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“You know you don’t have to do this, Weiss.”
“It’s tradition.” She protested, on the verge of crossing her arms and stubbornly tilting up her chin. Weiss hadn’t felt the urge to do that in years, not since being knocked down a few pegs as Blake often put it.
Yang’s smile was bright and clear as the sun overhead. “We’re not exactly traditional, babe.”
That much was true. If they had followed tradition, the ring would have come second, but she hadn’t been able to justify circumventing Yang’s permission before proposing. Weiss thought it was well worth the look when she did, presenting a golden ring with a center of polished septarian, the stone surrounded by half a dozen little diamonds mimicking stars. After the startled yes, after they broke at least three local ordinances by having sex on the grass in a public park, Weiss had declared that she’d be seeking Taiyang’s blessing.
Yang laughed. It would have hurt if the sound wasn’t so joyous and open, the amusement shining in violet eyes borne from love rather than mockery. The difference had become clear long ago, and Weiss memorized every shift in intonation and its variants; the boisterous howl when Yang was drunk, the stifled laugh that gathered tears at the corner of each eye, and that wry, hungry sound when someone was about to be beaten within an inch of their life and she planned to enjoy it. All of them Weiss possessed by proxy, encouraged in different ways.
“My dad doesn’t have any say about whether or not I get married, Weiss.” Yang murmured, toying with the edge of a tiny white flower peeking out of the ground. “I mean, I’m inviting him, of course, but I don’t need anyone’s blessing.”
“I know you don’t need it.” Letting out a sigh, Weiss tugged her shirt back together, about to redo the buttons when her hands were batted out of the way. Not yet, apparently. “It’s not because Taiyang’s your father. I’d do the same with your mother, or Summer. All three, if I had to.”
Both desire and amusement faded from Yang’s stare, replaced by longing. A heartstring pulled taut and plucked. “Why, though?”
“Because I want him to know my intentions. To…publicly state that I’ll give his firstborn daughter everything I have.” Weiss swallowed roughly, fighting a blush. Being this open was difficult, but she was doing her level best. “Considering that I gave four years of my life partnered with his second-born, I think your father will take me seriously.”
“He’d take you seriously anyway, love. You have a very serious vibe.” Yang’s arms wrapped around her, one leg still tangled in hastily stripped trousers but pressed against the inside of Weiss’ bare thigh. “Does Ruby know?”
“I needed someone to tell me if you’d like the ring.” Weiss demurred. “She and Blake both called me a sap. Lovingly, I’m told.”
There was a soft kiss, and then a second, sparks of desire leaping between their bodies as easily as breathing. “Kind of an old-school romantic. I’m into it.”
“Are you?” Her fingers slid into that infinite tangle of golden hair, caressed every inch of bronze skin still exposed. She couldn’t even complain about the grass scratching at her calves, not with Yang so close.
“I can prove it to you again.” Yang flashed the ring in front of her, smiling wide; the diamonds paled in comparison. “So, when do you want to do it?”
When turned out to be a week later, and summer in Patch was unbearably humid. Any attempt Weiss made to be presentable was washed away by the oppressive heat, assaulting both makeup and freshly pressed clothes. Yang was content to be casual in a tank top and shorts, as if ready to jump into the ocean only a ten minute walk away, but she had tried to look somewhat formal despite the difficulty. Even a strictly white outfit only provided so much benefit when sweat threatened to soak through, her hair suffering much the same fate.
Clear, sweltering waves poured off the street as they approached the house, a mish-mashed sort of building that Weiss could only call a shack. That didn’t mean it wasn’t well put together, sturdy wood columns supporting a second floor and numerous add-ons, including a garage that was wide open and in constant use, if the dark oil stains just outside were any proof. An engine roared and then cut out, followed by a whoop of delight.
“Dad’s home.” Yang said with a grin.
The source of the noise was a beast of a motorcycle, chrome glistening with new polish, the mirrors spotless. It was wide enough that Weiss imagined she wouldn’t be able to reach the gas, handlebars set far apart for a low, casual ride. As to be expected, it was painted a vibrant, eye-catching yellow, sunburst detailing curving along the gas tank and fender in riotous gold. A moment later, the bike’s owner got to his feet, shirt stained with sweat and grime.
Taiyang was one of the only people who made Yang’s shoulders look narrow. Where she was outrageously fit, every muscle sharply defined, he was simply large and cast a shadow of the same size, blocking out the edges of the sun when Weiss looked up at his face. A shit-eating grin — crude as it was, there really was no other term to encompass it — flashed Taiyang’s teeth just a split second before he pulled Yang into a tight hug, which wasn’t protested despite the oil on his clothes and hands.
“My girl, what are you doing here?” His palm landed a good-natured slap on her back. “Only thing that should be outside in this weather are the mosquitoes big enough to eat up a Deathstalker.”
“Weiss and I—” Yang shrugged, suddenly looking a little nervous. Weiss could guess why, even if the blonde insisted she wasn’t concerned about her father’s permission. “Weiss wanted to ask you something.”
“I’ve got a scroll, you know. Ruby made sure I’ve got a charger that actually works.” Raising a thick brow Weiss’ way, Taiyang added, “Sorry to make you come out all this way, Ms. Schnee. I do take calls.”
“I actually wanted this to be in person, Mr. Xiao Long.” Weiss said.
“Please, it’s Taiyang. I may be an old man, but you’ve been part of our family for a while now. Since the girls brought you and that wily Faunus over one summer.” He glanced back at Yang. “How is Blake, huh? We got along pretty well after they figured out I wouldn’t bite.”
The next words out of Yang’s mouth were in that fluid tonal tongue Weiss simply couldn’t decipher, matched with a hand gesture she could only describe as imitating cat ears. Taiyang cackled and spoke back even faster before letting out a sigh and Vytalian murmur of, “good, I’m glad to hear it.”
“Is there a reason I wasn’t privy to that conversation?” Weiss asked.
“Because Blake might kick my ass from here to next Tuesday if they catch on to us gossiping, babe. It’s for my own protection, really.” One arm went around her shoulders, offering a light squeeze. “That way you can’t say anything by accident.”
“I—” She sputtered. “I wouldn’t—”
Yang rolled her eyes. “Then how exactly did Blake find out that Ruby was dating Penny last year, huh? Telepathy?”
“Uh—” A wealth of pink spread across Weiss’ face. “I didn’t mean for anyone to overhear.”
“I know, babe. That’s my point.” Tilting her chin up towards Taiyang, there was another shining smile. “Why don’t you ask him, though, huh?”
He reached over for a rag off the nearby toolbox and started scouring out the black from under his nails. “Ask me what?”
“I,” Weiss felt her pulse surge and quicken, throat tightening. Why did this have to be difficult? It should have come from her lips with confidence, with all the love she felt burn under her skin just hearing Yang’s name. “I’d like…to marry your daughter.”
Taiyang blinked. “Run that by me again.”
“I’m asking for your blessing.” This time it was louder, more even. “Yang and I are engaged, but I wanted you to know before any ceremony, to accept us.”
One second stretched into the next, long enough for Weiss to feel dizzy with anxiety, but the next thing that came out of his mouth was, “well, show me the damn ring, Yang! I know she bought you something fine.”
She was surprised to see Yang blush at that, delicately extending out her hand. Taiyang examined it with narrowed eyes but never touched the band, only turning her fingers this way and that until he straightened up, looking like the happiest man in the world. Weiss let out a breath she hadn’t even known she was holding.
“Of course you have my blessing.” When his hand was offered, Weiss took it, heedless of the stains still marring Taiyang’s palms. “I never managed it myself, even with two girls, but I’d never stop either of them from being with whoever they wanted. And I know you know to treat her right if you don’t want Ruby here in a flat second to kick your ass.”
A laugh spilled from Weiss’ lips too, sudden and unexpected. “I think that list is a lot longer than just Ruby.”
“You’d be right about that.” Taiyang’s eyes leveled with Yang’s again. “She makes you happy, huh?”
“Damn straight.” Yang said, puffing out her chest a bit. “And a lot of other things.”
“Then let’s go celebrate!” His tone didn’t leave any room for argument, but Weiss couldn’t find a single reason to protest, not with her heart so full she thought it was about to burst. “There’s a restaurant on the wharf where the owner definitely owes me enough to work out to a bottle of champagne.”
“You want to go change, dad?” The question came with an amused lilt, Yang’s knowing grin. “You’ve got…something on your everything.”
“Yeah, I’ll go make myself presentable.” Taiyang waved away the comment, turning to head back inside the garage. “Five minutes, girls, I’ll be out.”
As soon as the screen door to the house slammed shut, Weiss sucked in a quiet breath, feeling tears prick at the corner of her eyes. Yang noticed in an instant, cupping her cheek with the same hand that bore the ring. The band of metal was cold but Yang’s palm was warm, an immediate comfort.
“Hey, you did it.” Every soft word was matched with a soft kiss, peppered first on her brow and then against each cheek. “I told you he’d say yes.”
“I know.” Weiss sighed, then claimed a kiss from Yang’s lips. “And it feels like he just gave me the world.”