Written from experience after the first time I ever cuddled someone. I thought it'd be best to put it into form with Ruby and Weiss~ This fic has been waiting half a year for release, and you can all probably tell it's more like my older stories plot-wise than more recent ones. Either way, please enjoy it! We need some fluff after that new episode!
Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.
Things They Didn't Tell You About Cuddling
Aside from the multiple stormy nights she'd suffered through as a child when she'd ended up pining for Yang to come into her bed and comfort her, Ruby had never really cuddled anyone other than Zwei before.
And of course, the same could be said for Weiss.
Unlike Ruby, because Yang's affections didn't require a struggle to obtain, Weiss had often longed for her own elder sister's affection, but had always been too hesitant to ask for it directly, even on the most awful of nights. Weiss probably hadn't hugged Winter more than five times in her life, and that was the extent of physical contact she knew involving a girl who was near to her own age.
So it was strange – and perhaps even a little uncomfortable for the heiress – when Ruby blurted out her confession one day.
They had been teammates for more than half a year, and Ruby was very sure about what she was feeling, despite never having been in love before.
And Weiss had never been in love either – not like this. The short-lived crushes came and went like the tide, but what she'd felt towards Ruby had lingered ever since their first encounter, and she wasn't foolish enough to believe it was insignificant.
Therefore, she'd quietly accepted Ruby's feelings and shared her own, letting both girls know this was a mutual attraction.
They'd been alone in the dorm room at the time, so Blake and Yang didn't know yet.
Well... perhaps they'd had their suspicions all along, but they didn't officially know yet.
As the team was preparing for bed that night, Ruby was nervously avoiding Weiss even more than usual around the other two.
S-So we're like... kind of girlfriends now, aren't we? 'Cause she said she likes me, too! So, like... should I kiss her goodnight? How does this work, exactly?
Fretting and mumbling incoherently to her herself certainly wasn't doing her any good. Blake was casting her a curious glance from across the room, and Yang looked almost concerned.
But before either of them could speak, Weiss beat them to it.
"Ruby, don't forget to brush your teeth."
"H-Huh? Oh..."
She'd been half expecting Weiss to say something romantic or... girlfriend-like. But what she said just then actually turned out to make Ruby feel a bit better. That was the kind of thing Weiss said to her every night; just because they were girlfriends now wouldn't change their already-established friendship.
Ruby definitely appreciated the maintaining of normalcy.
As she scurried into the bathroom to pull out her red toothbrush and her strawberry-flavored toothpaste, a thought came to her.
Tonight's gonna be just like any normal night. Sure, Weiss and I are closer now, but that doesn't mean anything has to change! I'm freaking out over nothing. And maybe it'd be best to wait with trying the... kissing thing until after Blake and Yang know about us.
She came to this decision as she started brushing her teeth, and with the bathroom door closed, she allowed herself to channel a bit of her giddiness.
As she brushed, she wiggled her hips happily, spun around excitedly a few times, and even hummed for a moment.
She still couldn't believe it. Weiss was her girlfriend now.
Ruby spat out her mouthful of pink strawberry suds and began cupping water in her palms to rinse. Once finished, she scampered back into the dorm room where the others had all just settled into bed.
Weiss was reaching out to turn off the bedside lamp, waiting until Ruby had climbed up to her bunk to do so.
But before she went up, Ruby paused for a brief moment and caught her partner's eye. She still felt as though she should do something for Weiss tonight. This was their first night as girlfriends, after all.
But the heiress quickly tilted her chin, indicating Ruby should go up to her own bed. The brunette was a little disheartened, but did as Weiss implied.
Once she was up on her bunk, Weiss turned off the light, and goodnight wishes were murmured all around the room.
Ruby flopped down onto her bed, making it creak a little bit, releasing a sigh as she did so. It was only her first evening with Weiss as her girlfriend, and she already felt like she was messing up somehow. Her chest felt tight, and something told her only Weiss could make it feel better.
For close to half an hour, Ruby tossed around in bed, whimpering and sighing repeatedly, unable to get comfortable. Yang had started to snore almost twenty minutes ago, and just ten minutes ago, Blake's breathing had slowed. Even Zwei was happily snoozing on his little bed on the floor.
So everyone else was asleep but Ruby.
Or so she'd thought.
A moment later, there was movement from beneath her, and then a soft tap of knuckles on wood. She felt the slight vibration at the bottom of her bed, and it was followed by a whisper.
"Ruby...?" Weiss inquired, hesitant. "Are you still awake?"
Ruby crawled over to the edge of the bed and peered over.
"Yeah!" she whispered back. "What's up?"
"'What's up' is what I'd like to come down."
"Huh?"
Weiss heaved a sigh.
"I want you to come down here, Ruby."
"Oh!"
Once her partner had clarified what she'd meant, Ruby slowly slipped herself from beneath the blankets, doing her best not to risk waking the others. She slid down the side of hers and Weiss' beds as far as she could before landing lightly on the floor. Neither Blake nor Yang had been disturbed, so Ruby peeked into Weiss' bed.
"What's up?" Now that she was sure the others were asleep, Ruby dared to talk at a bit of a more normal volume.
Weiss sat up in bed, her long, alabaster hair now dyed silver falling all the way down her back, blue eyes catching a faint ray of moonlight.
"It's not much, really. I'm sorry to pester you like this," she began. "It's just... I felt something a bit extra was in order tonight, considering how we..." She trailed off, feeling heat rush to her face.
But Ruby knew exactly what she meant.
"Ahh, so you felt the same about that? I'm glad! I thought I would be doing something wrong if I didn't at least... g-give you a goodnight kiss, or something..."
"I see," Weiss nodded. "I was thinking the same. But I wanted to wait until the others were asleep so there was less risk of being caught before we were ready to tell them."
"Oh! Okay."
With Ruby's nod, the room fell silent again. The young leader realized she was still standing a bit awkwardly next to her partner's bed, and the heiress gave a small grunt to invite her closer.
"Well then?"
"O-Oh! Right, um..."
Ruby didn't want her legs to start shaking – that'd be way too embarrassing. She decided to slowly sit down on the edge of Weiss' bed, the mattress bouncing softly beneath her added weight. Biting her lip, Ruby leaned forward towards Weiss.
God, with the moonlight outlining her casual blue nightgown and her hair like that, she just looked so pretty right now – even prettier than usual, if that was somehow possible.
Ruby swallowed, and it must've been loud enough to hear, because Weiss decided to speed things along. She was the one who leaned in to cover the final few inches between them and press her cool, soft lips to Ruby's cheek.
The sensation lingered for a few seconds, and Ruby raised a hand to that spot, her jaw gaping dumbly in disbelief.
"Weiss..."
"As you'd said," the heiress mumbled. "It seems only appropriate for us to share a goodnight kiss tonight."
Ruby nodded, still in a trance. Weiss had just kissed her. She wanted to jump up and start squealing, but she knew if she did that at this hour of the night, Weiss would flick her so hard on the forehead it'd leave a mark for weeks to come.
After a moment, Ruby realized Weiss was waiting for her to return the action. Sucking in a deep breath to steel herself, Ruby did her best, closing her eyes as her lips came into contact with Weiss' smooth skin, just over her scar. She stayed there for a second, then pulled away slowly, reopening her eyes bashfully and casting nervous silver into unreadable blue.
"Was... Was that okay?" she wondered.
Weiss was still, and she seemed stiff now. Maybe Ruby shouldn't have kissed her there?
But before she could start freaking out again, the heiress shook her head very slowly, as if to wake herself from a spell.
"Yes... that was fine. Thank you, Ruby."
She was about to wonder why such an action needed thanking. But Ruby soon realized the answer for herself.
She herself had grown up in a very affectionate household – with a father who would carry her around in the air and let her pretend she was an airplane, with a mother who always had a tray of warm cookies for her every evening, with a sister who always gave the tightest hugs and the best advice, and with a fun-loving uncle who'd often come to visit.
In Ruby's life, kisses were something common, a daily form of affection that she might've taken for granted.
But she knew enough about Weiss' family and her upbringing to realize it wasn't the same for her. Until she came to Beacon and met her team, Ruby had to wonder if Weiss had ever gotten a hug before in her entire life.
So a kiss was probably a new experience entirely.
And Ruby realized she'd kissed Weiss' scar, the mark that had brought her many years of emotional distress and suffering – the imperfection.
As she looked closer now, she saw tears forming in Weiss' eyes, and Ruby's natural instincts kicked in. She quickly wrapped her arms around Weiss, pulling her close, letting her rest her chin on Ruby's shoulder.
She didn't need to say anything – neither did. They both understood.
Weiss didn't push her away, but brought both hands down to the small of Ruby's back, resting her palms lightly there to indicate she wasn't ready to let go yet.
So Ruby obliged her, keeping Weiss there for a few moments longer, savoring her closeness.
It was when Weiss let out a long exhale that Ruby knew she was feeling better again, and so she pulled away, showing her partner a wide smile.
"I'm glad you liked my kiss!" she said sweetly.
Weiss reflected the smile, though hers was a bit smaller and less toothy.
"Indeed I did." She pulled her hands away, bringing them back into her own lap. "Again, sorry to bother you with this, Ruby. You should go back to your bed. Or..." She paused for a moment, and Ruby tilted her head curiously, prompting her to continue. "No, never mind," Weiss mumbled.
"No, no!" Ruby reached out and took her partner's hands. "What were you gonna say, Weiss?"
The heiress looked away for a second, then over Ruby's shoulder to ensure the other two were asleep. With another sigh, she went on.
"Or... you could stay here tonight... if you'd like."
Ruby squeezed her hands a little more.
"Really? You really mean it, Weiss?"
"Only if you'd like to."
"Of course I would!"
"Let me finish." Weiss cleared her throat a bit. "If Blake or your sister wake first tomorrow, they'll find us together and get wise. If that were to happen, would you be alright with them finding out about us as early as tomorrow?"
"Why wouldn't I be? I mean, they're gonna find out eventually, and probably super quickly anyway. So if it's tomorrow morning, then it's tomorrow morning! I don't mind if you don't mind!"
Her smile was contagious, enough for Weiss to get her own back as well.
"Alright then. It's settled. You're staying."
"Yaaaay!" Ruby cheered softly.
With nothing left to discuss, Weiss moved over to make room for Ruby on the mattress, lifting the blankets so her girlfriend could slip underneath. Ruby eagerly wiggled her legs down beside Weiss', propping herself up on her elbows on her half of the pillow. When she'd settled in, she looked to Weiss expectantly.
"So! How do we do this?"
Weiss gave her a puzzled expression.
"I was hoping to ask you..."
Silence.
"Oh... u-um... hm..." Ruby mumbled. "Well, I've slept in the same bed as Yang a lot of times before, but she's my sister and you're... you're my girlfriend. So I don't really know how we'd..." She fell silent for a moment, trying to think of what they could do.
Maybe we should just lie down next to each other? Ehh, but for our first night sleeping in the same bed, maybe it should be a little more intimate? But is Weiss okay with that sorta thing?
As she was whittling the time away thinking, Weiss was taking action, a role-reversal of sorts between them. The heiress laid down on her back, opening her left arm out to Ruby.
"Just lie down," she mumbled.
"Huh?" Ruby squeaked. "H-How?"
"Here." Weiss patted her chest. "Just lie down."
"Y-You mean... on top of you?"
"I don't mind."
"B-But... ahh..." Ruby flashed her gaze around the room, as if some alternate answer would magically appear to her.
But of course nothing did, and the only feasible option here seemed to be Weiss'.
With a little gulp, Ruby complied, shifting over the final few inches to close the space between them. She draped her left arm over Weiss' stomach and side, her right curling behind Weiss' shoulders and the nape of her neck.
Ruby hovered over her, blushing as she mumbled. "I-Is this okay? Is my arm okay there, or is it hurting your neck?"
"You're fine, Ruby."
"Okay..." She kept her legs to the side of Weiss', though their stomachs were overlapping a bit.
Now came the tricky part.
Slowly, Ruby laid her head down over Weiss' collar, her cheek resting lightly on the fabrics of her nightgown.
Weiss, too, adjusted herself so that Ruby would be comfortable like this, the space just beneath her neck now providing her leader's pillow. Weiss shifted a bit, resting her chin atop Ruby's head as she allowed her eyelids to fall shut.
With a sigh, she settled down, letting everything wash over her.
The blankets were warm and soft, but Ruby was ten times warmer and softer. It was just like all the scenes she'd read in books, seen in movies, imagined in her dreams – a soft, warm night wrapped in the arms of a lover.
Weiss wanted to savor it, and she decided to try and stay conscious for as long as possible to do so.
While the heiress was enjoy this calmly, Ruby was a mess internally.
Oh my gosh... Is this really comfortable for her? Isn't my head heavy? Aren't I like... crushing her collarbone or something? But if I was, she would've pushed me off by now, right? Or asked me to move, at least? But... oh wow, she's really warm... and super soft...
She could feel Weiss breathing, the heiress' stomach rising up slightly into her own. The breath that fanned out from Weiss' slightly-parted lips whistled just above Ruby's ear. She could hear as each breath slowly filled Weiss' lungs, and then left them.
It was... almost a little strange. She felt as though she were intruding somehow.
But it was also very comforting for Ruby, and it helped her calm down.
Weiss was fine with this. If she weren't, she would've been vocal about it and asked Ruby to move, or she would've moved herself.
At last, Ruby relaxed, feeling Weiss drape her arm across her back beneath the covers. And then, as the silence began to grow, Ruby could focus on something else.
Past the rushes of air consistently flowing in and out of her partner's lungs, there was something else, a faint thumping. Ruby shifted a bit, pressing her ear closer to the center of Weiss' chest so she may listen better.
She'd never been close enough to hear another person's heartbeat before, and Weiss' was beautiful. Each was the generic two-part sound she'd heard a thousand times in movies. But Weiss' heartbeat was somehow much more lovely, and Ruby wanted to commit it to memory.
That might've been easier to do if it wasn't so speedy, however.
Ruby listened for a moment, slightly concerned, but it didn't slow down. Maybe this was its normal pace? But when compared to her own, she felt Weiss' was a bit too fast, and she grew worried enough to address it.
"Weiss...?" Her voice was a low mumble in the quiet dorm room, as Yang's snores were louder. She felt her girlfriend shift slightly, moving her hand up and down Ruby's back in slow strokes.
"What is it?"
Ruby hugged her a little tighter.
"Are you sure this is okay? Your heart's going kinda fast."
Weiss cleared her throat, then huffed a little.
"Dunce. That's... only because you're listening..."
"Huh? Ohhh..." The realization hit Ruby like a truck. A big, warm, cuddly truck. "Aww, Weiss, you're too cute! Don't be nervous~!"
"I'm not!" she hissed. "I never said I was!"
"Your heart says enough~"
"Hush, and go to bed!"
"If you say so~"
The little interaction just now had served to break the ice a bit, reminding them both that the person beside each of them may have been her girlfriend now, but they were still her teammate, too.
Ruby closed her eyes, now content to focus on Weiss' heartbeat and let it lull her to sleep.
Oh, how nice it would've been if it were only that simple.
It started with just a little discomfort, the way Weiss' hip bone was pressed slightly into her abdomen. Ruby shifted ever so slightly, going slowly as not to disturb her partner. She settled again and tried to fall asleep once more.
But then her right arm started prickling with numbness where it lay beneath Weiss' shoulders. Her arm was more or less pinned there, but Ruby couldn't ignore the numbness until the point where it was almost painful. She had to move her arm, just a bit, bringing it a little higher beneath Weiss' head.
The prickling died away, and Ruby sighed in relief.
But then, her cheek started getting numb, and so with painstaking slowness, she turned her face, resting the other ear over Weiss' chest now.
At long last, she felt she'd gotten comfortable, and could finally rest.
But then, her right arm started to get numb all over again, and Ruby whined internally.
Nooo not again! I just got comfy! Neither of us'll ever fall asleep at this rate!
She needed to shift again, and this time it affected Weiss. The heiress feared she was crushing Ruby's arm, so she did her best to move around slightly.
But her chest was starting to feel a bit heavy, and she was less aware of the plump, softness of Ruby's cheeks, and more aware of the hardness of her skull. Before long, her breastbone felt as though it was going to cave in, and Weiss heaved a particularly deep breath.
It came out as more of a gasp, however, and that was the last straw for Ruby. She lifted her head, admittedly relieving a bit of pain for the both of them, opening her eyes and turning her drowsy gaze on Weiss.
"Do you wanna move a bit?" she wondered.
Weiss sighed, but nodded.
"Perhaps a change in position would be best."
"Alright." Ruby laid down beside Weiss instead of on top of her. "Do whatever's comfy for you."
With another nod, the heiress rolled herself onto her side to face Ruby. The brunette slid her right arm beneath Weiss' head as the other went over her exposed shoulder, encircling her in a loose embrace.
Weiss moved close to her, tucking her head beneath Ruby's chin as the younger girl adjusted the blankets for them both. She felt Weiss' arms go around her in much the same manner as hers were around Weiss – one over her side and the other underneath the side of her neck.
Weiss closed her eyes once more and breathed softly, Ruby's warmth and presence wreathing around her.
They went still once again, willing sleep to take them.
But again, it was only moments until they were foiled.
Ruby's arm started to go numb again, and her cheekbone was sliding uncomfortably against the inside of Weiss' elbow.
Likewise, the heiress had lost feeling in her forearm, and her face was too close to Ruby's chest. Every time she breathed, it was warm and stale to inhale, and Weiss grimaced, needing the coolness of a full, fresh breath.
It was only ten or so minutes in these positions before Weiss needed to move herself a bit, angling her chin downward to breathe the way she needed to.
Ruby let her move however was best for her, and she did her best to ignore the slight pain in her own arm. She kept her arm around the heiress' back, her fingers naturally curling, but as the seconds ticked on, they started unfurling and going limp.
Ruby tried to bear with the numbness as best she could, but when Weiss mumbled an apology and moved again, the brunette was more than relieved.
Weiss had Ruby roll over onto her back, much in the position the heiress herself had been in previously. She curled close and rested her head on the front of Ruby's shoulder, hugging her stomach.
Yang's snores had quieted down a bit by now, and Weiss was much more aware of Ruby at this intimate proximity. She could clearly hear every time her girlfriend swallowed, a small, timid sound, as though she feared it was too loud. Weiss rubbed her palm slowly over Ruby's stomach, indicating she didn't mind.
But Ruby was weak to touches like that, and the second she felt Weiss' hand on her abdomen, she let out a small sound of content.
"Mmm..."
Weiss chuckled slightly, curling closer still.
"Sleep," she murmured.
Ruby sighed, willing to forget all of the numbness and focus instead on that sensation, on Weiss' ministrations in slow, patient circles.
It was easy to start getting lulled into slumber like this, with Weiss' fingertips running lightly over her nightshirt.
After several minutes, Ruby had very nearly almost fallen asleep, and it seemed as though Weiss almost had as well. The heiress' hand gradually came to a halt at Ruby's side, and her breathing started to slow.
But then, Ruby felt a tiny shiver run down Weiss' back. She slowly dragged the blankets up a bit further, but a moment later, Weiss jolted again. Her skin was certainly a bit cold, and Ruby couldn't bear the thought of her partner feeling chilly as she tried to fall asleep.
Therefore, Ruby moved one last time, causing Weiss to blink open her eyes drearily.
"Sorry..." the heiress mumbled. "Were you uncomfortable again?"
"No, silly~" Ruby hummed. "But you're shivering."
"It's fine."
"No, Weiss."
Ruby moved herself, wrapping her arms around Weiss to shift her as well.
Gingerly, she laid Weiss down on her back once again, the same as her initial position. Ruby reached over her partner and tucked the blankets under her exposed side and shoulder, then cuddled up against the heiress' other side.
"Sorry for makin' you move again," she mumbled.
"It's alright. Let's just sleep now."
"Can I apologize first?"
"You just did."
"Well..." Ruby felt her face heat up and looked aside briefly. "I-I mean I was wondering... To make up for it... can I kiss you, Weiss?"
She couldn't believe she'd actually managed to ask it.
Clearly, Weiss was surprised as well, for her crystal-blue eyes widened in the darkness. She caught Ruby's nervous gaze, and found she couldn't let it go. Taking a breath, Weiss replied quietly.
"I don't know. Can you?"
Ruby gulped.
"U-Uhm, I-I don't know? Th-That's kind of why I asked you..."
Weiss had to hold back the laugh, but the smile surfaced nonetheless.
"Yes, Ruby. You may kiss me," she whispered.
Her partner seemed to get it then.
"Oooh..." she mumbled. "Well, okay then. Here I go."
Weiss sighed and closed her eyes; Ruby might not've been the most romantic of people, but the heiress couldn't blame her, nor was she about to complain. She wouldn't have her girlfriend any other way.
She could already smell the strawberries on Ruby's breath, and Weiss was sure to inhale in preparation.
Ruby steeled herself and leaned down, squeezing her eyes shut as her lips brushed over Weiss'. She pressed a little closer, making the contact a little fuller, until their mouths were moving together slowly, tiredly, but still with excitement.
Weiss' lips tasted like mint, and it mixed with the scent of Ruby's strawberry-flavored toothpaste.
Only a few seconds later, Ruby pulled away, her eyes wide open, cheeks florid. Weiss blinked up at her and exhaled.
"That was nice."
"Y-Yeah..." Ruby mumbled. "Really nice... Wow."
"But that's enough flattery for one night, don't you think?" Weiss hummed. "Let's get to sleep. We can continue some other time."
A petite yawn followed her words, and Ruby couldn't help but chuckle.
"Okay!" Her heart was still thrumming after her first kiss, and as she laid her head back down over her partner's collar, she found Weiss' pulse was much the same.
But the heiress was right; there'd be more time for this kind of thing later.
For now, it was past midnight, and they were both exhausted.
Ruby sighed as she rested her weight fully against Weiss, pressing the chills out of her until only warmth remained. She hugged Weiss closer and nuzzled into her neck.
"Sorry I kept moving so much..." she mumbled. "My arm kept getting numb and stuff."
"It's fine. The same happened to me."
"Heh... It wasn't exactly like all the cuddling scenes I've read and heard about, that's for sure."
"I'll say," Weiss agreed. "Those are all euphemisms. Have any of those people actually done it for themselves? They clearly don't know of the hardships involved; finding a comfortable position for both parties, fighting off the numbness, trying not to wake the other if you move so much as a millimeter..."
"Right? There's a lot of things they never tell you about cuddling! I never knew it was so difficult!"
"But very worth it," Weiss whispered, hugging her partner's back. "I'm perfectly comfortable now, so let's get some rest."
"Okay, I'm glad! I'm comfy, too~" Ruby shifted up to peck Weiss' cheek one last time, then settled down to listen to her heart. "Goodnight, Weiss."
"Goodnight, Ruby."
It had been a bit of an endeavor spending their first night in a bed together, but they'd learned a lot of things.
And there would be plenty of time in the future to learn even more.
A/N: Honestly, though. Have any of you ever cuddled someone before? Maybe I just did it all wrong my first time, but it was a lot more complicated than I'd ever thought it would be ahaha
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