Chapter Text
The commotion should have been enough of a warning, but Vacuo is nothing if not noisy; the bustling hallways of Shade a stark contrast to the rigid conformity found during their time in Atlas. Shouting from outside the door of the office Winter had requisitioned for them to work and hide in captures little interest from either girl, Ilia more distracted with staring out the cracked window over the grounds - the one a baby ravager had decided to crash itself into a couple weeks ago, shattering not only the glass but the composure of both girls inside the room at the time as well.
Winter hadn't been slow to cuss out the already fading grimm for its slight of starling her and making her drop her tea all over the work she'd had spread across the desk.
Vacuo is... an interesting place. While Ilia had been to the isolated kingdom a fair few times during her years in the Fang, getting to watch Winter attempt to adjust to the new... everything had been an experience in itself. It's been months since they reignited the war effort on foreign sand, and Ms. Schnee still complains about somehow getting the grains in her socks.
And in her hair. And in her bra. And, well, just anywhere and everywhere really.
Not that the Ice Queen of Atlas being unable to cope with the heat is in any form a surprise - even if she does look rather softer and sweeter with a near-permanent sunburn across her cheeks. The envy sent Ilia's way when she'd unthinkingly commented on the sun being good for her own skin one day in Winter's company still occasionally floats through her memory, as does Winter's huffing to her for the statement.
"Alright for some, I guess. I've never been so uncomfortable in my life, I'm sweating in places I didn't even know I could sweat," had been the grumpy response.
"Lovely. You do look good sweaty, if that's any consolation."
"You're already getting in my pants, you don't need to flatter me too."
"Maybe I just want to be nice?"
"You're rarely nice."
"Nicer than you."
"Chattier, too."
"Thanks."
"Wasn't a compliment."
It had taken them both time to get to that point - the one where they could actually joke again. Time enough for the wounds to start to scab over, not quite healing yet but getting there. The process beginning - the first step of the bleeding slowing down finally giving way to it clotting.
Rough, and itchy, and pinching.
Mending.
Having each other had been the closest thing to a lifeline either of them had left - Winter had tried to reach across the distance between her and her remaining family, but... it had been strained. Too strained, with everything else she's wrapped up in. She'd given up and retreated from them once more, even as Ilia tried - subtly and less subtly - to coax her into trying again.
"It's better this way," Winter had whispered, the last and final time Ilia had tried. The words quiet, and others between the spaces if listening closely enough.
"It's safer, this way," and they both know where her mind had gone to during the conversation.
Ilia didn't try to make her reach out again, after that.
Months on, they've only really spoken about it all properly maybe a handful of times; neither of them quite the types to want to rehash and reopen old wounds. Talking might make it feel better for a while, but there are some things talking can't help. Losing as many people as they had in one fell swoop is one of those things.
Penny. Weiss. Ruby. Yang. Blake. Jaune. Pietro. Maria.
(Jacques. Ironwood.)
They don't talk about those two, at all, but they still happened. And where Winter may not even know what feelings she has towards how those relationships ended, they're still there. Losses, bad or good or some nebulous never-to-be-answered in between.
The shouting and noise from just past the rickety wooden door of their office is louder now, almost if it's getting closer. Out of the corner of her eye, Ilia catches sight of Winter directing an irritated look in the direction it appears to be coming from, before she returns back to the whiteboard she'd be working on in the corner of the office.
Their office, though it's overwhelmingly Winter and her slowly gathering collection of... stuff, that mostly exists within. Folders, and files, and random bits of tech that Ilia can only kinda sorta place a purpose to, neatly arranged around the room; borderline neurotically so - everything with a place, and everything in its place.
Ilia, for her part, is content to leave Winter to whatever it is she's coordinating with the others - Headmaster Theodore, the Happy Huntresses, Qrow, Ozpin - without much complaining. Sure, she'll supply input and ideas when they come, but mostly she spends her time just helping Winter with whatever she needs. It's not entirely unlike the role she used to do for Adam, way back in the day... just, for a better cause this time around.
Less theft and destruction of property. (And a lot more head.)
...She actually kind of misses the theft and destruction of property. It's ironic - here they are, in the heart of the lawless lands of Vacuo, and she's being good.
Damn it, Winter. I hope you appreciate the sacrifices I'm making here for you.
All joking aside, she's sacrificed little and gained much from still having Winter. If someone had told her a year ago where she'd be now, what she would have gone on to do, who she'd be with... she'd have laughed herself purple, without a care for who might have seen her do so.
Ilia Amitola, kinda sorta dating Winter. Fucking. Schnee.
(Absolutely dating Winter Schnee.)
Just in place of dates, they plan battles; a satisfactory trade for their bitter and broken hearts. Two lost and hurting little girls, seeking out comfort in each other and finding a surprising level of understanding and compatibility within. It probably helps that they're both kind of dicks, and have the same off-brand sense of humour - now that Ilia has actually gotten to see Winter's sense of humour, that is.
The shouting continues, and Ilia turns to watch what she knows is coming - waiting for Winter to finally snap. Seconds continue ticking by, turning into minutes, upon the cusp of which she lets out a sigh and turns to look over at Ilia. Ilia, who's watching her with clear and open entertainment and not making any show of hiding it.
Winter's laugh, a rare thing but less rare every day, precedes her request. "Would you mind going to see what's going on? I can't focus with all the noise."
Already dropping down from her perch by the window, Ilia saunters over to stand by Winter's side with a grin. "What's the magic word?"
"Now?"
"Funny."
A hand cups against Ilia's cheek, a second's warning before Winter dips down to give her a quick kiss. "Please?"
"As you wish, Ice Queen."
Ilia only just dodges the pen chucked at her back for the nickname, hearing Winter laugh as she slips out of the door to their office.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Following the throngs of people as they move down the corridor, Ilia finds herself led to the entrance of the academy. All the way to the doors, in fact. There is indeed a crowd gathering, amongst them Theodore and Qrow - the oversized glint of Harbinger easily spotted among the bodies.
Standing out, carrying clean across other voices that are mixing together, is Nora's chipper one; it's not particularly clear what she's happy about, but there's no mistaking she's happy about something. Ilia slinks through to locate her, and investigate what's going on. She's barely pushed through the bodies, catching sight of Oscar and Ren as she does, and breaking into the little clearing by the doors where her friends are.
And then... she hears it. A voice she never thought she'd hear again, loud and proud above the rest of the crowd gathered.
"Hey there, lizard girl! Hope you didn't miss us too much."
Yang.
Something pops in her ears, the warm rush of adrenaline flooding through her entire system when she turns to seek out the voice of a ghost - expecting and not expecting to find her standing there. That maybe she's finally snapped, and is hearing things. Being haunted.
If this is being haunted, then she'll take it - as standing a few metres away from where she's broken through the crowd is Yang.
Yang. It really is her.
Blonde, tall, and more tanned than Ilia remembers her being. Already she's moving towards Ilia frozen in place, arms out and about to say something before she's cut off - a familiar flurry of rose petals scattering over her in the miniscule fraction of time it takes for a body to slam into Ilia and squeeze her in a hug.
Ruby.
"Ilia! I'm sorry! I'm sorry, I knew we said we would always be there and we really tri--"
It's Ruby. She's real, and she's here, and she's crushing the air out of Ilia - and Ilia doesn't care. This is better than being able to breathe.
Whatever Ruby had been saying is cut off by a kiss, hands moving up into her short hair and messing it up even more than it so often is. Pulling her up and into Ilia, where she stays. Where she'll be staying forever, if Ilia gets her way. Ruby smells like roses, and feels like home.
Only when familiar warm arms wrap heavily around them both and another little press of affection is felt being placed against her hair does Ilia break their kiss, not even really having the space to maneuver to give one to Yang properly with how tightly both sisters are holding onto her. Not that it's going to stop her from reaching up to tug her down into one anyway, not after all this time; all this time spent thinking she'd lost them.
And, they're here. They're home.
How? What? Where? When?
So many questions, and they can all wait. The one question she has to ask right now is answered before she has the chance - feeling two other girls join their hug, and snuggle into her caught in the middle of them all.
Weiss. Blake.
She's already crying before her knees hit the floor, legs giving out under her as the rest of her team follow her down and don't let her go.
They're home.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How long they spend collapsed in a bundle on the stone floors of the academy foyer, she can't say. Couldn't even begin to say, smothered under her own tears and her girls, and tears that aren't Ilia's. Off to the side, team JNOR can be heard doing the same with Jaune, Jaune's crying familiar and so, so welcome a sound. Any sound from him, from all of them, to mark their return from death.
It can't have been long though, as another voice cries out somewhere nearby and finally causes Ilia and her team to separate - only just, but enough.
"Weiss?!"
Weiss is the first one to break away, up on her feet and already rushing to meet Winter and being tugged into a hug that certainly looks tight enough to be painful. They're sobbing, both Schnee sisters, and it's both agonising and amazing a sound - to hear both of them, to see them together again.
Content to sit and watch the reunion, Ilia finds herself with Ruby in her lap, Blake and Yang on either side of them. Blood still rushes in her ears, adrenaline still flooding her veins, and all of it good.
Where they'd been expecting the two to eventually separate, nothing of the sort quite happens. Weiss does indeed pull back from Winter - who's red-faced and flustered, having clearly ran here - and simply grabs onto to her sister's arm, dragging her over to where they're all still huddled together on the floor. Weiss drops back down onto her knees and brings Winter with her, right into the hug between all of them.
Where she happily stays.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Once some, but not all, of the tears have begun to dry up, they all find themselves in Theodore's office yet again. The air is different, charged now. Happy, and light, and giddy, at having something finally returned back to them all.
Qrow stands, taller than Ilia has ever seen him, without his usual slouch - an arm around each of his nieces and refusing to let them go even when they start to whine about him smothering them. Empty complaints, as they're smiling and laughing even as they try to escape his hugs.
"You're not getting away. Neither of you are ever getting out of my sight again. It's gonna be just like when you were babies, and you're gonna have to just deal with it. I'm not above putting those baby leashes on you both."
"I was too smart for the baby leash."
"You keep telling yourself that, kiddo."
Blake had claimed a seat off to the side when the rest of them had been giving their debriefing, pulling Ilia onto her lap and snuggling them together. At least part of the motivation to do so appears to be the ability to hide herself away from the amount of curious eyes on her, but Ilia has exactly zero complaints at being used as a comfort; she's getting plenty out of it, too.
Weiss has herself tucked into Winter's side, the two of them a spitting image of each other now that Winter has finally foregone both her Atlas military uniform and posture, and wearing her hair in a low braid that might be Ilia's handiwork.
It doesn't escape her notice that her own team still have their own braided into their hair, the ones she always does for them. Whether they're the same ones she'd left on them, or they'd continued putting them there for each other, she can't say. Just that it almost causes her to start crying again, when she notices them; to go with the one she'd kept in her hair, in memory of them all.
Even Emerald had joined in with the hugs, passing them out to some and being dragged into ones with others, wrapped up in the same excitement of having something this close to a victory dropped on their front step. It's nice, seeing her being a part of the teams - standing next to Oscar and Ren and Nora, and Jaune. She'd looked over and caught Ilia's eye at one point, a little smile being sent over and shared between them both in understanding, at seeing the other happy.
Not friends. Family.
All of them.
Together here, all tucked away in a room that feels too small for this many people. Hugs, kisses, apologies -being traded around people who never would have been imagined in the same place again.
Marrow had appeared in the doorway to the office before his teammates, moving in with a friendly call of "Jaun!" to wrap up Jaune in a hug that was only slightly awkwardly returned. Harriet and Elm followed after him, appropriately skittish and extending their regrets at contributing to everything that had gone down back in Atlas, to their returned members of the fight they're all on the same side of now.
Bringing up the rear of the reunion, had been the arrival of the Happy Huntresses from wherever they'd been off working together. To the surprise of absolutely no one, Robyn greets RWBY with everything short of their actual names - "Pipsqueak", "Fisticuffs", "Midnight", and... "Snow Angel." The fact that Yang and Blake immediately start laughing at the use of that nickname for Weiss, and the reaction it gets from its target, strongly hints towards there being something else at play here.
With everyone together, the briefing begins to properly hit its stride - everyone being filled in on what happened on the other side with RWBY and Jaune, and in turn recounting how the war effort has been going from the new home base in Vacuo. Special mention being extended to Headmaster Theodore, and him graciously allowing them to remain and use his academy for such; due to both charity and it allowing protection from being the likely next target.
Everyone is together. The missing pieces are back on the board, and they're all gearing up for the fight ahead.
All except one.
Winter, for every bit as happy as she seems to have them all back... Ilia can see it in her, that's she's feeling it now, more than she has for a while.
The lost presence of a smaller, more honest soul.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ilia is dragged by her team to the room they'd been assigned on campus, arm-in-arm with Ruby and Blake as Yang and Weiss walk ahead, talking about looking forward to a proper bed and a shower. And it's not that she's not happy about it, it's just...
Winter.
She'd already closed herself off from what team RWBY being back means for the two of them, apparently. Hadn't made a big deal of it, just slunk off back to her - their - room, with a foreign slump to her shoulders. A last little despondent look sent Ilia's way, before she had done so.
A little twist of the guilt poking between Ilia's ribs.
This isn't going to be the end of things, not if she has anything to say about it. It can't be, Winter means just as much to her now as the dolts surrounding her and cuddling into her. Blake leans in to press a kiss against Ilia's temple once they enter their room, which swiftly becomes a full one. And it's not that Ilia doesn't want to kiss Blake - she really, truly does - but it presses the sharp point between her ribs in further, painfully so.
It doesn't go unnoticed, as Blake pulls away to look down the little distance between them, already knowing even before she gets a look at Ilia's face. "What's wrong?"
Taking the chance while she has it, Ilia claims one last kiss from Blake before shifting fully out of her arms; and Blake allows her to go. Isn't happy about it, but allows it. All eyes are on her now, the energy in the room crackling erratically, and she moves to address them all.
Now or never. Bandaid off, Amitola.
"I have something I need to tell you all..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Silence.
Tense, scary silence - that's what greets her after she tells them all about her and Winter. Even if she wanted to keep talking, it feels like her throat is clogging up with the words that won't keep coming.
But then, it breaks.
With laughter.
Not the reaction she had been braced for but hey, she'll take it.
"You did what?!"
Weiss is unmistakably the loudest - and the most offended. Understandably so, but it's softened well by the incredulous guffaws coming from everyone else. Yang is even pounding a fist against the desk next to her, doubled over and trying to straighten herself back up through her laughs.
"You and Winter?!"
"I don't believe you!"
"Is this a joke? If it is, it's a pretty good one."
Running a hand through her ponytail, and trying to remember how to breathe, Ilia can feel herself flushing completely as she takes in the devastation her confession has just wrecked upon her girlfriends' composures.
"It's not a joke! I swear! We've been together for a few months."
"How could you, Ilia? That's my sister!"
"You were dead!"
"And you decided to what, bury your grief in Winter's pussy?!" At these words, even Weiss cracks - burying her face in her hands with a sound somewhere between a laugh and a shriek. "I can't. I can't deal with this right now."
It does nothing but start the barrage that, admittedly, has taken longer to begin than it by any rights should have - Ruby, Blake and Yang immediately pouncing on the comment to torment both mortified girls.
"You can actually use the phrase 'that's not how Winter likes it' now!"
"Who's the better shag then, Ilia? Weiss or Winter?"
"Weiss and Winter - one pussy in common, and I'm not talking about Blake."
"One Schnee, two Schnee, bend them both over my knee."
"The Schnee sisters: bonded by blood, name, and vagina."
"Did Winter make you lick her boots?"
"The boots aren't the only thing of Winter's Ilia has licked."
"This is the best thing you could possibly have ever done. Oh my fucking god."
"I believe you mean 'oh my, fucking Winter'."
Ilia has long ago crumbled to her embarrassment, sliding down the door to their room and hiding her burning face in her arms. Not that any amount of hiding is going to save her now. Oh no, there's no recovering from this one.
"Please... please, stop..."
"Yes, seriously, stop."
"What's the matter, Weiss? You were fine with it when it was me and Ruby sharing."
"That's different! Your boundaries are nonexistent! It's not the same for me and Winter."
"Oh, I'm pretty sure it's the same now."
It takes far, far too long for them to all approach anything close to resembling settled, Weiss even giving up at getting them to quit - instead just waiting until they tire themselves out. Ilia still doesn't move from her ball on the floor. Maybe if she tries hard enough, she can melt through it and disappear from this conversation.
Fat chance, but she will damn well try.
"Just let me die here, it would honestly be better than this..."
"Oh, even death isn't letting you escape this one, Ilia."
"Are you all quite finished being repugnant?" Gods bless Weiss for being the one thing they have to a saner head amongst them all.
A few more chuckles mark them calming down, finally, finally. Only then, does Ilia chance looking up from hiding behind her limbs. Lacking the energy to glare, she just glances around the amused faces - not even Weiss succeeding at not finding any of this funny, a small grin on her face as she takes in just how pink Ilia actually is.
"I knew it was going to be bad, and it was somehow even worse than I thought. But, I suppose at least you're not all mad at me..?"
A few looks are shared around the room, before Ruby turns to focus on Ilia again. "Nah. I mean, like you said, you thought we were dead so it would be pretty shitty of us to hold it against you."
"I'm more disgusted than mad. Though, I do have a question - an actual one, not the stupid ones you dolts were asking." A few more snickers, before Weiss wanders over to drop down next to where Ilia is still bundled up by the door. "When you say you were 'together'... to use Nora's words, was that together together..?"
The question trails off, but it's clear enough what she's wanting to know - what all of them are wanting to know, if the sincere interest being sent her way is anything to go by.
"Yea. Together together."
"I see... well, what does that mean for all of us?"
"I still love you all! And I'm so, so happy to have you all back. It's honestly like a dream come true..."
"But?"
"...I care about Winter, too. I-- I can't just leave her."
"Hmm. I know, I just wanted to make sure." Weiss settles more fully next to Ilia, leaning in to press them together and wrapping an arm around Ilia's, her head on Ilia's shoulder. She just sits there for a moment, before looking around at the others watching them both. "This is a mess."
"Weiss, I'm sorr--"
"Nuh-uh, not your fault. It's actually kind of making me feel better about it that you do care about her and aren't just... you know. Is that weird?"
Yang decides to finally chime in here, floating over to sit across from them both on the floor and prompting Blake and Ruby to do the same. "Literally every bit about us is weird. I can hardly say anything." And then she side-eyes Ruby sitting next to her - getting a punch on the arm for her troubles.
Blake gestures to them not to start acting up, before leaning across her folded legs to put herself a little closer to Ilia. "Well, what do you want to do about it?"
"I... I want to stay with her, too."
"And us?"
"Yea, of course."
"It's fine with me. I don't get it, but hey, it's your life. If you want Winter in it, then I don't mind."
A chorus of agreements follow, and Ilia buries her head in her knees again - overwhelmed, rather than embarrassed this time. And maybe a few tears fall, but they're quickly smothered by finding herself in the middle of them all again.
Her four stupid, and happy, and loud girls.
She's finally home.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Not bothering to knock, Ilia just turns the handle to let herself in and finds Winter pretty much exactly where she expected she would - sitting slumped over her knees, on the edge of the bed. Upset, and trying not to be.
Her brows furrow at seeing Ilia there, even as she perks up. It's slight, but it's there. "Ilia? But, I thought..."
"I know what you thought, and while I am a little mad at you just writing me off, I have to talk to you."
Winter makes a little 'o' with her mouth, clearly unsure at what is about to happen. No words come from her, and she doesn't pull away when Ilia moves to sit by her on the bed and takes one of her hands. Warm, just like the rest of her. Despite the jokes to the contrary, Winter is always warm. And she's waiting, patiently.
"I told them about us."
"I see... and what did they say?"
A thumb runs over Ilia's, keeping the contact there between them both even as Winter remains braced for her to pull away at any moment. It... it stings, a little. But she doesn't pull away, that's exactly the opposite of why she came here.
"Well, after the initial suprise - and so many jokes. Like, seriously, so many jokes at my expense, and a little at yours. I think there's a real chance a record may have been broken by them with them all, but that's another thing." It manages to get a laugh from Winter, and that's enough to keep Ilia talking. "Yea, anyway, I told them I didn't want to lose what I have with you and... they were okay with it. Weiss is a little weirded out, which I suppose is fair, but I meant it. I don't want to lose this either, so... I guess what I'm trying to say is, if you're okay with me doing both, I'd like to still have you in my life too."
"I..."
"You don't need to decide anything right away. I'd rather you took time to think about it first, because I know it's a lot." A pause, a laugh, before continuing. "Trust me, I know it's a lot--"
She's cut off by a kiss, Winter leaning across the space between them to pull them close. It's nothing like the response she had been expecting, and Ilia still melts into it like she has every time Winter has kissed her. There was a time when it was embarrassing, but she's long past that - sighing happily into Winter and returning the affection.
Winter is the one to pull away first, a little teary and doing her best not to be. Typical Winter, always trying to hide her feelings away. "I don't want to lose you, either. But are you sure? I'll be okay, if you'd rather not do this..."
She wouldn't be. They both know she would be anything other than okay. It's doesn't matter, because Ilia doesn't want that to happen, she loves Winter too mu--
...She loves Winter.
Ilia loves her.
Hadn't even realised it had happened, until now; but sitting here now, with even the thought of losing her fresh in her mind... there's no doubt about it. Winter, with her bossiness, and her broken sense of humour, and her neurotic tendencies. Winter, with her frostiness, and beautiful blue eyes, and the freckles across her sunburnt nose; the scar there that Ilia has kissed so many times, and does so once again now.
Winter. Just, Winter. Ilia loves her.
And Ilia tells her.
"I'm sure. I'm sure, because I... I love you."
That, Winter certainly wasn't expecting - if the way her eyes go wide and the way her mouth forms another little 'o' has anything to say about it. Seconds tick by as the words settle between them both, just long enough for Ilia's skin to start to warm.
Maybe Winter doesn't feel like that towards her yet? Maybe she never will? Did she just make a mistake? Did--
A tear slides down Winter's cheek, her attempts to keep her emotions at bay finally faltering as her breath catches. Ilia is tugged in again, this time not for a kiss - Winter pressing their foreheads together as a warm exhale washes against Ilia's face.
"I love you, too."
Ilia moves to kiss Winter, tension sliding off her shoulders that she hadn't even noticed settle there at having the confession returned...
And is halted by a knock on the door.
They pull back to look at each other for a confused moment, Winter wiping at her face as Ilia moves up to answer the door. Truly, she shouldn't be surprised at all by what she finds waiting for her on the other side.
Team RWBY, armed with blankets and pillows and a mission.