a/n- to show my appreciation of the kind reviews left to me and the support you have all shown thus far, i decided to make a longer-than-usual fic of my personal favorite pairing of the rwby series. thank you very much for reading my works; i am endlessly happy that there are those who enjoy what i put out. i wish you all nothing but the best in your endeavors. and i hope to write more enjoyable stories to come. white rose (ruby/weiss) content.

Weiss Schnee had not been given a choice in the matter of the namesake she was born to. The things that would fall into her possession upon inheritance would be numerous, prestigious and undoubtedly hers as a girl who bore the blood of Schnee. Others would covet the things that would drop into her lap; those who wished for power, for status, for money or fame would tint green with envy. They would wish to have been born a blood relative of her family - to be the blood heir.

But though Weiss would own it all, she did not feel like it was hers. The heiress had not chosen it. This life she was born into, this namesake - it had all chosen her. And though she could stand above the production lines of Dust and sweep her hand over factories and products and workers alike and say, "This is mine." it did not hold any particular meaning. It could have been any Schnee so long as they had the name.

Weiss had things she could claim ownership to and what really, inextricably, felt like they were hers. She had her hairstyle, ponytail elegantly poised atop only the right side of her head. Some found it to be an odd design choice, but she had chosen it and it was, undoubtedly, hers. There was her schooling and title of Huntress-in-training at Beacon Academy. The education that she had chosen to pursue and the title she wished to procure. This too, she had decided for herself. A small number of other, somewhat menial things could be listed on from there, but the list of things that truly felt like they belonged to Weiss the person rather than the Schnee Heiress were minimal at best.

And then, there was her.

The way she slept unbidden and vulnerable to awake and watchful eyes made Weiss wish to scold her. Her posture was terrible; on her back, she had her head tilted sideways and cheek pressed to the pillow beneath her. No doubt, not good for one's neck. The covers were tangled up halfway down her legs. The hem of her tank top rested somewhere below her breasts, exposing her midriff to the chill of the Winter night that always found a way in no matter how tightly they closed off the outside. One arm was draped lazily over her stomach and the other bent splayed over her head underneath the pillow. The sleep mask over her eyes that bore another pair of eyes, belonging to a wolf, made her look strange. Her mouth hung open and out from it passed the even breaths of sleep with the occasional rumble of a snore. Nothing obnoxious, thankfully.

This girl too, she had chosen.

Weiss reached out and touched her fingers to Ruby's parted lips. Using her fingertips, she traced the outline of them with a delicate touch. They were soft and slightly dry. The fact that Ruby was a mouth-breather when she slept did not surprise her in the slightest. Her index finger fell to the tip of her chin and she pressed up and closed her mouth, obscuring the snores almost immediately.

At first, it had not been her choice, per se.

They landed and made eye contact forcing them to become partners as the school decreed. Weiss had not been thrilled. Another thing had fallen into her life and was expected to be hers, but she did not want it and felt no ownership to it. Her new partner had been exactly one of the types of people that she wished not to deal with, but here they were, forced to work together and adjust. Weiss did not even want to call her "my partner." But just as it always went, she did as was expected of her.

Her fingertips had glided downward to rest upon Ruby's neck then. She carefully traced the outline of muscles there, down along smooth skin as it branched off to her collarbone. Weiss spread her fingers apart to rest upon both pathways at once, going as far as her fingers would allow themselves before bringing them gently inward again. The sleeping Ruby sucked in a particularly large breath and Weiss wondered if it had tickled.

When she had called Ruby "my friend" within the privacy of her own mind for the first time it was when she finally felt the click. They had ups and downs, but after their fallout was reconciled, she had softened her heart to the idea of it. They were teammates and partners. Part of it was her duty to work with her and support her, but the other part was strictly up to her. If she so decided, she could have remained difficult. She could have continued to reject Ruby Rose as a leader, as a capable young huntress - as anything more than a nuisance. She could have remained with the stubborn assertion that she should have been leader instead for as a Schnee they bowed to no one. This value had most certainly been pounded into her head. But she did not choose this. She had chosen a different path.

And that too, was hers.

Her hand was upon Ruby's chest now, applying a light pressure above the barrier that was her clothes. Weiss traced the outline of the curves there, more generous than her own, and trained her eyes upon Ruby's partially concealed face as she did so. A muscle in her jaw quivered and the lines of her neck became slightly more pronounced as she swallowed. But for all the reaction, she remained asleep.

There was nothing that stood out as strikingly extraordinary about Ruby Rose. She was simply a child that had displayed an impressive use of her weapon and was around at the right place and time. Everyone in Beacon Academy was impressive in some way or else they would not be attending such a school in the first place. The only thing that set her apart for Weiss was that she had stamped that invisible title of "mine" upon her and now the attachment settled in. Ruby became more cooperative and driven. She became more attentive. Her efforts towards her teammates had become selfless, but intelligently so. Weiss had found herself engrossed in the way she grew and altered herself. In the span of only a few months, she could tell that her partner had transformed. Weiss also had owned up to some major changes in the ways she viewed others and the ideas that had been embedded into her mind from various influences of her youth. Change was not easy, but she had pushed herself through it nonetheless and on her own time.

Weiss's palm pressed into the bare flesh of Ruby's stomach. She eased the pressure and allowed her hand to rise and fall in time with the girl's breathing. It was strangely hypnotic and the constant rhythm melted the icy hardness behind her eyes. She knocked Ruby's hand away and it fell to the girl's side, earning a grunt from the sleeping beauty. Weiss traced abdominal muscles over and over - meticulously, as to commit the shapes to memory. Ruby shivered as the heiress dipped dangerously down her naval, though, her hand had traveled back up soon enough and carefully pulled down the cloth of her shirt to cover up exposed skin.

It happened when they were alone together. Ruby had wanted to spend time with Weiss doing an activity that was not homework, not training and otherwise unproductive. They had decided on a stroll through the forest despite the biting cold temperatures and the threat of snowfall and Grimm. To her surprise, Ruby did not complain of any of it. She seemed content to be outside and, though her teeth chattered on the occasion, she bared it all with grace. They did not do much aside from walk beside each other and make idle conversation. The simplicity of it all had caused Weiss to experience a ball of apprehension in the pit of her stomach. For the first time, she felt slightly self-conscious of the impression she was making as a friend. It did not last long, but when it appeared it permeated every thought and word that passed by her lips. The original level of her confidence eventually supressed it and killed it off completely when they had come to a stop.

Ruby had twirled around, her cloak whirling about her as a whirlpool of crimson. Her arms were spread out wide as a child's and when she stopped and smiled Weiss's way, the snow began to fall.

Her expectation had been to hear a suggestion that they turn back and go inside. It was the sensible thing of her to think and of anyone to do. No one wanted to get caught in the snow when there was warmth to be had in the security of the indoors.

But Ruby had caught some of the snowflakes in her hands and walked over to where the heiress had stood, waiting to suggest they turn and go back whence they came.

"You know, a lot of people don't seem to like Winter." Ruby spoke, her hands still up before her and letting the powder melt upon her skin. "They complain it's too cold! And it makes them feel all depressed and stuff."

Weiss had stared at her, at the time thinking that she was insane. What sort of nonsense was she spouting at a time like this? A casual conversation transpiring in the midst of what looked to be a decent snowfall; the powder was sticking to the forest grounds.

"But I think it's great! Even if you're cold there are always ways to get warm, right?" Ruby smiled and rubbed her hands together, blowing against them a few times to demonstrate her words - so it appeared. "'Sides, all that cold can bring people together! They snuggle up and get close and everyone shares their warmth with each other and then it's not so cold anymore, huh?"

Weiss blinked slowly and tilted her head. She didn't have much to add in the way of conversation. At the time, she had been much more interested in the way Ruby stood out against the snow as it came down in a faster flurry around them. The wind blew at her cape and swept at her hair.

"And all this snow makes you want to jump in it!" Excited, she flailed her arms to the cloudy skies. "Who doesn't want to be snuggled into a pile of snow?" She chuckled, lowering her arms a tad and looking towards Weiss once more.

"It's also really pretty. All this white." Ruby had gotten closer without her noticing, her arms spread out to the snow falling around them. The frosty air stung against Weiss's cheek when it hit the moisture fallen snow had left behind on her skin.

If she didn't know any better, it could have been Ruby's smile that melted the snow on her face rather than her own body heat.

"It reminds me a lot of you, Weiss."

Ruby had dropped her arms then and silence engulfed them aside from the whistle of the wind any time it directed snow their way.

"I like Winter a lot."

Weiss could not recall who had moved first, but she had a feeling that it was her. Her heart had urged her forward and Ruby's arms had enveloped her protectively, bringing her cloak around the both of them. Ruby did not reject the snow upon her skin or bring up her hood to shield herself. She accepted it all for its beauty and serenity and the joy it brought within her heart. Weiss had run her fingers over her cheek, brushing white frosted hair away from her face and Ruby leaned into the touch despite the ice she knew her skin to be from standing out here in freezing weather. Weiss had stared into silver eyes, gazing upon emotions unspoken and stretched her arms out upon her partner's shoulders. It was only to return the embrace at first, but she had found her fingers numbly gripping onto her hood and bringing it forward upon her head, leaning in when Ruby's eyes widened to catch her breath upon her lips and tugged at the hood to conceal their faces.

She had taken solace in the fact that this too had been her decision.

Her hand had not breached the elastic waistband of Ruby's pajama pants, but rather had reached down to the blankets thrown about her legs. She pulled them up to Ruby's shoulders and let it drop gently against her body, shielding her form from wandering eyes and troublesome drafts.

There; she was protected now and warm. All due to Weiss, of course. Fueled by restlessness and an inability to sleep, she had pulled herself up to Ruby's bed to check on her. But when she had taken in that irritatingly innocent face, she had been compelled to overstay her welcome.

Even now, she did not plan to leave. She pressed a hand on the mattress across Ruby's form under where her outstretched arm beneath the pillow lay. Leaning forward and down, she used her other hand to brush away reddened strands of hair that fell over her mask and across her face. She took her time in guiding them this way and that and running her fingers behind her ear, tucking away hair and simply fondling the delicate craft of her partner's face. With minor hesitation, she ghosted her lips over the opposing pair and then tilted her head. Dry... she observed in her own thoughts, far away to the day where they had first done this. Their lips had been dry then too; chapped from cold and moisture.

But just as it happened then, warmth filled her now too at the feel of soft skin to hers. Though they were more experienced now, each kiss still felt as if it was only their first. And Weiss's heart was set aflutter and the feeling tumbled all around her veins ending in the tips of her fingers as they grazed Ruby's cheek.

"Mmm..." Her partner stirred then as Weiss pulled away, Ruby's lips still puckered slightly and eager for more. The heiress only smiled for a fraction of a second in her admiration. Ruby's hand that had been tossed aside off of her stomach came up of its own accord and blindly reached out for Weiss's face, knuckles brushing quite gently against the curve of her jaw. It lowered then and Ruby pulled up the mask upon her eyes to take a peek at her assailant in the middle of the night, pulling it up fully when she confirmed the bright white presence before her.

"Weiss?" Her voice rasped with a coat of drowsiness. Ruby propped herself up onto her elbow and covered a yawn before rubbing at the sleep in her eyes. "Can't sleep?" She gazed up at her with concern in the corners of her lips and affection filling the silver of her eyes.

"Ruby." Weiss whispered, finding herself gripped with a sense of longing for her warmth. She leaned in cautiously once more, seeking permission to satiate her desires once again. Ruby's blink and subtle tilt of her head translated her agreement easily and Weiss took her in once more, this time with a response and tasting her upon her tongue. Ruby shuddered and eased back uncertainly, her hand having somehow found Weiss's own against the mattress.

"Ruby..." She called for her again and this time Ruby veered toward her and met her halfway. Entranced by her voice, perhaps, or the call of her name from Weiss's mouth. "Ruby," she breathed when they readjusted the slant of their lips and Ruby's fingers gripped tightly upon hers, twisting within the spaces that accommodated her so perfectly, "... Ruby." Ruby brought a trembling hand into white hair and a whine escaped her throat as Weiss pressed deeper.

Weiss left her breathless when they finally ceased, her eyes never leaving Ruby's face although the latter's gaze drifted this way and that, suddenly flushed. The heiress knew that she had caught her off guard not only with the sudden affection, but also from having just roused her from sleep and not allowing her to gain her bearings. The first thing she had said upon waking was Weiss's name and the first touch she had known was Weiss's skin.

Eventually she had found her voice and courage too, using her hand behind Weiss's head to press her forehead forward against hers.

"Weiss...? Is everything okay?" Her thumb stroked against the base of her skull and Weiss let her eyelids fall closed for just a moment. Ruby shifted her head to lay her lips upon her brow before returning to her previous position once more. "Do you want to sleep here for the night?"

Weiss opened her eyes and Ruby must have realized the possible implications of her statement because her cheeks tinted red against the darkness once more. But she did not retract her offer. The heiress took in a deep breath and silently chided her body's betrayal as it trembled slightly in response.

"Ruby," she used her free hand to rest upon her junior's cheek and brought her thumb against her lips, sliding once across them, "I love you." The emotions that had bubbled inside her then was fear and years of training and strict upbringing screamed out against that fear. It was not allowed. It was weakness. But she let herself feel scared, very aware of the weight of her words. This was her choice and she chose to allow herself a moment's apprehension. The Schnee Heiress knew no fear, but Weiss was a girl like any other. And such sentiment was frightening.

Ruby's eyes went wide. "I -" she attempted to formulate a response, but it tapered off into a high-pitched sort of sound. Weiss's heart hammered against her ribs, but she did not break away to flee or falter. The heat that radiated from Ruby's face might have caused her amusement in another situation, but she only stared with a grave coolness in wait of a response. When it did not come, she let go of the breath that had been searing her lungs in favor of repeating herself:

"I love you, Ruby Rose."

Ruby squeezed her eyes shut as she sucked in a breath, red as her namesake. And though she had to take a moment to compose herself, when she said, "I love you too, Weiss." it came out with clear conviction and left no room for doubt.

Her partner shifted then, bringing Weiss to lay her back on the mattress and hovering overhead. The heiress draped her arms around her shoulders and gazed up at her, expression ever the same as it had been when she started. Ruby handled her with tender conviction and she had to wonder if maybe she looked fragile.

"I'm yours, Weiss." Ruby smiled then, saying the words as if they were the most obvious and indisputable facts of the universe. She turned her head and kissed the inside of her arm. Weiss pulled her to her frame within her grip and Ruby complied easily, as if she only lived to follow with her whim.

"No, Ruby." It had been on her mind for some time now. When she had first accepted the brunette as her friend, it had been easy to say that she was hers. When their relationship evolved a step further, she had still thought it. Weiss would have fended off herds of competitors if she had to because Ruby Rose was hers. She buried her face into the crook of the younger girl's neck and sucked at her neck briefly, enjoying the way Ruby tensed in her arms. No one person belonged to another. To try and place that constraint upon Ruby would strip her of her identity as her own person. Ruby was not a possession. "I don't own you."

Ruby pulled away to look down at her, questions aglow in her eyes. She opened her mouth, perhaps to tell her she was wrong or say something along the lines of "you know what I mean", but Weiss did not allow it. The heiress inclined her head up and swallowed all her words, drinking every syllable off her tongue. Ruby's strength faltered and she allowed herself to be swept up in the affair, Weiss rewarding every moan and whimper with tender sucks and bites and the drifting of one of her hands down along her body while fingers grazed places that nursed fire in Ruby's belly.

But they were still young and thus Weiss only fanned the flames before she retreated to leave Ruby a panting mass of putty - hers to mold. She fixed the younger girl's hair along her face and dragged her thumbs back against her cheeks, committing everything of her appearance to her memory.

"Weiss... it's not fair." Ruby whined, a hot breath warmed her wrists and Weiss granted herself a chuckle. It was cute the way she got all hot and bothered and tried to coax her into a little more, but Weiss would not yield. One more kiss graced her lips before Ruby laid beside her in defeat and snuggled close into her side. Weiss rolled over to face her and Ruby brought the heiress closer using the arm now hooked around her waist.

Content now, Weiss tilted her forehead upon Ruby's shoulder as her lover caressed the line of her spine and the curve of her hip. Out of all the things that she could lay claim to, Ruby was not on her list. Part of her, scared and lonely, wanted to grip her tightly forever and place her in a box with all her other possessions. But, more than that, Weiss wanted to see her run free and do all the things that she did. Those things that made her smile and tugged at her heart, reminding her just what made her fall in the first place. She wished to grow with Ruby and with her, gradually work at lessening the plagues of her own heart.

"When all this is over," Ruby pipped up softly, now suddenly more considerate of their sleeping teammates in the bunks across the way, "And we become famous huntresses, we should get a nice little house all to ourselves!" Her partner giggled, apparently quite entertained with her fancies of herself and the heiress far in the future. The fact that she thought that far ahead with Weiss as a factor lulled certain wounds in her heart. "Yang and Blake can come visit if they want and we'll have a room just for them, but it'll be soooo much better with just you and me." Ruby squeezed her tightly. "And, uh... easier."

Right. They wouldn't have to be so modest about showing affection or doing things like this deep into the night. "Mmm..." Weiss only responded with that, allowing Ruby to continue if she so wished.

And wish she did. "Or we could get a big house. I know you'll have your company and all. Maybe I could move in there? I wouldn't know what to do with all that space, though..." Weiss did not break the illusion of happiness with the obvious fact that it would not be all that easy. Things would not just reach that point in their future without a few bumps in the road. Major bumps. Her family would have things to say to Weiss about Ruby. Their lifestyles would leave them with hectic schedules. Perhaps stress would drive them to fights and sore feelings. Maybe they wouldn't even be together for that long.

"Hmm... buut I'll do whatever it takes." Ruby pressed her cheek against Weiss's forehead, both her arms now drawn around the heiress and cradling her. "If it's for you, Weiss."

All the worries of the future could wait until a later time.

Weiss curled inward and sighed against Ruby's collarbone, turning a blind eye on the twitch of Ruby's legs tangled with hers. "Go to sleep now, you dolt." The restlessness had finally faded from her system. She gripped lightly at her lover's tank top and closed her eyes, prepared to fall into a deep and dreamless sleep.

Ruby's pout was almost audible. "Says the one that woke me up in the first place..." She muttered, but she did as instructed nonetheless, getting herself prepared for sleep once more. "Goodnight, Weiss."

Weiss knew she would still not fall asleep right away. She would lay awake as Ruby tumbled back into her slumber and listen, entranced, to the sound of Ruby's heartbeat in her ear.

She did not own this person. And she never could.

But these feelings were ones that she had chosen.

This love was all her own.