure and innocent little sister pinning a girl to her bedroom floor?

The sight had left me nonplused to say the least – me being too bewildered to process what I was looking at for a good few moments.

I had stiffly nodded my head and pointed out the door.

"Right…uhh, I'm gonna go somewhere that's not, uhm, here."

I stepped out and had slowly closed the door behind me, my eyes still wide and blinking as I attempted to put so many pieces together in my head.

"YANG, WAIT!" Ruby yelled, bursting through her bedroom door. "I-It's not what it looks like!"

I blinked and set my hands on my hips. "Uhh, it looks like you were making out with the p-"

"I fell!" Ruby, squeaked.

"You fell?" I found myself holding back laughter at the terrible excuse. "With your hands on Weiss's-"

"-Okay, fine! I didn't fall!" Ruby admitted, stumbling over to me. "Please don't tell dad! Or anyone for that matter!"

I remember glancing down at my sister with questioning eyes, wondering why she was acting so frantic – fearful.

Looking at the worry in her eyes made me feel uneasy. It always has.

I leaned over and brushed some hair out of her eyes, giving her a small, comforting smile. "Why don't you grab Weiss and we'll talk in the kitchen?"

After having a long and awkward talk – I just felt plain stupid for not putting the pieces together sooner.

Sure, I was surprised. At first, it seemed like a very random occurrence, myself never having even thought the two council heads might have romantic feelings for each other, but the more they explained the more it was easier for me to see how it all probably happened.

It's was easier for me to imagine Ruby having a crush on Weiss maybe, speculating from a very young age she had never been interested in boys. The president on the other hand, I would have sooner guessed she would get together with that Neptune kid who hangs around her sometimes. Maybe that's just my internal bias though.

"It's okay, Weiss." Ruby said as we finished having our conversation, watching me look at them across the table. "Yang won't say anything. Right Yang?"

I found myself grinning at the two nervous council members.

Of course, I had no issues with their relationship, if anything I'm beyond happy for my little sister. I wouldn't think about telling anyone if they didn't want me to. That being said, I felt as though some light-hearted teasing was in order.

"Oh, you two are just adorable."

They groaned and Ruby told me off some more, all the while I sat at the kitchen counter with a smug grin.

I remember watching them as Ruby showed her out. Weiss took a while to say goodbye to Zwei, which seemed to irk Ruby a bit, but I continued just quietly watching them from the kitchen.

Weiss bent down to put her shoes on and I can't help but remember the look Ruby gave her when she was tying her laces. They were talking, I can't quite recall what about, but the way they just… kept looking at each other has stuck with me.

It was the most mundane thing – seeing someone off that's important to you – watching how they interacted and the worried look on Ruby's face when she asked Weiss if she'll be alright getting home.

There was this short yet soft expression they shared as Ruby waved her off and closed the door, the look staying on her face even when Weiss was gone, as though she was smiling at herself.

"You really like her, don't you?" I asked, leaning against the wall by the entryway.

"What?"

"You don't have to deny it. It's written all over your face."

Ruby puts her hands to her cheeks, attempting to cover her reddening skin. "I-I wasn't denying it!"

"So, you like her?"

Ruby grumbles a bit and pushes past me in the hallway, probably heading up to her room. "Y-Yeah…"

"You realy, reeeally like her?" I tease, turning my head around and waggling my eyebrows.

"Yang!"

Ruby and Weiss dropped by the council room one day during lunch, where Blake and I were eating and doing some extra filing.

As Weiss went to sift through her binder for something, Ruby had stood next to her, subconsciously running a hand in circles along the presidents back.

I'm pretty sure if Weiss had noticed the motion she would have immediately told my sister off, however, she pays no mind as she grabs a paper she was seemingly looking for and saying goodbye to us before heading out of the room, Ruby hot on her heels.

Blake turned to me with a raised eyebrow. "Those two are dating, right?"

I continued munching on a granola bar and gave Blake a grin, knowing my quiet friend was way too smart to not have figured it out eventually.

"Yep."

There was one night where Ruby was worrying about Weiss not messaging her back, so to help distract her Blake and I started a game of never have I ever.

Although I didn't appreciate being teamed up on as I was, Ruby eventually got a text from Weiss and she, of course, immediately ran to the front door to slip her shoes on and meet her.

Knowing I couldn't stop her, it's all I can do to remind her she should bring a jacket and to stay safe, since it's so late out.

She gave me a nod before heading out the door and I plopped myself back down on the sofa, letting out a sigh.

"Ugh, they grow up so fast!" I exclaimed, leaning back and covering my eyes with my arm.

Blake lightly chuckled from her end of the sofa. "I think you'll make it."

I bit my lip and fiddled with the TV remote, not unpausing the show we had been watching yet.

"Do you think everything is going to work out between those two?"

"Hmm?" Blake questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Like, do you think they're going to be together for a while."

My normally quiet friend crossed her legs and leaned her chin into her hand. "Well, in my experience, when you're willing to leave your house late at night to go see the person, it usually means you care a great deal about them."

"Whoa, really?" I question in surprise, sitting up slightly. "You talking about your ex?"

She made a disgusted face, looking slightly taken aback, and shook her head. "What? No, absolutely not. He was terrible."

"Oh… then who?"

I remember Blake looking at me with disdain and fiddling with her hoodie strings. "Nothing… forget it. But if you're asking me if I think those two could stay together indefinitely, I would probably say yes. It's not often you find someone who you can fight about anything with and make up the next day the way those two do."

"Yeah, I guess you're right…" I acknowledged. "I just get so worried, ugh."

"It's alright to worry Yang, she's your sister after all."

I nodded and spun the remote around in my hand a few times, shooting Blake a grin across the couch.

"You know, I'm really glad you're my friend, Blake."

"Oh, why's that?" She asked, turning to look at me.

The way her amber eyes met mine made my gaze faulter. She has those types of eyes that make it seem as though she can see right through you, yet the murkiness in her irises hide so much about what she's really feeling. I've always had trouble getting a good read on her, even though we've been friends for, like, forever.

I felt like I took a moment longer than necessary to answer, and I swiftly turned my gaze down to the floor, scratching my neck in embarrassment.

"Oh, uh, I mean, who else watches trashy TV shows with me and lets me drag them to parties every weekend?"

Looking over briefly, Blake squinted her eyes, continuing to watch me for a few more moments before sighing and turning back towards the TV.

"You're an idiot." She stated.

I held a dramatic hand up to my chest. "Wha- So mean!"

She threw a couch cushion at me and I deflected it, laughing and grabbing another to throw back at her. This goes on for a bit and our laughter rings out through the house like it's own melody.

…We never did finish watching our show.

I sure have learned a lot of things throughout the time my sister has been in the council.

The thing I learned during the festival is that the president sucks at snowball fights - like - really sucks.

Thinking back to music fest yesterday, Ruby dragging Weiss and dad throughout the stalls, the council making their toast, getting to listen to so much great music while drinking warm drinks… it brings a smile to my face as I gaze out my kitchen window.

A loud beep beep beep breaks my thinking, and I walk over to the microwave to take out my bag of popcorn I'd been heating up.

As I set the hot bag down on the counter, I hear the front door being pushed open and slammed shut once more.

"God damn, it's freezing outside!" I hear Ruby curse from the entryway, the scuffling of her boots being thrown on the floor following her outburst.

"You back already?" I call out to her. "I thought cleanup was going until five?"

"It was!" Ruby calls back. "We ended early because there was a blizzard warning."

She walks into the kitchen, shaking snow out of her hair as Zwei bumbles along behind her, his tail wagging against her pant leg.

"Hey there, boy." She coos, bending down momentarily and giving the excited pup a good scratch behind the ear. "Did Yang remember to give you breakfast this morning?" She asks the corgi, as though he would respond back.

I roll my eyes and poor my popcorn into a bowl on the table "Don't worry, I fed him. Want some popcorn?"

"Oh! Yes, please!" Ruby eagerly stands up and takes a handful.

"Someone's in a good mood." I inquire, raising my eyebrows.

My sister shrugs. "I guess you could say that."

"You have a good time at the festival? I haven't seen you since yesterday."

"The best." Ruby says, shoveling more popcorn into her mouth.

"That snowball fight was pretty good wasn't it? You saw me make that throw at Cardin towards the end, right?"

She laughs, nearly falling off her stool and leaning onto the kitchen island to keep steady. "Definitely. Best throw I've seen you make in a long time."

"Hell yeah, it was!"

I make a dramatic reenactment of throwing the snowball and Ruby giggles along, munching on some more popcorn as she watches me.

"…I've decided I really like winter." She says, almost as if she's talking to herself.

I lean back onto the counter and throw a few pieces of the salty snack in my mouth. "Even with having to shovel the driveway and not being able to walk outside without freezing your ass off?" I question.

Ruby sighs and shakes her head. "Even with shoveling driveways and freezing my ass off."

"Well, why's that?"

"Don't know. It's just been… a lot of fun lately I guess." She shrugs and takes a handful of popcorn. "And, like… isn't watching the snow fall just the best?"

I raise an eyebrow and turn towards the window. After a moment, I look back at my sister with a knowing look.

"Alright, what's got you all dopey?"

"Whatd'ya mean?" Ruby questions through a mouthful of popcorn.

"Ah-ah, you know you can't hide things from me. Sisters intuition - so spill."

Ruby rolls her eyes, but looks away from me, bashfully, as though her mind is a million miles away from the conversation. She looks at the floor with this small smile, a smile that's so sincere it makes my lips turn up slightly before even hearing what she has to say.

"Weiss said she loves me."

"Oh, yeah?" I say, my grin growing. "Did you say it back?"

Ruby sputters and turns to me with an incredulous expression, making me laugh and choke on my popcorn with how offended she looks.

"Wha-! Of course, I did! I said it first anyways!" She says, proudly.

"Ah, I see. That makes more sense." I say, knowing my sister wasn't the type to wait around when she feels something like that. She's always been good at figuring out how to say what she feels.

"What does that mean?" She frets. "You don't think Weiss would tell me on her own?"

"Not necessarily. It's just… a very you thing to do." I say, giving her a knowing look.

Ruby mumbles some incoherent words and smiles nervously into her bowl of popcorn.

I chuckle and lightly jab my sister in the shoulder. "Joking aside, that's great. I'm happy for you two."

"Yeah, I'm-… I'm really happy too."

I just shake my head in incredulity, looking at my love-struck sister. It's not that her normal demeaner isn't honest and endearing in its own way, but the way she's acting right now borderlines the completely whipped category.

"I can tell. You've looked like a tomato ever since you walked inside."

"Have not!"

"You so have."

"Ugh, you're so annoying." She groans.

Ruby harrumphs and steps down from her stool, taking a handful of popcorn with her as she walks towards the hallway.

"Ruby." I call out from behind her.

"Yeah?" My sister questions, stopping with her hand on the stair banister.

I bite my lip and give her a sincere smile. "I know you're happy and I know that Weiss has been a great influence on you- but I want you to know you can still come to me if you ever need help with… anything. I'm still your big sister, yeah?"

Ruby rolls her eyes and gives me a goofy grin. "The best big sister I could ask for."

She thumps up the stairs and moments later, I hear the familiar sound of her bedroom door opening and shutting.

Taking another handful of popcorn, I look out the kitchen window, at the lightly falling snow, flurrying downwards and accumulating in small piles on the old cracked sidewalks and yellowing grass.

I may have taught my sister many lessons over the years, but that's not to say my sister hasn't taught me plenty of things too.

I guess now I know how much a simple thing like a snowfall can mean to a person.