Chapter 47

"That's...wow, that was slow." Coco shrugged. Her reaction was met with a variety of responses. Weiss rolled her eyes, Blake did a double take, Ruby snorted, and Velvet slapped her on the arm.

"Coco." Velvet admonished.

Coco barely flinched, snickering. "What? It's true. When Neon told us they broke up, I was expecting this to happen like a week later."

The group was gathered in Blake and Velvet's room. Now it was more like Velvet and Coco's, since Blake had pretty much moved in with Ruby and Weiss. Luckily, Coco and Velvet had been relatively clothed when the trio arrived, by their standards anyway. Ruby had to avoid staring at Coco's cleavage, generously shown by the satin robe she wore. Velvet, to her credit, had at least thrown on a loose green sweatshirt, an extremely large one that made her look like a child wearing her parent's clothes. Weiss suspected the garment belonged to Yatsuhashi. Blake knew it did, as she could smell his scent on it.

Together, Blake and Ruby had explained Weiss' inclusion in the relationship, skipping over the fine details. Naturally, neither Coco nor Velvet seemed particularly surprised. "Ignore her Weiss." Velvet rolled her eyes. "We're happy for you. Have you told Neon?"

"We did, yesterday." Weiss confirmed. "It went rather well."

"She didn't text us." Coco noted. "Sun's probably keeping her occupied."

"Occupied...yes...that is a word for it." Weiss grumbled.

"Is that jealousy I hear?" Coco raised an eyebrow.

Weiss shrunk under Coco's gaze. Despite the shades obscuring her eyes, Weiss could feel the judgement. "No...just...no I...stop looking at me like that. This isn't the point of our visit."

Coco tilted her head, frowning. "You're jealous."

Weiss grimaced, hands clenching in her lap. She felt Blake's hand squeeze her shoulder, and Ruby her hand. "I won't pretend it's fair of me to feel any sense of possessiveness towards Neon, but I do. I care about her, I love her, I have done her wrong, and the thought of someone else doing her better is both a relief and a blow to my...my…" Weiss sighed in exasperation.

"So long as you're self aware." Coco nodded. "How are things between you now?"

"We are going to maintain our relationship to a degree." Weiss replied. "Uh...we...we are…" Weiss cleared her throat. "Blake?"

"As you know, my heat is coming." Blake took over. "And as you know, heat is a very taxing experience on even two individuals. Ruby and Weiss, they're going to try their best...but we may need help."

"So we're gonna' try an open relationship." Ruby explained.

"A-at least for the duration of Blake's heat...to see how everything feels." Weiss clarified.

"You've always been interested in us, and we've always been curious about you, so we thought maybe you'd be willing to help if...or rather when it gets to be too much." Blake continued.

Blake and Velvet exchanged a look. "This is a big thing guys." Velvet warned. "An open relationship isn't for everyone."

"You've gotta' be sure it's what you want." Coco added. "It's not something you can just play with and drop willy-nilly."

"We know." Blake nodded. "But given the circumstances, and the company we keep, we think it's worth trying...at least for now."

"We really like you guys, you and Neon, you're family, we trust you." Ruby declared. "And even if we don't keep things open after Blake's heat, it'll be a fun experience we can cherish for the rest of our lives."

"And what if things develop?" Coco asked. "Hypothetically, what if one of us falls for you, or you for us? What about Weiss and Neon?"

"Then we'll cross those bridges if we get there." Blake answered. "I wouldn't do this if I wasn't okay with the idea of being with you, or you with Weiss and Ruby."

"And besides, there's nothing wrong with falling in love." Ruby noted. "We're already kinda' out of the ordinary. If things grow a bit more, I wouldn't mind."

"Neon and I already know we love each other." Weiss added. "It's good that we can openly admit it, and talk about it, even if we aren't in a dedicated relationship. But none of us knows what the future may hold. We can only wait and see. And I'm willing to give things a chance so long as everyone is on the same page."

Coco nodded, exchanging a look with Velvet, who smiled, nodding back. "We can help out." Velvet agreed. "Is there anything we should know? Boundaries, kinks, triggers? Just in case. We're into everything ourselves."

"I don't like choking or being choked." Blake replied. "I prefer a gentle hand."

"I'm a masochist." Ruby grinned.

"As am I...well...sadomasochist, technically…" Weiss blurted.

Blake and Ruby both looked to Weiss, surprised. "You're into sadism too?" Ruby asked.

Weiss bit her lip, all too aware of Blake's suddenly intense stare. "Well...yes." She admitted. "Anything I enjoy having done to myself, I also enjoy doing to others. Given that they are consenting and willing of course…" Her gaze flickered from Blake's stern visage to Ruby's smirk. Ruby at least seemed pleased with this revelation. Coco and Velvet appeared unphased, Neon had probably told them about their activities...Weiss hoped they would not bring up the details. If Blake asked questions, Weiss wanted to be the one to answer them herself.

"Weiss do you like to spank or be spanked?" Ruby asked excitedly.

Weiss leveled a blank stare at Ruby, who just grinned back. Weiss flicked her on the nose. "Moving on, I have no objections to anything in particular." Glancing back to Blake, Weiss was relieved to see a relaxed, amused smile on her face.

"Good." Coco nodded. "Well for me there's no butt stuff, and no pulling Velvet's ears."

"Oh yeah, no butt stuff for me either." Ruby added.

"I've never tried it, but it's never appealed to me." Blake shrugged.

"Are your ears particularly sensitive, Velvet?" Weiss asked, changing the subject.

"They're actually pretty tough." Velvet answered. "Sometimes a little tug can feel good, but it really depends on what's going on, so it's easier to just avoid it. They shouldn't be much more sensitive than Blake's, or Neon's tail."

"Oh, that's good to know." Weiss nodded.

"I'm honestly surprised you haven't asked to touch my ears again." Blake observed.

Weiss opened her mouth to respond, but could not find anything fitting. Why had she not? Ruby did it all the time, Blake clearly enjoyed it, and Weiss found Blake's ears quite beautiful. She found all Faunus traits to be beautiful. She adored running her fingers along Neon's tail. She had often fantasized about stroking Blake's ears, and in the brief times she had met Velvet, her ears had always drawn Weiss' gaze. She supposed it was fear of objectifying them. Faunus were people, not pets, and no matter how she adored them, their traits were just part of who they were. So what if she wanted to smother them with kisses, rub her face in them, stare at them as they flicked and swayed casually? Fetishizing them was wrong.

"I...did not want to presume." Weiss finally said. "You allowed me to touch them once when we were younger, but that was a special occasion, to satisfy curiosity." It had been another of her requests during their sensitive question session. Blake did not have a counter request, and Weiss had felt like she was violating Blake's personal space during her brief exploration. They were much smaller then, having really grown over the years, and Weiss suspected they would continued to grow. Well, she hoped.

Blake smiled, leaning in and headbutting Weiss' shoulder. "Don't be silly. You could have always touched them. You were my sister, still are, but now you're my mate too. You remember what I said?"

Touching without permission was rude, kissing was a proclamation of love. "Yes, I do." Weiss confirmed. Leaning down, she planted a gentle kiss on one of Blake's ears, which flicked playfully. "I will try to avoid abusing this privilege."

"Pfft, we could kiss Blakey all day and she wouldn't complain." Ruby chuckled.

"If we kissed her all day, kisses would cease to be special." Weiss scoffed.

"Oh bull, kissing people you love never stops being special." Velvet countered.

"Damn right Bun." Coco agreed. "C'mere." She borderline tackled Velvet in a passionate kiss, Velvet laughing against her lover's lips before they strayed, peppering her cheeks.

Weiss felt Blake and Ruby's grips tense, and her own heart began to race. "I think we should take our leave."

"I think we should stay." Ruby disagreed.

"We are taking our leave now." Weiss insisted.

"What's the matter princess, scared you'll wanna' join in?" Coco teased.

Weiss did her best to look outraged. "You wish."

Summer pulled up to the house, returning home after dropping Winter off at her session with Raven. Raven would drive Winter home afterwards. Following a week of the "lessons" Summer was becoming increasingly worried. Winter always came home bruised and sometimes bloodied. She assured Summer that everything was alright, but Summer remained unconvinced. Taking her concerns to Glynda was an option, and one more likely to bring results than going to Raven directly, but Winter had made it clear that she did not want Summer to do anything. Winter claimed the extended beatings - she still insisted on calling them "training sessions" - were helping her to improve her self defense skills.

Summer entered the house to find Pyrrha sitting on the couch in front of a muted television. When she heard Summer, Pyrrha turned around with an obviously fake smile on her face. Further, any attempts to hide her emotion were betrayed by her streaked makeup. Still, Summer did not think jumping straight into the subject was the best course. She would ease into it a bit. "Hey Pyrrha, where's Yang?" Summer asked.

"She went to pick up dinner." Pyrrha replied, sniffling. "It's the Vytalian place in town. We got you a little something, just in case."

"Thank you." Summer smiled. "Is everything alright?"

Pyrrha's smile fell. "No." She admitted.

Summer was surprised that she had not had to pry. Pyrrha was rarely so up front about such issues. "What happened?"

"My mother called again." Pyrrha replied. "Well, I called her. She called while Yang was still here, and I didn't answer because I didn't want her to hear, then when I called back my mother said I was being disrespectful...that's not the issue. She wants me to come back home. I told her Yang still needs help adjusting. She said I must come home for Solstice, and that she expects me to move back in thereafter."

"And you obviously don't want to." Summer nodded. "You want to stay here with Yang."

"It's...it's more than that." Pyrrha sighed. "I...I realized...I don't love my parents. I respect them, sure. I care about them and want them to approve of me and all that, but I don't feel any affection for them. I guess it's because they never really showed any affection for me."

"Never?" Summer gasped.

"I mean, they praised my successes." Pyrrha noted. "But they're not like you. They don't just hug me to hug me, or tell me they love me just because, or even say they're proud of me. That's not how Mistrali parents are. When I first moved here, and saw parents picking their kids up from school, smiling and hugging them, I was shocked. It seemed so strange to me. I had to ask if it was normal."

"How can...how is that even a thing?" Summer asked.

"It goes back to the militaristic origins of the society." Pyrrha explained. "Parents intentionally didn't get close to their children. Part of it was to prepare them for the hardships of military service, and part of it was so they did not get attached to one another, knowing death in combat could come at any time. When I came to live with you the first time...it was so amazing! I'd never felt so loved. I didn't have to be afraid of being punished for mistakes, and I knew you'd be there for me whether I was successful or not." She paused. "Did my parents give you any instructions before they left for Mistral?"

"Um...I think they just told me not to baby you." Summer answered.

"Do you know what that meant?" Pyrrha pressed.

"I figured they didn't want me to spoil you or be overbearing." Summer shrugged.

"That's not it at all." Pyrrha shook her head. "They didn't want you to show me unearned affection. They wanted you to treat me like they treated me, like a soldier. I sometimes wonder if that's all I am to them…"

"I'm sure they love you." Summer encouraged. "They just don't show it very well."

"Probably." Pyrrha allowed. "And just because I don't feel affection for them, doesn't mean I want them out of my life. If I tell them I don't want to live the life they want me to, if I tell them I want to be with Yang, and run a gym, and do my own thing, they'll disown me."

"They wouldn't do that." Summer insisted. "Starting a life with the one you love, having a solid career, those are admirable things."

"If I was just going to be a personal trainer or gym manager, they'd probably be able to accept it." Pyrrha nodded. "But Yang...there's no way. They don't know I'm bisexual. Homosexuality of any kind is unacceptable in Mistrali culture. It doesn't produce children, doesn't produce the next generation of soldiers. It's still a crime in some parts of Mistral, and my parents are hard-liners. When I was with Ren they were so happy. The thought I'd have a good husband, get married, give them grandchildren. When I told them we broke up, they were furious. It didn't help that I waited a few months before letting them know, but mostly they thought I was throwing my future away.

"Now, I wouldn't mind having kids or starting a family and all that. I just...I want to do it because it's my choice, not because I'm supposed to do it. Look at Ren and Nora. They're having a child because they love each other and want to start a family. No one's telling them they have to. Having kids shouldn't be an obligation, it should be a choice. And I should be able to choose who I want to marry, regardless of gender. I shouldn't have to deal with my mother sending me pictures of potential suitors, demanding I pick one!" By now hyperventilating and gritting her teeth, Pyrrha slid open her scroll and quickly swiped through an album containing pictures of various men. "I just want to live my life the way I choose!" She looked at Summer for a moment, and her rage subsided, melting into guilt and melancholy. Pyrrha buried her face in her hands. "I'm sorry, I just...I don't want to lose my birth family, but I don't want to push my new family away to please them. I have to go home for Solstice, but I'll be forced to confront them...I just know it. I have to choose, my parents, or Yang and you and Winter and Ruby and everyone else."

"Pyrrha, no one should be forced to make that choice." Summer moved from the couch across from Pyrrha to sit beside her, laying a hand on her shoulder. "It's unfortunate that your parents forced you into this situation, and I wish there was something I could do to help, but I just don't know…" Summer sighed. "Whatever happens, just know that I'll support you. I'll love you, unconditionally, and you'll always be welcome in my home."

"Summer I...thank you." Pyrrha wept, slumping against Summer. "It's just so hard." Summer stroked Pyrrha's hair as she struggled to calm herself. "I have to...I should go wash my face. I don't want Yang to see me like this." Pyrrha sat up and took a deep breath. "Don't tell her any of this. She doesn't need me bringing her down now that she's finally in a good place. When the time comes we'll discuss it but...not tonight."

"Alright, your secret's safe with me." Summer agreed. "You can speak to me in confidence whenever you need to, you know."

"I do." Pyrrha nodded. She stood and started to walk away, but stopped and turned back. "I love you. You're the mother I always wish I had."

"Good session today." Raven praised from the driver's seat of her car. "See ya' tomorrow." Winter opened the door and climbed out, a bag of Mistrali takeout in one hand, her gym bag in the other. The gravel driveway shifted a bit beneath her feet and she only caught herself by grabbing onto the car, smacking it with her gym bag. "Easy there. Are you sure you're not concussed?"

"I'm fine." Winter declared. The swollen, red bump on her head throbbed. She was really not very good at blocking. Her whole body ached, and if it looked nearly as bad as it felt, Summer would be horrified. "Thanks for the food, and the ride."

"Anytime." Raven smiled. "Take it easy."

Winter took a few steps toward the house before Raven began reversing up the driveway. She did her best to hide her limp, though her knee pained her badly. She had been a little too slow in tapping, and her leg had been twisted as a result. She made it to the door and dropped her gym bag. Quickly finding her key, she unlocked the door and pushed it open. Winter kicked her gym bag inside before following, heading for the kitchen. "Summer, I brought food."

"Oh, I already ate." Summer sighed. She was seated at the kitchen table with her face resting in her hands. She looked up at Winter, eyes widening at the sight of her bruised face. "What happened?!"

"I really need to work on my blocking." Winter chuckled. "After we eat I'll ice it up. Raven treated us to Mistrali."

"She treated you to a beating." Summer noted.

"No, I paid for the privilege." Winter joked. "So what's wrong?" She placed the food bag on the table then took a seat across from Summer, taking her hands in her own.

"It's such a crime...Pyrrha's such a good person…" Summer mumbled.

"What about Pyrrha?" Winter asked.

"She told me...she doesn't have a good relationship with her parents." Summer explained. "I already knew that but...now I find out they're cold, maybe even emotionally abusive. That girl deserves so much better. It's horrible."

"Abusive, how?" Winter pressed.

"They're very strict, controlling, don't show affection." Summer replied. "Pyrrha says it's just Western Mistrali culture, but that doesn't make it right. She's afraid they'll disown her if they find out about Yang, because being gay isn't acceptable to them."

"Western Mistrali, stupid matriarchal bullshit…" Winter grumbled. "You're right, Pyrrha does deserve better than that. Hell, if she was a total asshole she'd deserve better."

"Weren't your parents a little like that?" Summer asked.

"Yes, hence my anger." Winter confirmed. "Atlas is a little different, a mirror image in some ways, but that bullshit still makes for a shitty upbringing. It's not like my parents were overly traditional or anything, just typical upper-crust, emotionless automatons. If they loved each other they never showed it, and they certainly never showed Weiss or myself any love."

"Wow that's...I'm so sorry you had to go through that." Summer shook her head.

"It's all in the past." Winter waved her off. "They're dead and buried, and they didn't manage to fuck us up too badly. And Pyrrha turned out alright, and she'll be even better off without her parents holding her back."

"But she doesn't want to cut them off." Summer countered. "She doesn't want to be disowned. They may not love her, and she may not love them, but she still cares about them. Hell, she feels guilty for not loving them, and for not living up to their standards. Even if it is better for her, at least in the short term it's gonna' be really hard for her."

"Where is Pyrrha?" Winter asked.

"With Yang in their room." Summer replied. "Sleeping I think."

"Well, do you want me to talk to her about this tomorrow?" Winter asked. "Maybe I could provide some insight."

"No, no...I probably shouldn't have even told you." Summer sighed. "She hasn't even told Yang. She doesn't want other people worrying about her problems."

"Alright." Winter agreed, reluctantly.

"You should probably eat that before it gets cold." Summer advised.

"I'm not really hungry." Winter shrugged. "Plus I'm feeling a little sick. I don't want to chance it."

"So you've got a big bump on your head, you're stumbling around like a drunk, and feeling nauseous?" Summer pressed. "Those are textbook concussion symptoms."

Winter rolled her eyes, though doing so obliterated her sense of balance. "Like I told Raven, I'm fine."

You need to stop saying everything's fine when it's obviously not. That was what Summer wanted to say, but she could not bring herself to do it.