#beaconshipping

Weiss Schnee may have been the most powerful woman in the world, but Cinder Fall was the meanest.

It turned out, Weiss Schnee was also the loneliest. And she was one of the few rich women who knew it, too.

It almost made Emerald…feel something.

She recoiled at the idea of it, lounging in a bed way too big for even two, sunken deep into firm, plush pillows that molded to her shape, and a blanket so thick that it’d be hard to notice she wasn’t wearing any clothes.

Yet as she listened to the shower run and shut her eyes for a moment, part of her couldn’t help but wish she had accepted Weiss’s invitation to join her inside. The sincerity of the offer had been…surprising.

She scowled, sitting up again, deciding to pull on her clothes. She’d snatch a few things on the way out, but she couldn’t keep sitting in here, reminded of how lonely she was out in the real world, too. Mercury had taken to Cinder’s instruction too well, and the rift that had tore inside her was starting to swallow her up from the inside out. She’d never wanted to be a part of some criminal empire, she’d just wanted to get by in the world. At least back when she’d been on the streets, she’d had a reason to feel alone.

Now she felt alone all the time, even surrounded by other people, people who were meant to be her friends.

Cinder had stopped feeling like a friend a long time ago, and Mercury was…getting there so slowly, Emerald didn’t believe he even realized it yet. She hoped he would, soon. He wasn’t the weapon Cinder wanted him to be, but if he didn’t snap out of it, he would be, soon.

She sat back on the bed, before suddenly noticing how quiet it was.

Turning around, she could only smile sheepishly at the way Weiss looked her over, hair tied up in a towel, and another towel around her chest. There were a few faint marks on her shoulders, but they were hard to see when her skin was red still from the heat of her shower.

“You’re going so soon?”

She’d tried to sound apathetic, but Emerald had seen the look on her face, the brief panic as she’d realized she’d be spending the night alone.

She tried to steel herself against it, but the expression was stuck in her head.

“Yeah, I…I have another commitment.”

She could hear Weiss move to her dresser, drawers opening and closing. Part of her wished over and over to hear her ask for what they both wanted.

Please, stay.

The drawers all shut. “That’s a shame. I was actually looking forward to getting to know you. But if I can’t tempt you into spending the night, here.”

When Emerald looked up, Weiss was dressed, white hair still damp, makeup wiped away, and two fingers outstretched, a small, neatly folded note pressed between them. Emerald blinked, and then took it without thinking, rising to her feet. She stood about two inches taller than Weiss, and for some reason, the thought made her smile.

“I don’t give that to many people. Try not to sell it to anyone? It’s a personal number, and I’d hate to have to change it again.”

Emerald laughed, accidentally crushing the note in her hand when she did, leaning in automatically to kiss Weiss, as she had so many other times that night already. Only this time, her smile was totally carefree.

Well. There was one treasure Cinder wasn’t getting from this woman. Emerald doubted she’d ever call it, but she stuffed it in her pockets anyway and didn’t let herself think how impossible that would be with the life she lived until the second she was out the door.

She plugged it into her scroll, just in case, too.

Maybe one day, she’d be out of Cinder’s crew.

Emerald dropped by Weiss’s room while her team was out,asked her how she was holding up since Roman had been caught the previous day.

Weiss smiled softly at her and invited her in to tell herthe whole story—most of which Em could already guess, with her own insideknowledge of Roman’s plans.

Her stomach still twisted when Weiss quietly brought up theWhite Fang member who’d so eagerly smacked her around, intending on letting herhurt a little bit before sawing her into pieces.

Emerald had always had quick, soft fingers. Now she offeredthem up for a good cause, gently brushing Weiss’s hair over her shoulder andmassaging gently.

“Thank you for fighting with us in the city,” Weissmurmured, and Emerald could feel the exhaustion and the anxiety slowly rubbingaway under her touch. “Not many students would do that, especially when this isn’ttheir kingdom.”

Emerald didn’t say anything for a moment, focusing insteadon the knots in Weiss’s shoulders and the bruises her aura could sense,desperate to reach out and heal what was left for Weiss.

“It was the least we could do,” she replied, pressing a kissto the crook of Weiss’s neck, watching her shiver and feeling a bolt oflightning spear up through her stomach. “Besides, you were there. Of course I’dcome.”

“And how would you know I was there?” Weiss chuckledsleepily.

“Because you’re always getting into trouble. Dating me, forexample.”

“I love dating you,” Weiss countered quietly.

Em reached around Weiss’s stomach then, pulling her backinto her lap and hugging her as tight as she could, hearing the whoosh of airas Weiss gasped, surprised by the sudden show of overwhelming affection.

“I love you, too.”

Weiss turned in her lap, reaching up to stroke her cheek. “Iseverything okay, love? Normally you aren’t so…clingy.”

God, Weiss didn’t know the half of it. Emerald had never hadanything of her own her whole life, and now that she had this love that Weisshad given her so freely, if not easily, she didn’t want to let it go foranything in the world. She selfishly wanted to hold onto it forever, and ithurt, because they would never work. Weiss Schnee stood for everything that Cinderwanted to tear down, and tear apart.

But Emerald wanted her anyway.

“I guess yesterday just got to me,” she mumbled, burying herface in Weiss’s neck. “All this stuff that’s been happening…it’s kind of scary,don’t you think?”

Weiss hesitated to answer, eyes glazing as she thought backto that conversation with her team on the cliff, about how not everything had aneat and tidy ending. Their confidence that they’d caught the right guy.

“It is pretty scary,” she said at last, hugging Emeraldback. “But at least we made a small difference.”

Under that blanket, Blake could slowly calm down from theirhigh, clutching at Velvet and being as clingy as they wanted, cat ears flickingher chin.

Eventually, Blake would start purring, encouraged by thewarmth they shared as all the rules melted out of their bedroom, out of theirrelationship for a night. It was just the two of them in their own littleworld, a reprieve that Blake had earned, built up by being so good over thelast several weeks.

Their collar was on the bedside table, to be returned bymorning. They knew that.

But they didn’t have to see it.

Velvet reached up and gently rubbed Blake’s ears, lettingher eyes shut on her lover with a proud, happy smile.

“I love you,” Blake murmured hoarsely.

Velvet almost didn’t hear them, but this time was for them,and she intended on being as attentive to her lover as her senses would permit.

“I love you too, Blake.”

It was the right thing to say. Blake’s purr rumbled, armstightening around their partner’s waist.

“I love you a lot,” she whispered, still stroking theirears, eyes closing as she began to drift off.

They liked feeling this warm. A heavy black jacket hung fromthe one small suitcase they’d be taking as carry-on luggage, an unwelcomereminder of the cold waiting outside. Yang would be up to the room any minutenow, hammering on the door to get the two “lovebirds” moving before the truckgot snowed into the driveway.

But they had some time still. Time for Blake to rub Ruby’sback, stroke her hair, admire how peaceful and cozy she looked in her sleep. Littlefreckles flecked her cheeks, more noticeable in the winter months when Ruby’sface took on a red tint. Blake rubbed their thumb fondly across her cheek, finally shakingRuby gently awake to save her startling when Yang came up.

Ruby groaned, not opening her eyes. “Is it time already?”

“Afraid so, rosebud.”

“Don’t go.” Ruby clung to Blake’s t-shirt, forehead bumpingclumsily against Blake’s chin. She winced, finally opening her eyes.

Blake answered with a quiet laugh, amber eyes glitteringwith amusement. “We’ve already had this argument, Ruby. I have to. Now, are yougonna waste our last few minutes begging me not to leave, or are you gonna tellme you love me?”

Ruby made a face, sticking out her tongue before sitting upcompletely, stretching and yawning. “You know I love you,” she said, syllablesdrawn out by another exhausted yawn that interrupted the words. “I just missyou when you leave.”

Blake snorted, throwing the covers aside and swiping thepile of clothes they’d sorted the previous night from the dresser. “Could’vefooled me, love. You take more trips than I do.”

Before Ruby had the chance to reply, the knock on the doorBlake had been waiting for came.

“Almost ready?” Yang’s voice carried into the room, and Rubyshared a look with Blake.

“No!” she called back, opening the door once Blake hadpulled on the last of their clothes. Dressed all in black, the gold of theireyes was almost hypnotizing.

Yang laughed, stepping inside and grabbing Blake’s suitcase.“Well ready or not, here I come. Gonna wear your pajamas to the airport,Rubes?”

She nodded sleepily.

Blake pulled Ruby close, kissing the top of her head. “I’llkeep her warm,” they said, grinning.

“Alright, Weiss told me to pass along her goodbyes too,Blake. She had a late night or she’d be in here too, I just didn’t have theheart to wake her.”

“I’m a little offended, Yang.” They smirked, following Yangtowards the front door. “Even Ruby got up early for me to see me off.”

From behind them, Blake could only see Yang shrug. “Rubyisn’t as grumpy when she hasn’t slept in three days.”

“Maybe I will be when Blake is gone.”

“Well if you’re gonna be so grumpy anyway, maybe you’d liketo drive instead of me, Rubes. I’m happy to go back to sleep.” Yang’s voice hadno real heat, and they smiled as they twisted the handle for the front door andnudged it open with their shoulder. The wind nearly slammed it shut in theirface again, and howled too loudly around them to continue any conversation, butsoon enough they’d reached the truck and Ruby and Blake were quick to hop in.Yang, who’d likely been up at least an hour before the two of them, had donethe smart thing and started the car first thing. It was already warm when theyclimbed in, a comfortable bubble of heat to soak up and melt the flakesgathered on their clothes.

Despite the icy winds and the dimness of the early morning,everything still felt very calm. Especially with Ruby’s head on their shoulder,and the sound of the heat blasting through the old vents of the car. Yangtossed the suitcase in the backseat, checked the mirrors, and then they were off.

The moment the door was closed behind her, Millie slipped back into bed beside Yang, half-hoping she would wake up so she could see her, and half-terrified of the thought.

She was beautiful even in the dim light of the early morning, and she’d been gentle with both of them, had asked before she’d even kissed them, and continued to ask if they were okay throughout the night.

Melanie had been stunned into silence by the softness, and Millie’s heart crumpled on it, realizing only after their night together was over that this woman would never be hers. Mel didn’t let it show, but she knew Mel would miss it too.

No wonder she woke up in such a bad mood.

Suddenly out of nowhere an alarm blared like a siren, and Millie startled, the noise rousing Yang from her sleep, too. She smiled sheepishly as she fumbled for her phone on the bedside table, rolling back over and throwing an arm around Militia; thankfully, she didn’t seem at all startled that Millie had gone to sleep last night wearing nothing, but lay in bed now clothed and decent.

Well. Mostly decent.

“Sorry, didn’t wake you, did I? Forgot to turn the stupid thing off.”  She yawned, and Millie smiled.

“I’ve been up for awhile. Mel is showering.”

Yang mumbled sleepily, eyes shutting for one more moment before she finally sat up, the sheets falling away from her chest. Millie didn’t even pretend not to stare; tan, chiseled abs still gleamed with sweat, and up and down her softest areas were blotchy and red with teeth marks.

Yang seemed to notice she was looking, rubbing sheepishly at the back of her neck. “I uh, I can go make us breakfast, if you guys wanna stay?”

That made Millie blink. “You–you don’t have to do that,” she said, against the better judgement of her stomach. It had been a long time since she hadn’t eaten a meal scrounged out of a trashcan.

“Well, if you change your mind, I need to make room in my fridge anyway.“

She moved out of bed, heading for her dresser to find a shirt.  Millie chewed her lower lip as she admired the red trails clawed down tan back muscle, shoulders rippling and stretching the cotton of a plain black tee that stuck to Yang as tight as a second skin.

When she turned around after pulling on a pair of pajama bottoms, Millie had sat up, the tips of her ears red before Yang even noticed what she was wearing.

The blonde chuckled, settling one knee on the bed, leaning in to kiss her. Shoulders relaxing, Millie melted into it, feeling her blood singing and her skin catch fire. There wasn’t an ounce of anger or annoyance in those eyes, and she could tell this was going bad for her very, very fast.

“I’ll–I’ll go make breakfast,” Yang said again, even from the doorway unable to take her eyes off of Millie in her sweatshirt.

She almost walked backwards right into Mel, and once Yang had disappeared into the kitchen, Melanie glanced at Militia, looking resigned, but–looking almost happy about it.

“She looks almost as starstruck as you do.” Then she smiled, and Millie nudged her sister.

“Purple will look good on you, too, you know.”

Melanie rolled her eyes. “I’m going to throw up.”