RWBY 1. The Tree

"Oh my gosh!" Ruby exclaimed, rushing into Team RWBY's dorm ahead of her friends.

A modestly sized pine tree stood in centered between their bunks in front of their window with its greenery blocking much of the view outside of the snow covered campus. And there was Ruby jumping up and down, glee on her face, gesturing before it.

"Tree, you guys!" Ruby began fawning all over the bristling branches sending loose needles cascading to the ground.

"Ruby! You're making a mess, you dolt!" Weiss scolded the younger girl. But she felt the smile on her lips start to form despite her attempt to sound serious. Three months into their relationship, the heiress was finding it increasingly difficult chastise her girlfriend for her childlike qualities. They were all things that used to drive Weiss to the brink of annoyance. Now they were almost endearing. Ruby had been changing her and although the heiress made every attempt to fight it, she found herself softening.

"Oh, Weiss, was this you? Oh, of course it was!" Ruby bounced over and pulled Weiss against her chest in a close hug.

Weiss felt a blush race into her cheeks as she looked into Ruby's beaming face and grateful silver eyes.

"Thank you," Ruby whispered softly. Weiss relaxed and smiled and gave Ruby a quick peck on the lips. She loved making her partner happy. It was one of the most satisfying feelings Weiss had ever known. And as for Ruby, she could blind everyone in the room with that light.

The heiress stiffened in her girlfriend's strong arms as she heard Yang sniggering behind her.

"Awww, Weissy, look at you! How romantic," Yang teased. She pulled Blake into the room behind her, pushing past the embracing couple and admired the tree. "And get a room, will ya?"

Ruby shot Yang a dirty look as she flushed too. "Moment killer..." She muttered and released Weiss and took her hand instead.

Weiss rolled her eyes at the blonde. "No, not romantic, Yang. It's for all of you. Although your response is making me think I made the wrong choice."

"Oh, princess, don't- Ow!," Yang clutched her rib, freshly tender from the elbow that Blake had just jabbed into it.

"Sorry, Weiss. I really like the tree," she said dejectedly. She shot her girlfriend at wounded look and Blake just shook her head and smiled. Weiss gave Blake a small satisfied smile of appreciation that the Faunus returned in kind.

"It's a beautiful tree, Weiss. Thank you," Blake added sincerely.

Weiss had come to realize that she should just expect Yang to push her buttons. Wasn't that one of the perks that came with being a sister. And with the brawler being the older and protective one, Weiss had set herself up to be a target for uncomfortable moments precipitated by the ever playful Yang. But as long as Blake was around to help mitigate the fallout, Weiss figured it was a livable and even occasionally fun.

"Well, thank you for the compliment, Yang. And thanks," she directed at Blake with a wink.

"Guys, guuuuyssss! When do we get to decorate it?" Ruby was practically quaking in excitement.

All three girls looked at Weiss expectantly. Weiss couldn't help but feel her heart warm as she looked at her friends. Holidays had always been a difficult time for the heiress. Most had been marred with strife and dysfunction, best left pushed back into the recesses of her mind. Until she had met Ruby, she outright hated them. But these new memories that she was creating with her team, they were those of a girl who had a family that loved her. Although it had taken her awhile to accept it and especially to trust it, Weiss had come to understand that these three special people were her family now.

"Well, I thought that since I picked the tree, maybe you all could choose how to decorate it," Weiss cringed at the thought of what color schemes her teammates would select, but had already committed to letting them all having the tree that they wanted. After all, the heiress had scrooged away any possibility of a tree last year.

"But first, I wanted to give you a token of… well. It's a thing," Weiss stated uncomfortably. She walked over to her dresser and pulled out a box out of her top drawer. The heiress felt the eyes of her team watching her curiously. She opened the lid of the box to reveal three smaller boxes. She handed each of her friends a box, saving Ruby for last, wanting to be closest to her partner to see her reaction.

The girls shared a glance and then began to open their gifts all at once. Not surprisingly, Ruby tore into hers the fastest holding up a glass ornament that was shaped like a rose, its intricate dark red petals were placed on a white gold stem and a thread of the same metal was woven through the top to serve as a hanger.

"Oh, Weiss, it's so pretty," Ruby cooed and threw her arms around Weiss's neck causing the blush to return to heiress's face. " I love it, it's so me!" In a literal blur, younger girl was placing her ornament near the top of the tree, settling for a place that she would be able to see it from anywhere on her side of the room.

Blake was next and she opened up her box to reveal an ornament that was shaped like a black cat. It was made from honed obsidian and had yellow eyes made of amber resin. A gold chain wove around its body ending in a small hook. Weiss knew that Blake's Faunus heritage could be a tough topic to broach and she hoped her gift wasn't too on the nose.

"Weiss, it's so beautiful… It's too much. Thank you," Blake's mouth stayed agape as she touched the expertly crafted visage.

"I hoped that you would like it," Weiss said honestly as she felt a wave of relief.

Yang had paused her unwrapping to watch her sister and girlfriend experience theirs. Grinning, she opened up her box. She pulled out a large citrine that was a bright orange with yellow bursts in the corners. It was the shape of the sun and suited the brawler perfectly. A thick white gold cord wound through the top, supporting its weight. Yang gasped as she took in the striking colors of the gem in her hand.

"Oh, jeez, I don't even know what to say, Weiss," Yang walked over to Weiss and pulled her close for a rough hug. "Thanks, future sis-in-law," she said playfully adding a suggestive wink.

"Heh, you're too funny, Yang," She hugged Yang back. Her friends looked at her with a bit of surprised, not used to this brand of contrition from Weiss. But the heiress was in no mood to fight. Her surprise had been a success. And this feeling she had after sharing it with her team was almost as good as the one she had when she made Ruby laugh.

She watched as Yang and Blake selected the best location for their ornaments, smiling as her friends embraced when they were content. She turned to Ruby who was leaning against the dubiously situated bed posts taking in the scene. Weiss approached her girlfriend who instinctively lifted her arm up to accommodate the heiress. She snuggled in closely to Ruby's neck.

Ruby leaned in and whispered, "You're the best, Weiss. You didn't have to do all of this. I know it's different for you." Her voice was full of empathy and a note of sadness.

"You make me want to."

And for Weiss, that was all that really mattered.


	2. Decorating the Tree

On the next wintery morning, Team RWBY was up bright and early, setting off to go to the store for their tree decorating mission. Weiss had declined the invitation to come along which put Ruby at unease.

"Why do you think Weiss didn't want to come with us?" Ruby kicked a small rock down the sidewalk as she sulked beside her teammates.

"Well, we know Weiss doesn't really like this stuff," Yang shrugged. "I still can't believe she gave us those gifts."

Blake nodded her head in agreement, "It was a really kind gesture. She must have put a lot of thought into it."

Ruby brightened as she remember how joyous she had felt holding that striking red rose ornament. She loved knowing that she had been in her girlfriend's thoughts and Weiss's stunning taste had left Ruby breathless.

"You're right, Blake. She's being so great this year about everything. I wonder if maybe… Maybe she's starting to like the holidays?" Ruby sounded optimistic as usual.

Blake nodded. "I think she's really trying to."

"Well, let's hope we can decorate this tree up to her standards," Yang said playfully.

"Hmm, I think we need to do something special for her too!" Ruby punched a fist into the air with conviction.

Yang smiled at her sister and slipped her hand into Blake's as she chuckled at her sister's enthusiasm.

"Okay, sis, any fancy pants ideas in your head?" Yang knew that her sister could be quite the romantic and although the blonde had not gotten used to the idea of Ruby having a girlfriend, she still loved the fact that the younger girl had a penchant creating perfect surprises. The sisters shared a flair for impressing their respective girlfriends.

Ruby just grinned.

* * *

><p>"Okay, this is the doorway, are you ready?" Ruby led Weiss to the threshold of their dorm, her hands planted firmly over her girlfriend's eyes.<p>

Weiss had found that her partner often pushed on the boundaries of her patience, but somehow that disarmingly sweet demeanor would cause her shell to crack, leaving the heiress willing to be uncomfortable in the name of pleasing Ruby. She typically disliked surprises, but she appreciated and allowed the brunette's caring actions to usually proceed with minimal interference. To date, she had never once regretted letting Ruby in.

"Of course, she is," Yang said impatiently from behind them.

"I can speak for myself, Yang," Weiss asserted with mild annoyance at the blonde rushing the moment. "Yes, Ruby, I'm ready."

"Okay, here we go," Ruby's voice quivered with an edge of excitement as she removed her hands.

The pine tree had been decorated by her team while Weiss had been studying in the library. The result was beautiful. Crimson ornaments adorned the body of the tree as a golden garland wound itself around the outer foliage from top to trunk. Silken black bows had been carefully tied around the tips of many of the branches. The three unique ornaments that Weiss had given her friends stood out in the uniformity of the decor. Weiss felt her breathe involuntarily suck in as she took in the image of the tree. It was just so… them. She felt water well up in her eyes for a moment as she felt a wave of gratitude for her friends. Weiss quickly blinked it away.

"You three did a marvelous job with the tree," the heiress praised with a smile on her lips. Weiss approached the tree and nodded with approval at her teammates. A shiver ran up her neck as she felt Ruby come up behind her and place her hand gently on the small of her back, prompting her to turn around. To her surprise, Ruby was holding a sizable white box in her hands, presenting it to the heiress with a lovely intensity in her silver eyes.

"We… um, we got this for you, Weiss." Ruby shyly averted her eyes as Weiss accepted the box.

Weiss looked over at Blake and Yang who were watching intently. The blonde had her arm around her girlfriend and was beaming at Weiss. And for her part, Blake's cat ears were standing at attention, twitching as they excitedly awaited the unwrapping. After returning her gaze to Ruby for a moment, who was now blushing fervently, Weiss began to pull at the red ribbon that bound the gift shut.

"I hope… I hope it makes you as happy as you made us," Ruby said with a simplistic beauty in her words.

And as Weiss took off the lid to the box, she thought there was a good chance that she was much more happy than she deserved to be. Inside of the box on a pad of scarlet fabric was a large snowflake made from frosted glass. Veins of icy blue color traced through the snowflake adding dimension and definition to its already intricate design. It was one of the most beautiful things that Weiss had seen in her life. It hadn't occurred to her that she was the only one that had remained unrepresented on the tree. As the realization about her teammates' desire to include her hit home, Weiss felt her throat begin to close and her eyes stung as they teared up.

For what felt like an eternity, complete with onlookers watching her freeze, Weiss lost her words.

Yang attempted to cut into the awkwardness. "We just figured, you know, since, you didn't get an ornament, we could get you something flashier, to match your personality."

Weiss felt a release of tension as she laughed at Yang's ludicrous statement. As if she could ever be considered flashy while in the same room as the blonde.

"Yes, of course," Weiss returned her focus to her girlfriend who was looking like she might explode from trying to contain her reaction.

"Oh, Weiss! Do you like it?" Ruby was searching Weiss's face for any clue to surface.

"I-I love it," Weiss felt her heart racing as she tried to formulate her gratitude. "This is really… this is the best present I've ever gotten."

"You're an heiress, I -so- doubt that," Yang winked as she remained unconvinced.

Ruby threw her arms around Weiss and kissed her on the cheek leaving a flush as her lips departed. "I believe you, Weiss! I'm so happy that you love it."

Blake snickered. "Can you tell that this was Ruby's idea yet?"

And Weiss could tell. She wondered if it was possible to fall for her partner any faster than she already was. Something about that girl and her sincerity made the prospect less frightening than the heiress ever imagined it could be. She looked at the three wonderful people that she had in her life as they stood around her. How did she end up so lucky, so loved? Holidays… maybe there was something to them. If this is how traditions and bonding worked, perhaps this was something that Weiss could get used to.

"How about a nice dinner at Je Pierre's? My treat," Weiss asked hopefully with an intent to take some of the attention off of herself.

"Ooh, let's get some pie!" Ruby looked ravenous as visions of sweets dancing in her mind.

"I second that," Yang offered, "Ohh, and Blake that's the place with that tuna tartar that you love!"

Blake's ears fluttered in response. "That would be really nice of you, Weiss, thank you."

Feeling satisfied, Weiss turned her mind to more important things as her friends began to get ready for their fancy dinner. She used her glyphs to reach the top of the tree with ease to place the snowflake. As it caught the light from the lamps of their room, the glass caused ripples of mellow ochre to dance along their walls. She dismounted the glyph effortlessly and admired the team's handiwork. Her heart swelled as she looked onto it.

Ruby came up behind her. That girl… she had a sixth sense about feeling anything that Weiss was. Strong arms wrapped around her and Ruby whispered in her ear, "It's almost as beautiful as you are." She nuzzled her neck gently.

Weiss smiled. It was a good day be the luckiest girl in the world. As she looked on at the tree and thought of her team and her partner, she felt a peace that she hadn't known was possible. She no longer felt like she was alone. And that was the best gift she had ever received.


	3. Friendship Bread

"Aren't you worried that we're gonna get caught? Weiss would be sooooo mad if I got detention again..."

Ruby stood outside of Beacon's cafeteria, shivering in the snow as she wrapped her arms around her body and looked to her sister expectantly. In her backpack were the supplies that Yang had instructed her to hold until they arrived at destination. Yang was busy going through a massive set of keys that were on a ridiculously large copper ring. Snowflakes were evaporating off of the brawler's bare forearms into little puffs of steam as she tried to unlock the door.

Yang scoffed, "Oh, please. We didn't have a problem getting the keys, we aren't going to have a problem doing this."

Ruby scanned the area, feeling eyes on them but seeing nothing. Things were quiet on campus at this time of night, but the younger girl remained on vigilant watch as Yang clattered steadily through the keys.

"You'd think they'd have labels," Ruby said as her paranoia about being seen increased.

"Thanks, Captain Obvious," Yang chuckled quietly. "Stop being so tense, Ruby, your girl is rubbing off on you."

She spoke the truth. Sure, Weiss could be a bit too rigid, but her influence on Ruby had become quite apparent since the pair had started dating. The young leader internalized many of her girlfriend's values and had been maturing into a slightly more responsible teenager. From attending class on time to pulling up her grades, Ruby had started to take things more seriously as she followed her partner's lead. This also meant that she could be the occasional killjoy for Yang, who still liked to skirt the edges of appropriate behavior. And for tonight, that meant trespassing was on the menu.

A distressing amount of keys later, the lock gave a merciful click, Yang gently pushed the cafeteria door and pulled out her scroll and cast it towards the blackness of the room before her to little effect. With a quick nod to her sister, the blonde stepped inside. Ruby shrugged the fresh powder off of her shoulders, feeling immense relief as she gently closed the door behind them.

The light from Yang's scroll emanated a soft glow barely reaching the ground in front of them. After their eyes adjusted, they crept through the great hall and made their way into the kitchen.

"Hmm, well we can't turn on the light," Ruby stated with dismay as she set the backpack on the floor.

Yang placed her scroll face up on the steel countertop and gestured for her sister to do the same. As Ruby set hers down in kind, their workspace was well lit enough to get started.

In perfect synchrony, the sisters launched into action. Ruby poured the backpack's contents out and began organizing the items while Yang preheated the industrial sized oven and located a baking sheet. Without much trouble, they found wooden spoons, a mixing bowl, and measuring cups and lined the tools up.

"Do you have mom's recipe?" Ruby asked gingerly.

Yang took a small folded up paper from her jacket's breast pocket. She unfolded it carefully and laid it on the counter before them. A recipe was written on a piece of stationery in elegant script. It was cream colored and bright red roses were hand painted on the border.

Ruby let out a small sigh. "I miss her always. But this time of year is the hardest."

"Me too, sis," Yang wrapped her arm around Ruby's shoulders and pulled her in for a tight hug. They embraced for a moment of shared pain and reflection, holding each other together as both could feel the depth of their loss. Yang released her sister tenderly with her hand lingering on her shoulder as she pulled away.

Ruby looked down at the paper in front of them. "She had such beautiful writing." She traced the outline of the lettering.

Yang watched her sister's fingers as they touched the page, lost in her own thoughts for a moment. Focusing her attention to the actual words on the page, she began to pour ingredients into measuring cups.

"Do you know what the best thing is about you dating Weiss?" Yang asked with a mischievous tone, trying to redirect their attention out of the past.

"Other than the fact that she's amazing?" Ruby asked sincerely as she blinked tears out of her eyes.

Yang laughed. "Yeah, other than that. You make her so happy that she wants to try to welcome in the holidays with us. So now, we can share this bit of Mom with everyone. Good job, little sis."

Ruby lit up at the suggestion, 'Thanks, Yang."

Yang reached over and gave Ruby's hand a squeeze, "That and Weiss totally leaves me alone for sleeping in now, since the first thing she thinks about every morning is coffee with you!"

Ruby blushed and smiled shyly. "She makes me just as happy."

Yang grinned. "I can tell, Ruby. I really can. So let's see how much our girlfriends like this new tradition."

* * *

><p>"What's that smell?" Blake's sensitive nose picked up the scent of pastry as she cracked her eyes open and peered out into the still darkened room. She had grown accustomed to Ruby's chocolate chip cookies and their frequency in their dorm, but this was definitely not those. It smelled even more divine.<p>

"A surprise!" Ruby happily announced waking Weiss up with a start, much to the heiress's chagrin.

"Really, you two? Food in the room again? We went through this about Blake's tuna..." Weiss said with a mix of resignation and annoyance.

Ruby flipped on the light earning angry protest and squinting eyes from her teammates.

"Ruby, what the hell?" Weiss sat up and cast an icy glare at her girlfriend.

"No swearing on Christmas, Weiss!" Ruby whined.

"It's not Christmas, yet, you dolt! Why did you wake me up?" Even as she chastised her girlfriend, Weiss could feel the anger leaving her as she looked onto Ruby's sad pout.

"Oh, Weiss, chillax. It's for our celebration!" Yang winked at the heiress and grinned. "Let me just set the scene."

Blake and Weiss exchanged glances as their girlfriends set about preparing for this mystery experience.

Yang easily lifted her desk into the air and placed it in front of the holiday tree already standing in their window. Ruby set their study chairs around the desk and covered it with a white sheet giving the illusion of a dining table.

"We had tried to get this all set up, before you woke up so that we could do this first thing in the morning like we are supposed to. But Blake, you and your adorable, yet keen nose," Yang smiled charmingly while simultaneously blowing a kiss to the blushing Faunus.

Ruby pulled out a large bundle that was wrapped up in cheesecloth from her backpack. She placed in on the table.

"Okay, ladies, if you wouldn't mind," Yang signaled for everyone to take a seat.

With a complicity that came from confusion, Blake and Weiss emerged from their beds and took the seats beside their partners.

Ruby pulled the cheesecloth off of the package in front of them. A beautifully browned loaf of bubbly bread covered in white frosting let out a delicious scent of cinnamon, cloves, and chocolate.

"Okay, Ruby, tell them the legend." Yang said proudly.

Ruby stood up as if she was giving a presentation in class. "Well, the story goes like this...A long, long time ago when people first discovered that they could use dust to fight the Grimm, it wasn't long before the first huntsmen emerged. These men and women left their homes for seasons at a time, slaying the Grimm from morning until night. The warriors absorbed all of the danger on behalf of their loved ones so that their villages could prosper, shielded by their sacrifice. Their families missed them very much of course and looked forward to the end of hunting season. Thus the tradition of the summer and winter solstice festivals were started as way to celebrate the return of the huntsmen."

As the younger girl continued her narration, it was apparent that she had her team's full, albeit sleepy, attention. Yang looked on at her sister feeling a twinge of nostalgia and sadness as she could envision their mother telling it the same words, same tone, same intonation. Ruby had done an eerily excellent job with her accuracy in mimicry.

"So in early times, the huntsmen were received by their families the evening before the Winter Solstice and love was poured over them before the entire village would retire for the night, reveling in relief as they snuggled closely. In the morning, the huntsmen would awaken to the smell of-" Ruby gestured at the bread.

"You see, the people that would wait for their huntsmen to return, they would bake a large sweet bread loaf just like we have before us. The families would pull apart their bread and eat it all that morning. Inside there was a trinket of good fortune, placed inside to be discovered by one family member. All of the families would gather in the center of the village with their good luck charms after they were finished eating. The items were set into a silver box and buried in the village center as a tribute to the light to keep everyone safe for another season and to be dug up the next season. And thus the tradition of Holiday Friendship Bread was born."

Yang handed out wet cloths to her teammates in preparation for the sticky mess that about to unfold.

Ruby continued, "So we were raised with this tradition... Whoever found the trinket would help our mother prepare the bread the night before. We'd wake up to this amazing smell and every year our mom told us this story and said that it was the most important thing for us to do as a family... to make sure we all made it home." Ruby's voice hitched as her eyes filled with water again.

Yang stepped in to help her sister finish the story. "We stopped making it after our mother died. Seemed too painful at the time. But Ruby and I were talking... We decided that maybe we could share this piece of her with the two people we love most in the world."

"And begin a new team RWBY tradition!" Ruby exclaimed, sorrow now seemingly overwritten with excitement.

"So let's eat. And remember, there is a good luck charm in there! Please don't choke on it." Yang cautioned.

"Oooh, and whoever finds it, gets to bake the Friendship Bread next year and put the charm in. It's our new rule!" Ruby seemed the most pleased about this fact.

Blake and Weiss exchanged glances as neither looked thrilled about this concept. But the prospect of eating the incredible smelling bread in front of them was a completely different matter.

Leading by example, Ruby and Yang tore into the bread, devouring it hungrily. Blake hesitated for a moment before pulling a large gooey piece off of the top. Weiss carefully picked a small piece from the side and placed it in her mouth, careful to not get the icing or chocolate on her lips. She frowned almost immediately. The heiress, in an uncharacteristically uncouth display, spit her bread into her cloth.

"Really?" She said incredulously. Weiss lifted a plain silver band out of the napkin.

Ruby practically threw herself at her girlfriend with glee. She squeezed Weiss tightly as the white haired girl blushed but didn't move to pull away from the embrace.

"I was hoping it would be you! Oh I can't wait to help you bake it next year!" Ruby planted a kiss firmly on Weiss's still astonished mouth.

Weiss looked into Ruby's eyes lovingly. "Yes, but you have to promise not to eat all batter,like the last time we baked cookies."

Ruby deadpanned, "No promises."

Yang looked at Blake with a smile and quietly said, "And maybe I could tell you a story about our mom after we feast?"

"Of course," Blake pulled Yang's sticky hand to her lips and kissed it softly. She thought a moment.

"Hmmm, Yang? How did you two even make this? It's not like we have an oven..." Blake examined her partner's face with curiosity.

As Ruby overheard this, she pulled away from Weiss looking guilty.

"Ummm, Weiss. I have detention for two weeks again." Ruby winced a bit awaiting the inevitable harsh judgment.

"Me too," Yang said to Blake with a sly wink. "Freaking Professor Goodwitch and her insomnia."

Weiss just sat for a moment looking back and forth between the two sisters. Perhaps it was that she had felt empathy for her girlfriend's loss, or maybe the holiday spirit was rubbing off on her. But to everyone's surprise, the heiress laughed and hugged Ruby. Laughter erupted among the four girls, dispelling any tension in the room.

Yang reached over the table and grabbed Blake's hand as she watched her sister behaving the same way she did every year so long ago, with a levity that was intoxicatingly contagious. The blonde felt a weight lift off of her heart as she also felt a warmth creep into her chest. She realized that feeling from the past had come alive for her as well. As Yang looked on at the people she loved most in the world and felt the energy in the room with them, she thought that she could feel their mother there too. The feeling wasn't exactly the same as before, but it was close. It wasn't long before she understood. The people were different, but the feeling was same. She was able to pinpoint her nostalgia and sentiment. Ruby, Blake, and Weiss were her family. And her family was just as precious as it had ever been. To be treasured and protected... to make sure they would always come home safely.


End file.
