Hello, hello. This story is an adaptation of "A Witch's Hand," by Yotsuhara Furiko, but I decided to make it gayer than it already is, and then add a dash of Freezerburn. Enjoy!

When I was in elementary school, I saw a program on TV talking about a survey. The participants were asked personal questions, and one group had their arms lightly stroked while being asked. That group was willing to answer more questions than the group that wasn't touched. It eventually came to the conclusion that casual touches can help you get on someone's good side, and that the touches were most effective if you wait a moment before removing your hand.

I was taken in by that –the whole idea that something so simple could affect people in such a profound way- and wanted to try it out for myself; I didn't have many friends after all, so I felt I had nothing to lose. I went to sleep that night, curled up in my bed excited to try it out as soon as I got to school tomorrow.

Being able to influence someone with such a minor action? It was like magic.

I walked down the road to school the next day, bundled up in a warm jacket and watching as my breath turned into clouds and disappeared into the air. My peers looked the same, comically swallowed up by their oversized jackets as they chatted animatedly with each other.

I sucked in an excited breath.

I want to try it.

I made to dash forward, a shout of "Morning!" halfway out my lips before a hand grasped my shoulder and beat me to it.

"Morning! It's cold out today, huh?"

My classmate, Yang Xiao Long -her attire not matching her words-somehow not feeling the chill of December in her thin jacket, smiled warmly at me. Her hand lingered on my shoulder for a moment before she gave it a gentle squeeze and released, her expression unchanging.

I could only gape, my mind stuttering to a stop as my plan failed before it even began. It was as if she had pulled the rug out from underneath me. And to top it off she had done exactly what I had intended to do! Was it a coincidence? Could she read my mind? Or had she simply seen the same program as me?

I didn't have a chance to ask before Yang said, "I saw you walking from way back there, so I ran to catch you, Weiss!" Perhaps it was the chill in the air, but Yang's cheeks were redder than I ever remembered them being.

She looked happy, far happier than I would ever think someone could be around me, but she and her sister were like that. They were bright, cheerful, the kind of people who made everyone around them feel better. It was… addicting to say the least.

And while Ruby was a wonderful girl, there was something about Yang that drew me in more than her little sister. I couldn't say whether it was that crooked grin that she always sported –like the world was just some game she was about to win—or whether it was the way she made me seem like I was the only person in the world, but every moment she was near, it felt like she was casting a spell on me.

I must have been frozen in place for longer than I realized, because the next thing I knew, her calloused hands –rough from her frequent softball practices—had cupped my cheeks.

I could feel them warm, and I knew it wasn't entirely the fault of Yang's constant heat she exuded. I wanted to look away and hide my reddened cheeks, but her lilac eyes trapped me, until I could only stare at her smiling face.

"Did I startle you?" She asked with a laugh. "You should see your face right now."

Though she'd always had a gravity about her, the feeling that swelled up inside me in that instant was something new. The feeling of her fingers on my skin overwhelmed me; it was a feeling far more intimate than I had ever known.

One brief moment was all it took.

After that, I was in the palm of her hand.

"You're reading that stuff again?"

I glanced up from my book, Psychology: Understanding the Human Mind, and my expression must have given away my irritation because Blake held up her hands in a placating gesture.

"You're always reading those psychology books," she said, leaning against my desk.

"I don't want to be lectured about reading habits by you of all people," I huffed, turning the page. "I think people would find my reading materials more acceptable than your smutty teen-fiction."

"They're romantic novels," she blurted, the same tired defense flying from her lips in record time. "They just go into more detail than most." And there was the typical bashfulness that followed suit.

I sighed, moving on to the next page. "Whatever you say, Blake."

"Anyway, a girl from the class next door wants me to introduce you to her. She wants to curse a guy who cheated on her," my friend said pointedly, eager to move on to her actual business with me.

"If it's black magic she wants, she should ask Cinder from Class 2. She's 'The Sorceress of North High' after all. I just ward off fraud and pushy salespeople." Due to my frequent readings, I had gained something of a reputation as a witch that followed me from elementary until high school, though I can't imagine what gave everyone that impression. While I wasn't the friendliest person in the school, I certainly wouldn't curse someone. At least someone other than my father.

Still, no matter how many times I explained that I wasn't a witch, they never listened. They simply believed what they wanted and hoped that I'd play along, like I was some psychic off the side of the road offering tarot card readings. "Magic" could be chalked up to psychology and sleight of hand, and I specialized in recognizing the former.

Blake had moved behind me at some point and rested her chin atop my head. "I don't think you have to worry about that here at school," she said. "Our classmates aren't bad people."

"Go on, think the best of people. Just wait 'til you get taken for a ride and your life ends up ruined," I grunted. My reading was going by the wayside and I was tired of having the same conversation for the hundredth time.

Blake playfully tugged at my ponytail in mock anger. "Don't say that! It'll bring me bad luck."

"There are bad people everywhere, you know," I said with a roll of my eyes.

"What are you talking about?"

I felt my heart stutter in my chest as Blake turned to greet the newcomer. "Oh, Yang."

"I'm glad you're here, Blake," she said with a smile. It looked friendly, almost like her real smile, but it didn't quite reach her eyes; it was far too calculated to be real. "Um, I have a favor to ask ya if that's okay."

"What is it?" Blake had taken a step back from me.

Yang brought her hands together in a mock-prayer position, her lilac eyes pleading in a way that could even rival Ruby's puppy-dog expression. "Would you take over my cleaning duty this week?"

Unsurprisingly, Blake was visibly repulsed. "What? Ugh. No way. The whole week?"

"There's nobody else I can ask! If you could just fill in for me the first three days that would really help me out!" She had turned the pleading vibe up, if that was even possible, and if it had been me, I probably would have cracked. But I wasn't Blake right now, thankfully, so I kept my mouth shut and watched things unfold in the direction I knew this was heading.

"I have club meetings though," Blake said, sounding far less opposed than earlier.

"Just today then! Could you cover for me just for today?" The pleading charm was on full blast, and poor Blake didn't even realize it was just for show. This whole thing had a set outcome –like a game of chess between an amateur and a professional—and Blake was walking right into it.

My poor sap of a friend tapped a finger to her chin, glancing upward. "Well, if it's just for today…"

Yang beamed, and I could feel my damn heart skip a beat. "Yay! Thanks, I owe you one! You're so nice, Blake!"

It was disgusting. Honestly, if Blake hadn't interrupted my reading, I might have helped her, but Yang's favor was minor enough that there was no real harm done. Still, I could only regard Blake with pity; she fell for one of the most basic psychological techniques hook, line, and sinker.

The "door-in-the-face" technique; you can get someone to agree to something by first making an outrageous request, then paring it down to the smaller thing you really wanted.

That damn witch.

"Weiss!"

And there went my stupid heart again. Her smile was far too genuine for my comfort; I just couldn't understand why she liked me so much.

Yang leaned in close then, her lips brushing my ear. "I got her to cover my cleaning duty so we can go to the movies today," she whispered. "It's Ladies' Day at the theater!"

I could feel my face practically ignite as I shrunk down into my seat.

She always gets her way. I think there's a deeper meaning to that…

But maybe I'm just reading into it too much.

And it's a horror movie, of all things. What a cheap ploy.

The woman onscreen was being chased down by the killer, screaming all the while. If she would keep quiet, there was a chance she'd be able to hide and eventually escape. What a fool.

But that wasn't the point.

The suspension bridge effect; people who share a frightening experience misattribute the pounding of their hearts to love.

The darkness of the theater alone is enough to heighten the sense of intimacy anyway.

I felt something touch my hand, and in a split-second I snatched my arm away, only to see Yang retracting her hand a fraction, an apologetic smile on her face.

The bewildered look I shot her prompted her to rub the back of her neck with one of her hands, the other still partially outstretched. With the flashes of light the only thing to illuminate her face, I could only faintly make out a bashful expression, her cheeks pinkened. Or perhaps I was just seeing things.

"Sorry to just grab you like that," she whispered. Her hand slid atop mine as it lay across the armrest. "Can we stay like this for the rest of the movie?"

When I said nothing, her hand shifted to further encompass mine, like a blanket. I tried to force myself to stare at the screen and ignore the frustratingly comfortable feeling of her hand on mine.

Was that genuine?

Was it genuine, or was it calculated?

"The movie is scary, isn't it?"

I couldn't see her eyes, but the way her lips curled upwards ever-so-slightly was more telling anyway.

That was a lie.

She's completely calm.

I hated how warm my cheeks felt. I hated how the feeling of her fingers lacing together with my motionless ones made my heart stutter in my chest. I hated how much she could affect me with such minor actions.

I'm the only one who's…

"That was scary, huh?"

Yang had bought herself a booklet for the movie, only doing so after confirming with me several times that no, I didn't want a souvenir. "The hatchet chase scene was the scariest part, wasn't it? Eurgh!"

I can't let myself be taken in.

"Don't you think so, Weiss?"

Sympathy and agreement can lead to deeper intimacy.

"I… wasn't really paying attention," I muttered.

"Oh, I forgot—do horror movies bother you? You couldn't watch?" Her expression gave me nothing; I couldn't tell what she was thinking. What was going through her head as she smiled at me?

I sunk into myself, unable to meet that gaze.

"Your hand on mine was too distracting."

I can't tell her that.

She wrapped me up in one of her hugs that I had become far too acquainted with as of late. "Aww! You're so cute, Weiss!"

"Hey! Stop!"

I pushed her away, surprising both her and I. Her expression was blank as her hands hung in the air, and I regained my senses with a gasp.

She stepped forward, and I stepped back; a pantomime. "I-I'm going home now," I said as I turned away.

"Huh? Let's get something to drink first."

"Not today." I was fleeing at a pace just shy of a jog, but she caught my arm.

"You hated the movie that much? Were you that scared by it?" There was no judgement, no mocking in her tone; she looked… frantic. I'd never seen her look so worried before, and it stopped me in my tracks.

She's so close.

"…Cut that out, okay?"

She's way too close.

I can feel my face heating up as I keep her at arm's length. She can't be any closer. Any closer and I won't be able to keep my thoughts to myself.

She regards me quietly, and for a minute she says nothing. I can't see her expression through my bangs, but I doubt it's apologetic, because the next words out of her mouth are, "Cut what out?" Her voice is hesitant, her words slow as if she truly isn't sure what I'm talking about. But she has to know. There's no way she doesn't.

"St—" The words catch in my throat.

"Stop trying things on me."

"Stop coming on to me."

"Why are you doing this? What do you really want from me?"

Heh.

"Like I could really tell you that," I shout, throwing off her grip and making a dash for the exit.

"Weiss?!"

I can hear her call out behind me, panicked and confused, but the sound disappears the further away I get. The sky is dark, but the streets are illuminated in a kind of glow that feels suffocating. Everyone can plainly see my embarrassed expression as I tear through the streets. My lungs burn, the cold air sharp and unpleasant as I push myself to keep going.

I don't know what Yang is thinking.

She smiles at me like that…

Touches me like that…

Without batting an eye.

My mind betrays me, flashing memories of Yang casually touching me, of her gripping my hand in a way that leaves my face feeling hot, of her simply smiling at me like I'm the only one in the world that matters.

Just as I turn down an alley, I hear another rapid set of footsteps.

"Weiss!"

She catches my arm, and the feeling has me whip my face around to see her worried expression, eyebrows pinched and her faced flush from the brief sprint. I'm sure my expression is worse; I know my cheeks are flushed, both from my run and my embarrassment, and that there are tears pricking at the corner of my eyes. It's not something I wanted her to see; I didn't want her to see me looking so vulnerable.

She puts one hand on my shoulder then, the other maintaining its grip on my arm. "I'm sorry… Hey, what's wrong?" Her brows pinch further when I can only stare. "Why are you crying?"

That jolts me awake. "I-I'm not crying!" I step back and try to cover my face for all the good it will do; she's already seen.

"Okay…" She says softly, lowering her voice and herself so she can see my face better. "I'm sorry."

"Apologies should be given immediately," flits through my head…

"You don't even know why I'm crying!" I can work with anger. It's a lot easier to manage than embarrassment.

Yang looked apologetic, perhaps even desperate. "Huh? Why are you crying? Urk! I'm sorry."

She takes my hand, and I swear I can see her eyes water, like she's on the verge of tears herself. "Sorry."

I want to be angry. I want to be upset at her, but I can't.

"Apologies should be given immediately," flits through my head again… but somehow I've just stopped caring.

She wraps me up in a hug, her arms tight around my back as she presses her face into my shoulder. "I'm sorry. Please don't hate me, Weiss." Her voice is so quiet, so fragile, that a single angry word from me seems like it would be enough to break her down and turn her into a sobbing mess in my arms.

But I can't bear to do that. I can't bear to do that to her. The thought of her crying makes my stomach turn.

She doesn't play fair.

She doesn't have to say those things to me.

I bury my face into her shoulder, wishing the tears and heat in my face would go away.

She doesn't play fair.

But…

She did run to catch me.

At least that was real.

It reminds me of that day long ago; that day that she ran to catch me so long ago.

"Yang!"

The girl in question glances back to find Blake jogging towards her. I put on my coat and scarf, knowing that this will likely have nothing to do with me. Poor Blake was about to get tricked out of something.

"Glad I caught you," she said. "Do my cleaning duty today, since I covered for you last week, okay?"

Here it comes.

"The tuna sandwich at lunch." Yang's smile felt evil at this moment, though she appeared the same as always.

"Huh? I thought you left it because you didn't want it…" To her credit, Blake seemed slightly embarrassed for seemingly taking Yang's food without asking.

"I also lent you my textbook for English and gym clothes." That cheerful smile was pure evil, but I left Blake to her fate. After all, what would I even say? I had never been a match for Yang's charms, even armed with knowledge over her "tactics," so what hope did my poor friend have?

Blake grumbled, but left without further complaint, seemingly accepting her "punishment" for her "transgressions."

The "paying someone in advance so you can get them to do what you want later" technique…

I had taken out another psychology book from my bag, unsure of how long their conversation would take, but Yang peeked over my shoulder not long after. "Geez, you've always got your nose stuck in one of those books."

She took it from my hand, and I let it go without any real resistance. "Why read that," her lips curled into a confident, sultry grin, "when you've got me around?"

I felt my face burn as I glowered at her, though it was only barely hiding the fact that my knees had gone weak.

"In the middle of a conversation, a casual touch can help you get on someone's good side…"

I gripped the sleeve of her jacket, stepping closer to her powerful form. For a moment, Yang was frozen, and in that moment I wanted to sink into the ground and die, but before I could begin my search for a shovel to bury myself, Yang gasped.

"Wh—"

She pulled me into a tight hug, my face slamming into her… generous chest.

"What is it, Weiss? You're so cute!"

I was now frozen, paralyzed at the strong arms around me and the warmth in front of me. She didn't seem to mind, squeezing me happily every so often and never moving to release me.

"I… want to go out with you again." My voice was so quiet I was sure she hadn't heard me, until she giggled and gave me another squeeze.

"You wanna go on another date?" She sounded… excited at the prospect, something which I was becoming used to. Yang actually liked me. I'm not sure whether her behavior was intentional or not, but the fact that she had been using it to try and charm me was… flattering.

I nodded, my hair no doubt tickling her neck. "…Yeah."

She pulled back just a bit, enough to look me in the eye, before putting a hand to my cheek and slowly closing the distance, giving me plenty of time to pull away if I wished.

But I had no such thoughts in my head.

Her lips were soft and warm as they pressed with my own cold ones, and the contrast made me shiver. It could become addicting –it could put me under a spell—if I wasn't careful, but I found that I didn't care. If being put under her spell was the price to pay for her being so close to me, then I would gladly let myself be hexed.

I'm no match for her "wicked ways," but I'm fine with that. Perhaps I had been overthinking everything and she was just naturally good at understanding how people worked, but perhaps she really was a master of human psychology.

Either way, it's fine.

I've ended up in her arms again, and I can't bring myself to separate from her.

"I love you, Weiss. I always have, even when we were kids."

I've fallen to the witch's hand, but unlike the stories, I don't think that's a bad thing. After all, I doubt someone evil could look at me like I was the only important thing in the world.

"I…" I felt my face heat up again. "I love you too."

Perhaps I've been under her spell since day one, but that's fine.

That's fine, because the flush on her cheeks tells me that she's likely been under my spell for just as long.

A witch's hand takes my own, and I feel whole.

Two witches together...

What a fitting pair that makes.

The original story is a bit ambiguous as to whether the character Yang is based off of was doing all of that intentionally or not. I decided that it was both unintentional and intentional. When they were children, it was unintentional, but when they get into high school, it's much more deliberate. The scene at the movie theater felt intentional, but of course Yang chasing after Weiss was completely genuine. It's difficult to tell for sure, but I don't think it was insidious or anything like that. Perhaps some people might feel that Yang was manipulative, but I feel that it's more of her simply trying to seduce Weiss. I tried to make it seem more genuine, but Weiss isn't a reliable narrator and she doesn't actually know what Yang is thinking or feeling, so it ended up more ambiguous. Either way, I hope y'all enjoyed. Until next time~!