Broken Ice
Weiss quietly sat watching as her husband entertained his guests in a fancy drawing room. Quiet and proper, she had to maintain that attitude. Her husband had invited some executive or other and his wife for dinner, and she naturally was required to be present, politely laughing at the man's jokes and responding when spoken to. She would rather be anywhere in the world but where she was, but that would have had repercussions later, so here she sat, waiting until she could leave.
Her husband made another joke to the couple, and Weiss forced a slight laugh. How long had she been doing this? Two years now, all told. Two years since she had left Beacon, since her parents had strongly suggested this man as her husband, and two years since she had foolishly let the ceremony go ahead. Now she was trapped with a man who had married her name, who had married her company, but who she cared nothing for.
A knock sounded on the drawing room door, and her husband called for the person to enter. In stepped Weiss's one ray of sunshine, Ruby Rose. She was dressed in a much more formal version of her old outfit, though still one which she could fight in.
Ruby bowed to Mr Schnee. "Sir, there is a telephone call for Mrs Schnee. Her father would like to speak to her."
Weiss's husband turned to her, and nodded. She stood and delicately walked from the room. Ruby bowed then followed her out of the room. Ruby then led the way into a different part of the house, both women maintaining a stately walk until they were some way from the drawing room, when Weiss sighed and halted.
"Do you have it?" Weiss asked.
Ruby nodded, and pulled a small blister pack, handing it to Weiss. "Are you sure you want to keep this up?"
"I married that bastard for my family, I'll be damned if I have to have his kid for them too," Weiss popped out her dose, swallowed it, then gave the pack back to Ruby.
"Your parents are still expecting a grandson."
"And they can wait until Winter has one for all I care." Weiss's anger was obvious, and Ruby bowed her head.
"Sorry... we must have had this conversation a million times..."
Weiss's expression softened. "No... it's all right. I know you're just worried."
Ruby put on a weak smile. "Well, I guess we'd better get you to the call room. Your father really is on the call."
Weiss nodded. "Did he say what he wanted?"
"Just 'to talk,'" Ruby made air-quotes as she spoke.
"So something he doesn't want to tell my bodyguard?
Ruby nodded. The two began to walk to the call room, which Weiss entered while Ruby remained outside.
Once the door had closed behind Weiss, Ruby sighed. Her career was not exactly what she had planned, but Weiss's sudden wedding had thrown things off course. Weiss had desperately needed support and love while having to pretend she was getting it from that man, and Ruby was the only source of that support she would ever have.
Two years of being Weiss's bodyguard had been Ruby's sum total of employment. She was picked because Weiss insisted that it be someone close to her, and who was closer than the partner who had spent four years of school with the heiress?
The door behind Ruby opened, and Weiss stuck her head out. "Ruby, could you come in? The call's over, and I think I need a hand... winding down a little from today."
Ruby smiled, and stepped inside the room. Weiss did need support and love after all.
Three years had the two been lovers, and three years they had hidden it from everyone else. Even Yang and Blake only ever suspected, never knew, of their relationship. Both had feared rebuttal by society, and by family, so both had hidden it, even to the point of Weiss marrying rather than object on the grounds of her true love.
Even now, Weiss did not feel like she was cheating when she was with Ruby. Rather, every time she lay with her husband, she felt that she was cheating on Ruby.
After a hurried session, Weiss and Ruby pulled their clothes back on, and rushed to the drawing room. Ruby quickly checked over Weiss's attire, and Weiss stepped inside.
Her husband looked up as she entered. "Ah, Weiss dear, how is Father?"
'He is not your father,' she thought. Her smile hid her hate-filled thoughts. "He is quite well. He merely wished to inform me that he would be able to make our appointment on Monday, and speak of how we all are."
"Excellent, well I will have to look forward to that then." He returned to his conversation with the guests, Weiss seemingly forgotten. Weiss returned to the chair she had been in previously, and waited.
'SLAP'
Weiss recoiled at her husband's hand. He had punched her hard in the chest, and she was fairly sure it would bruise.
"A full three quarters of an hour you left me! I had Mrs Viron asking if you were all right. I had to pacify her, but the impoliteness, how can you do that to me?"
Weiss had long ago learned to simply let him vent his frustrations rather than argue with him. It was not like she could fight back without her blade, which now hung in a display case in the entry hall. Deadly refinement, now just a pretty display. The comparison to her own situation failed to escape Weiss. Though her sword did not have to put up with any abuse.
Her husband was smart, she had to give him that. He knew just how much he could rough her up without breaking her down too much. Go too far and her resolve to make the marriage work would break, she would beg her family for help in spite of her pride, and he would be finding a new name, if not sitting inside a cosy cell. He also knew just where to hit her. Years of fighting meant she did not bruise easily, but he still made sure not to touch her face, even in his most major fits of rage. Nobody would know, or so he thought.
He hit her again, and she fell back onto the bed. He was about to continue his work when a knock sounded on the door. He straightened his jacket, then called "Enter!"
Ruby stepped in and bowed. "Apologies for disturbing you sir, but there is an urgent messenger from your company. He says it can't wait."
"I'll see him in the study."
"I already asked Rachel to show him there sir."
The man glared at Ruby slightly. He never liked it when she anticipated his orders. "Very good Rose." He left the bedroom, and Ruby's gaze immediately went to Weiss.
"Weiss are you...?"
"I'm fine Ruby." Weiss could not help but wince slightly as she sat up. The bruise on her side hurt when she moved.
Ruby stepped over and stared at her. "Take it off."
Weiss let the top of her dress fall to her waist, and Ruby examined the bruises.
"How dare he?" Ruby's anger was visible as her entire body shook. This had happened many times before. The first time Ruby found out about the abuse, she had been ready to cut the man in half. Weiss had managed to calm her down then and every time since, but each time it seemed Ruby was having a harder time not killing the man.
"Ruby, keep calm."
"How can he? How can he blemish your skin. He doesn't even deserve to look at it, and yet he marks it horribly."
"Ruby!" Weiss threw her arm around the girl, as Ruby descended into sobs. This was how it always seemed to end, with Ruby crying the tears that Weiss was not allowed to.
The sobbing continued, and Weiss ran her hand down Ruby's back, trying to comfort the girl. Ruby suddenly pulled a little away, then pushed her lips to Weiss's. Surprised, it took Weiss a few moments to return the kiss, but they both put all their anger, sorrow and love into the kiss.
Weiss pulled back for air, and smiled at Ruby. Her smile changed to a look of horror at the open door and figure standing in it.
"What the hell is this?"
Weiss's sudden look of horror made Ruby swing her head around to stare at Weiss's husband.
"What the hell is this? You bitch, how dare you?"
His eyes were fixed on Weiss, and he stepped up, shoving Ruby aside. In her surprise she failed to keep her balance.
"You! I see, you've been doing this behind my back for years haven't you? You filthy whore!" His fist slammed into Weiss's face. She glared at him. Now that everything was exposed, defying him could not make matters any worse now.
He swung again, but a small sigil appeared in front of his hand, halting it just a little way from Weiss's face. He recoiled in pain, "You bitch!"
He managed to get his hands around her throat before she could shield herself. She felt immense pain, as the life was choked out of her.
Shouts from her husband and screams from Ruby swirled around in her mind, forming one single noise, until suddenly silence.
Her vision had gone briefly. The pain had vanished, and she realised her eyes were tightly shut. Opening them, she still had blurry vision, but now what was before her eyes was red. Her vision finally fixed on the girl who was holding her.
"Weiss! Weiss! Are you okay?"
Weiss coughed, then managed a weak "Yeah."
Ruby helped the weakened girl up, and now that Weiss's sight had stopped swimming, she saw her husband. Or rather what remained of him.
Crimson stained the carpet. Crescent Rose lay on the ground, blood coating the blade. Weiss stared at it, and the image burned into her mind, even as Ruby tried to cover her gaze from the bloody spectacle.
"I did it Weiss... that bastard got what was coming to him."
Weiss stuttered, terrified. "R-Ruby..."
Ruby looked Weiss in the face, smiled at her, unaware of the blood-stain on her cheek.
"Weiss, how are you doing?"
The woman's father asked with possibly the most genuine concern he had ever mustered for his younger daughter. He had arrived not long before, having rushed down as soon as news of the incident reached him.
"Tolerably..." Weiss spoke weakly.
She had been in something of a state for the previous few days. Once the police had arrived, both she and Ruby had been questioned extensively. Their pre-agreed story, that the man had set on Weiss, angry for some apparent mistake she had made, and that Ruby had heard the struggle and intervened as Weiss was close to being killed, had managed to persuade the police not to arrest either of them, particularly Ruby. The injuries Weiss had sustained matched their claims, so no further enquiries would be made.
"By my understanding, it was not the first time something like that had happened. Why didn't you tell anybody Weiss?"
"It would have ended in a shameful divorce, I couldn't..."
Anger flashed across her father's face, "I don't care about that! You almost died. Where's the girl who saved you? I need to personally thank her."
Weiss smiled. However bad he may have been at showing it during her childhood, her father did care about her. "Ruby is on leave until the police have finished their investigation. We've had unofficial confirmation that there is no intention for Ruby to be charged, but it's best to keep up pretences."
Her father nodded. "Understandable. So what do you intend to do now?"
"I don't know. Widowed at 23 and childless... there is still plenty of my life to go."
"Well, just so you know, I've already had various 'friends' with eligible sons dropping long-term hints." Mr. Schnee shook his head in exasperation. "Do they not have any decency?"
Weiss gave a slight smile. "Well... even were it in another year I don't think I'd want them to be saying anything."
Her father gave her a quizzical look, "Do you not want to marry again, preferably to a better man."
"Maybe..." Weiss looked at her feet. Her father raised an eyebrow.
"Weiss, is there something you aren't telling me?"
"Whatever gave you that impression?"
Her father sighed, then stood. "Well, I must be going. I'm afraid I have work that does need to be attended to. I'll be here for dinner though... actually let us dine out, and you should invite Miss Rose, I still owe her a sign of gratitude."
"I'll be sure to invite Ruby. May I ask what work is so urgent?"
"It's that fertility company. They think they've finally had a dust-tech breakthrough." He smiled, and looked down at Weiss. "They think that if it works as intended then they could even get two women to have a child together."
Weiss's intrigued look told her father everything that he needed to know. "I will see you and Miss Rose for dinner. I will contact you with the location later."
Once her father had left, Weiss sighed. There were precisely two people who could reliably tell what she was thinking without asking: her father and Ruby. She had long suspected that her father was vaguely aware of her relationship with Ruby, but simply said nothing.
She stood, and left the room, wandering through the hall-ways to the bedroom she was using for the moment. Her normal bedroom was still regarded as a crime scene, so she had been forced to use another room. Opening the door, she stepped inside and smiled at the figure sitting on the bed.
"How'd it go?" Ruby asked her.
"Fine, fine. By the way, we're having dinner with him, out somewhere."
"Oh wow, why am I invited?"
"He wanted to thank you for saving me," Weiss stepped over to her lover, and knelt on the bed between Ruby's spread legs. "Speaking of which, I don't think I've thanked you properly yet."
"Oh, what were you thinking of doing to say thanks?"
"You."
Ruby giggled as Weiss leaned closer and the two kissed passionately. They just had to keep their secret a little longer, until everything had died down, then they would finally reveal the truth. They had already agreed to do so.
As they pulled apart, Weiss gazed at her lover's face. Flashing before her eyes, an image of Ruby from that night, blood smeared on her face, startled her. But she realised something strange. It should have scared her, but it just made her more excited.
"Ruby... I think... I might be broken."
Ruby nodded, then lifted Weiss gently and laid the girl on the bed. "Then let me fix my Ice Queen."
A/N: To quote Yang, that was a thing. I just thought it up after reading something else, and felt I had to write it. Not quite as good as I hoped, parts of it were awkward to write, and I feel there's a bit too much exposition for such a short one-shot, but whatever. White Rose forever and all that. Our ship will never sink, no matter how hard Monty tries.
Edit, 26/12/2015: I've fixed some minor errors, notably Ruby saying the phone call at the start was from Weiss's mother, then all future references saying it is her father (now all say father). To be clear, as if not updating for more than a year weren't clear enough, I have no intention of extending this story. It works well because it is precisely as long as it needs to be, and I have no desire to change that.
'Til Eternity Ends
E.D.