This shall conclude their hectic little love story.

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.

Chapter 12. At Morning's Light

She could have fallen asleep very easily in this hold when her heart had slowed and her temperature fell, but she didn't want to.

As comforting and inviting as the realms of sleep were to her, the place she was in now was even more soothing and relaxing than that. She couldn't help the stray hiccups of sadness making their way out of her system, nor could she help the fingers around Weiss' waist tightening a little more as a sign of self-reassurance that she would stay.

Pyrrha wasn't even thinking about it, though she wasn't really sure what she was thinking of anymore, but the warmth and the tenderness told her that it wasn't important right now.

The only thing that was important was happening right now. Gentle, slow movements to bring her eyes into line with Weiss' - still watery, yet so incredibly mesmerizing - were followed by the telling movement of the heiress' face towards Pyrrha's own, her head tilting ever so slightly as green eyes were torn between closing in preparation or widening in surprise.

It didn't matter. When Weiss' lips connected with her own, Pyrrha couldn't help but ease into the hold. The touch was soft, warm, and loving, the pressure against her mouth hundreds of times better than any descriptions she had ever been given by others.

There was no desperate need like before, no frantic pleas for survival - only love, gentle and calm. Her whole body shivered, yet her heart rose and her eyes fluttered shut, allowing her sense of touch to embrace the sensations Weiss had blessed her with. She wouldn't forget this feeling for as long as she lived - of that Pyrrha was sure.

And even though the kiss only lasted for a few seconds, as Weiss gently pulled away to leave Pyrrha wishing and wanting more, there was no doubt of it being the best feeling she had ever experienced. Better than every tournament victory, better than every letter of congratulations, better than every false praise given to her by her parents. This was genuine, and the words practically whispered through the darkness set that fact deep in her heart.

She swallowed, still quivering with the aftershock of her nightmare, and somehow managed to keep her voice steady for those four words that meant more to her than any others.

"I love you too."

. . .

There was so much happening.

In reality, Weiss was lying in bed in the darkness, barely moving so much as a single inch. Her mind was boggled by exhaustion and too many other emotions to name.

But it felt like she'd just ran a thousand miles. Her body was tired after the tiring day, and a bit sore due to Pyrrha's desperate grip, but it was also somehow liberating. She felt fatigued and energized at the same time, and as the seconds ticked on and those sobs grew softer and softer in her ears, the excitement started to take precedence.

She'd kissed Pyrrha, and though it had been almost intangible and unrecognizable, Pyrrha had kissed her back, just a bit.

But even that said so much, especially now.

Despite everything, Weiss couldn't help but smile. It wasn't like the fake ones she'd had to put on for the guise of her family reputation or the grimace she showed her fellow classmates at Beacon. It was a true smile, and had there been flattering lighting, she would've loved for Pyrrha to have been the first person to witness it.

She could sense what the other girl wanted - perhaps because Weiss wanted the same thing.

So she leaned in and kissed her again, a little firmer, a little longer. The tears were finished now, starting to dry, and Weiss giggled with impish joy onto Pyrrha's lips.

"I love you," she said as if doing so would help remind her this was real. "I love you, Pyrrha. I always… always have…" She tightened her embrace on the other girl's shoulders and back, bumping her nose to Pyrrha's cheek in the shadows.

. . .

She wanted to cry even more. The second press against her mouth was less hesitant than the first, yet it wasn't needy either. Weiss reassured her through touch where words had failed, and even then everything given from the heiress' mouth was sending Pyrrha's heart higher and higher in her chest.

'Always have'?

Her eyes searched the darkness for the pools of ice and settled on what little light the moon offered, catching the remnants of tears in Weiss' eyes just enough for Pyrrha to stare into them, her exhausted mind trying to piece things together even now.

Just how long has Weiss felt this way? As long as Pyrrha had felt the same? Longer? Since they met at Beacon, or before that, when Weiss was one of the VIPs in the privilege areas to watch tournaments unfold? Perhaps even earlier still, when she had had her first modeling job as a pre-teen for cereal?

She didn't know - but what she did know was that it was enough time for Weiss to understand how seriously she took these feelings - and how much she trusted Pyrrha with them.

The light touch on her cheek made her heart tingle, and her grip around Weiss relaxed somewhat now that she had regained control of her nerves. She was going to whisper out an apology, but the knowledge that the heiress wouldn't accept it anyway stopped her from trying.

Instead, Pyrrha very gently brought one hand to the side of the other girl's face and caressed her cheek with her thumb, feeling the smooth skin underneath the lines of tears. Carefully, she tilted Weiss' head down a little, enough for Pyrrha to brush the snowy fringe of bangs aside and plant a single, delicate kiss to her forehead in return for the notion that pulled her from her doubts.

And even if only for this brief moment, that is where her lips stayed.

. . .

Even despite her elation in that moment, Weiss feared Pyrrha might regress - or worse - realize she was acting in the heat of the moment and reject her.

But neither of those things ever happened. Even as time continued to pass them by, the air filled with softening sobs and little laughs. She was also glad that Pyrrha wasn't apologizing for any of this; Weiss didn't want her to be sorry for her emotions.

She couldn't honestly remember how many years it had been. It was probably close to ten or eleven, ever since the first time she'd attended one of Mistral's tournaments to observe the foreign competition with her family. Years of daydreaming had given her nothing but heartache at the seemingly-impossible, but she'd made sure to strive for Beacon in knowing Pyrrha would be there, too.

And now all those years of determined training and lonely dreaming had finally borne fruit. It was the definition of a dream come true.

She continued to give and accept kisses from Pyrrha, in between small murmurs and reminders of "I love you - I love you, Pyrrha." She squeezed her shoulders and nuzzled into her neck, the tears now only of joy, heart enthralled.

She'd never experienced anything like this before; it wasn't the rush of adrenaline that came from leaping into battle, it wasn't the joy of her father's rare approval, it wasn't the accomplishment of getting the best grade on an exam. It was almost like a combination of all of those things and many more, but it was indescribable.

All she could call it was bliss.

. . .

Truth be told, Pyrrha couldn't believe nor describe what was happening or how she was feeling. Her heart was singing in her chest and her pulse was both pounding and soothed, her breathing only occasionally interrupted by a lost sob or straggling hiccup.

It was silent and yet her ears were ringing, her head was a shouting mess of noisy thoughts trying to drown each other out, but somehow Weiss made it all seem muffled, as though it wasn't important enough to be heard right now.

Her touch, her voice, her scent - everything was perfect. Even if some of the circumstances would rather be forgotten, Pyrrha never wanted this to end, nor did she ever wish to forget the experience for anything.

Her head fell heavily against Weiss' neck, the exhaustion finally taking hold of her for good, and something in her head settled on how this had really all started.

She had never been interested in the business side of anything, but she had visited particularly important families and companies dozens of times before and found all of them to be a bore - besides one. She could remember it through her frantic free-for-all battle royale of thoughts clear as day; the imposing stage, the huge curtains, row upon row of men and women dressed in suits and dresses so expensive and crisp they'd make the average person cry, her parents on either side of her looking much the same.

Even Pyrrha herself - aged eight, a little after her first inter-school tournament victory, in a bright red dress that reached past her feet and a gold circlet embedded with rubies on her head - was there. She was uncomfortable in the attire and she didn't understand how people found it bearable to wear, nor did she understand why she was here.

But all that fell away when the spotlight turned on and the curtains drew back.

A tiny figure of white, with brilliant blue eyes showing emotions Pyrrha never understood until years later, with the voice more beautiful and incredible than any angel. Her singing sent Pyrrha into silence, and her melancholic aura only fully affected her after years had passed.

That was the first time Pyrrha had seen Weiss in person, though despite searching, and attempts to visit the Schnee manor, her efforts to meet her again were denied by her greedy parents. But Pyrrha had decided she wanted to be a huntress a long time ago, and if that meant traveling, then perhaps she had a chance of running into the heiress in white again.

Never would she have imagined to find her at the very same Academy, nor to have adjacent dorms, to be best of friends with her when only a select few could even earn her respect.

But most of all, she never would have believed to be kissed by her, or to kiss her back, to hold her and be held by her, to confess her feelings and have them returned.

But it was true, and everything that happened that day culminated in this moment of perfection.

It ended with her eyes falling shut and sleep gently taking her in, her body still clinging to and hugging the one she loved the most.

. . .

With each passing second came another heartbeat, and by now the two girls were so close together Weiss couldn't tell whose pulse it was. She soon realized it was both of them, thrumming together in time - as one. That throbbing was the proof of it all, the thing that had brought them together and would keep them that way from now on.

As the sobs ebbed away and the tears dried for good, Weiss shared several more kisses with Pyrrha until she felt them both slipping. Weiss would only allow her conscious to fade once she'd given one last kiss to her lips and felt the smile on Pyrrha's. She knew her friend wasn't hurting anymore, that this night had now brought her solace and a peace of mind.

All of this had merely begun as a short vacation alone, with their teammates gone and only the two of them in this hallway of the dorm rooms. To think they'd end up here within just a single evening…

As she closed her eyes, Weiss could remember all the concerts she'd sang in, all the times she'd told herself she saw that girl from Pumpkin Pete's in the audience watching her. She told herself she'd seen the beautiful girl from Mistral's many competitions and tournaments in the crowds cheering her on, but after each and every concert, she'd never found her.

By the time she'd made it to Beacon, Weiss had assumed whatever distant relationship the two of them had shared in younger years had been forgotten and voided, and they'd seemingly started over anew.

But the truth was that neither had ever forgotten their shared past.

And now it would become a shared future.

At long last, Weiss fell into silent slumber, with warm arms around her waist, a gentle pulse against her chest, and the truest smile on her lips.

. . .

Dreams weren't always available, but for the first time Pyrrha didn't care. Even if sleep had taken her to a calm, quiet place, her heart and her mind were still snug and safe in Weiss' company. She didn't need to dream about those incredible eyes, or that gorgeous hair, or her smile, her laugh, or any of the things that had occupied her thoughts for years before.

Because now, Pyrrha had all of that in reality.

Even in her sleep, her smile never once left her lips. Her heart never once slowed down from her excitement, and she never once loosened her hold around Weiss' waist.

She didn't dream, but she knew that waking up would be better than anything she could ever imagine, and with that in her heart, the time passed quickly. So quickly that it was almost surprising to find golden orange light seeping into her vision, gently provoking her to open her eyes.

She blinked slowly, adjusting to the changes and instinctively inhaling with her first breath. Weiss' scent filled her lungs, the girl's snowy locks still settled on the pillow, and for a moment the tiny sounds of breathing were all that could be heard.

Then came the birdsong, sweet and gentle, bringing another smile to Pyrrha's face as she turned to look at the window, briefly considering getting up to open the curtains, but the slight shift in her arms quickly banished that thought from her head.

Waking Weiss before she was ready would be the height of rudeness; not that Pyrrha wanted to leave her company even for a second.

Instead, she contended herself with slowly unhooking her arms from Weiss' waist and softly sitting herself up, pulling the strap of her nightgown back over her shoulder and running a hand through her loose crimson hair - another good feeling to add to the sea of happiness in her being. Her fringe was messy and it tickled her skin as it fell back onto her forehead, but she suppressed the giggle to avoid waking her partner, happy to rest one hand on the back of Weiss' head and gently run her fingers through pure white strands.

Whatever time it was, however long it took for Weiss to wake, Pyrrha knew that today would be the best one yet.

After all that had happened, there was no way it couldn't be.

. . .

Sleep was kind to her for the remainder of the night, and there was no doubt in her mind that it was solely because of the girl resting beside her, keeping her warm and protected. No nightmares harassed her, no ill thoughts tormented her. Being beside Pyrrha could only result in peace and tranquility.

When her conscious began coming back to her, she was first aware of the warmth curling around herself, the calming, familiar scent that wreathed through the air. She could feel the gentle fingers combing through her hair, running lightly down her back, and for a few minutes, she savored that contact.

When at last she opened her eyes, she found Pyrrha there just a few inches away, sitting up and stroking fondly through Weiss' tresses. The heiress shifted her gaze until she found emerald.

And Weiss couldn't wait to start the day with her.

She sat up, moving closer to Pyrrha's side, wrapping her arms around her shoulders and pressing lips to her cheek without wasting another second. So long as Pyrrha was beside her, Weiss could cherish every heartbeat, every breath.

They didn't need words to convey what was between them.

They only needed each other.

And from then on, that's exactly what they'd have.

[Fin.]

A/N: At long last, after all the trials and drama we put them through, they get their happy ending!

Thanks so much to the few who read this all the way through! I can't tell you how badly I wish Pyrrha was still alive in canon, and how badly I wish she and Weiss could've interacted more and been friends...

Never forget Pyrrha Nikos!

Please review!