Ruby was cold.
She could see her breath in the air and her hands were practically freezing. Even when she was covered from head to toe in the warmest blanket she could find, she would still feel her body shiver. The moon's light coming in from a nearby window fell directly on the sleepy girl, making her puffs of breath visible against the darkness of the room. The fact that it was the middle of winter was probably the biggest factor for the coldness. The cold season brought snow that covered the entire campus and long nights filled with icy temperatures. Not to mention the heater that warmed up every room in the housing block was broken. All of these things made it difficult for the red-haired girl to get any sleep. However, they weren't the main reason she was awake so late in the night.
The silver eyed girl rolled around in her twin bed to face the other side of the room. She stared at the digital clock placed on a nightstand for what appeared to be the hundredth time in the last hour and a half. The bright green numbers read 1:15 am. Barely a minute has passed since the last time she checked. Ruby looked further at the empty bed across from her. It was the same size as her own bed but instead of black bed sheets, this one had white. There was a light blue comforter placed neatly on top along with an ordinary pillow. The sight made the growing worry in her gut increase like it has been doing when she first realized the bed was still empty.
She tore her eyes away from the sight and rolled around to face the wall she was previously staring at. The red-haired girl made an effort to fall asleep but was unable to because of the tight feeling in her stomach. She tried this again and again until she realized she couldn't fall asleep with all the worry filling her mind. This process has been happening for hours like a cruel cycle that never has an end. Ruby would check the time, try to fall asleep only to realize she can't, and check to time again. All because of a single thought that has been plaguing her mind since the very beginning.
"Weiss is still not back yet." She somberly muttered to herself. She tried not to think about it too much but it comes back like it always does. The silver eyed girl thought back to what the white-haired girl said to her this morning. The heiress would be attending a business party celebrating the collaboration between her father's electric company and another company they've been competing with. It was only meant to last a few hours but the blue-eyed girl has yet to return. Weiss had mentioned that she would be miserable in the party since she was forced to wear an extravagant dress and act formally in front of everybody.
"I'll only be there for an hour and come back. It'll probably be boring anyway." Her words echoed in Ruby's mind and made her worry more since it was said five hours ago. She took her mind off of things by looking around the room. The room she was in was the shared room the silver eyed girl would be staying in for the next few years. Weiss was her roommate and a new friend she managed to make since classes began. In the beginning, the red-haired girl was worried she would be roomed with someone who would disagree with all her decorations and be completely mean. Her sister Yang tried to reassure her but to no avail.
Fortunately, the heiress turned out to be someone who was ok with the decorations but mostly because she didn't care. She was, however, mean at first but soon warmed up to the energetic girl. When Ruby mentioned the university's decision to accept her application despite being two years younger, the white-haired girl was at first dumbfounded and completely surprised by the statement. Eventually, she managed to be convinced by Ruby's test scores and had a newfound respect for the red-haired girl.
"You may be smart, but I'll always be one step ahead," Weiss said proudly to the silver eyed girl on the same day. It may have come off as slightly arrogant but the small smile at the end made Ruby realize it was more like a declaration for a friendly rivalry. From that day onwards, the two of them have been competing to see how would excel academically and outdo the other person. Though it was a bit difficult to accurately measure this given their different majors. The blue-eyed girl wanted to major in business and finance due to her inheritance of her father's company while also having a minor in music and performing arts. Ruby, on the other hand, wanted to major in mechanical engineering because of her fascination with vehicles and mechanics while minoring in athletics.
Eventually, the two of them were fairly close as friends in the small amount of time they had to know each other. It was definitely faster than any of the previous friendships the silver eyed girl had. However, the friendship she had with the white-haired girl hit a bump soon afterward. She tried extremely hard to avoid it from happening but in the end, it was inevitable. The red-haired girl began to fall in love with her roommate. The realization shocked Ruby and made her reconsider her feeling. She desperately tried to get rid of these feelings or see them as innocent adoration.
She saw the white-haired girl as one of her few friends in college and was someone she looked up to, besides her sister. Weiss was always willing to help her with her problems, both academic and personal. It was one of the many things that made the heiress such a great friend. However, in Ruby's attempt to get rid of her feelings, she only managed to make them stronger. This only made her situation worsen, mainly because there was a very specific reason for her decision to not accept her feelings.
"I know I'm attracted to girls but I don't know if Weiss is." The younger girl said to herself while burying her face in her pillow. The probability of finding someone who can return your feelings was already low enough but the odds became even lower if you're attracted to the same sex. In Ruby's mind, there was no way someone as dignified and prestigious as Weiss would be attracted to girls. For once, her father would definitely not allow it and she would be seen as "different" in front of the media. Despite this, there was still a small part of her mind that hoped Weiss would return her feelings. It was the part of her mind that filled her with false hope. It was also the part of her mind she was trying to rid of.
On several occasions, the red-haired girl had experienced nightmares about confessing to her roommate. She would pour out her feelings to the white-haired girl only to be rejected and shot down. The dream version of Weiss would be disgusted and said she no longer wanted to be friends with the shorter girl. The first time this happened, Ruby woke up in a cold sweat and found fresh tears staining her eyes and pillow. The idea of being rejected filled her with fear and only increased her efforts in trying to terminate her feelings. That morning, she desperately tried to hide her appearance from Weiss but the blue-eyed girl ended up catching on.
She asked what was wrong and why she was crying. The younger girl responded by saying it was a nightmare but didn't say what it was about. The older girl looked like she was about to say something else but never did. After that, the nightmares continued but luckily for Ruby, they were rare and only happened on some occasions. Even rarer were the dreams in which Weiss would return her feelings and even kiss the red-haired girl on the spot. Those dreams made her wake up with a crazy blush and her heart pounding as fast as it did when running.
These type dreams would have normally made her happy but because of the situation she was in, they filled her with sadness instead. The dreams reminded her of a reality that would never exist and of something she will never achieve. They felt bittersweet but Ruby saw them as more bitter than sweet. Deciding to take another look at the clock to distract herself, Ruby rolled over and saw that only ten minutes have passed. However, as she stared at the glowing numbers, she felt her eyelids become increasingly heavy all of a sudden.
"I guess the fatigue finally caught up with me," she said while closing her eyes for good this time. Her final thoughts as she fell into the land of slumber were of Weiss and the way she always smelled of vanilla.
The scene before Ruby was one that felt oddly familiar. She was standing in a clearing surrounded on all sides by a forest. The grass under her feet felt soft and when she looked down, she realized that her shoes were nowhere to be seen. The silver eyed girl was in her pajamas which consisted of a black tank top and white pajama bottoms. The sun in the sky was directly above her and filled the red-haired girl with a warmth she hasn't experienced since the beginning of winter. In front of her was a path that led deeper into the forest. For some reason, Ruby felt an invisible force compelling her forward as if it was calling to her. Deciding it wouldn't hurt to explore the area, the red-haired girl began following the path wondering where it would lead her. As she walked past the many trees, she began to notice some things that were off about the place. The ground felt unusually soft and didn't hurt her feat like it would in real life. There was a breeze that seemed to come out of nowhere and managed to add a nice cooling effect. The leaves of the trees blocked out most of the sun but some of its rays managed to penetrate the thin layer. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted some movement not too far from where she was standing. The commotion was coming from a rose bush that had the most beautiful roses she had ever seen. Ruby strayed from the path to investigate but before she walked any closer a white cat jumped out. The sudden action startled the silver eyed girl who fell back out of surprise. The white cat that came out of the bush had bright blue eyes that appeared to be glowing. It had a mysterious air to it and something about it seemed familiar to Ruby. However, before she could think about it any further, the cat ran away towards the pathway before disappearing out of sight. The silver eyed girl stood up from her position on the ground and continued following the path. Standing under the tree was her roommate Weiss who appeared to be holding a white rose in her hands. She turned when Ruby approached and had a soft expression on her face. This managed to surprise her because, in most dreams, the white-haired girl would display a look of disgust. The only other time the blue-eyed girl had a soft expression on her face was during the one dream that left Ruby with a crazy blush. Her eyelids began to feel heavy and she subconsciously leaned against the hand while a smile began to spread on her face. She was too distracted to notice that Weiss had a similar expression on her face and that it was getting closer. It wasn't until she felt something soft touch her lips that her eyes widened in surprise. She felt arms encircle her waist and pulled her closer. A part of her mind screamed at her to escape and get away. From her position, she could hear the white-haired girl giggling at her action and could feel the rumbling coming from her chest. It made her realize how close their bodies were which, in turn, fueled her growing blush. However, she knew all of this wasn't real. All the affection she was receiving wasn't coming from the real Weiss, but instead a manifestation of her own imagination. She would wake up and find that nothing has changed. The white-haired girl would still be oblivious to her feelings and that's the way things would be. From now until they graduate and when she eventually is nothing but a memory in her mind. The only thing she could do is cherish the moments with Weiss for the meantime. Yet she couldn't help but feel an immense sadness swell in her chest. Her throat felt tight and her nose began to sting. Her vision began to be obscured by the tears beginning to flow down her face. The red-haired girl suddenly felt a hand comb through her hair in a comforting manner while another hand rubbed circles on her back.
The silver eyed girl woke up to the find that it was still dark. It seemed that the moon had traveled a fair amount in the sky since there was barely any light illuminating the room. However, the one thing that felt different was the fact that it was no longer cold. She could no longer feel her body shiver and her hands were no longer freezing. The one odd thing was that she could still see her breath in the air, if only by a slight amount. She attempted to roll over to check the time but was unable to. There was an unknown weight behind her that was preventing her body from moving. She could also feel something wrapped around her waist. When she lifted a hand to inspect the object, she found intertwined fingers locking her in place near her waist.
Wait, fingers!? Are these … arms? She thought frantically. The red-haired girl turned her head to look behind herself and was met with the sleeping figure of her roommate, Weiss. Their legs were entangled together and she could feel the head of the blue-eyed girl insanely close to hers. To say Ruby was surprised with finding her crush embracing her from behind was an understatement. She was downright astonished. She quickly turned her head back and could already feel her body warming up more than it already was. The heat under her blanket all of a sudden felt hotter. Her mind was racing as it tried to come up with an explanation for all of this.
Am I still dreaming? She asked herself in her mind. She wondered if her dream was still going on and that her mind was trying to fulfill some unknown desire. The silver eyed girl unexpectedly felt a puff of hot breath on the back of her neck which made her body shiver but not because of the cold. She couldn't help but let out a surprised squeak when she felt Weiss snuggled her head closer and feel her grasp on her waist tightened. By that point, Ruby was unable to make a coherent thought and could only lay there in shock.
Everything seemed to be still for what felt like forever. The short-haired girl felt her heart beat like crazy while her face was, without a doubt, completely red. She felt her body go completely stiff when she felt the older girl stir in her sleep.
"Ruby … go back to sleep … " The sleepy voice said into the back of her neck. Ruby didn't think she could get any more surprised than she already was. Her nose caught a strange smell in the air right after her roommate spoke. It was faint at first but it soon reminded her of something she smelt in the past.
Alcohol. More specifically wine. This wasn't the first time she smelt wine coming from someone's breath. Back when Ruby received a letter saying she was accepted into college, her family ended up having a celebratory party at their house. Their parents prohibited any alcohol from being brought over but instead opened a bottle of wine for the special occasion. Yang was the first one to try it and she absolutely loved it, which was surprising given her attitude towards expensive alcoholic beverages. The blonde ended up getting absolutely smashed and ended up passing out on one of the couches. The red-haired girl still has the picture of her drunk sister passed out on the couch with half a slice of pizza stuck to her face. It made her laugh every time she brought it up but made Yang blush in embarrassment.
The red-haired girl also tried the wine but found it to be too bitter. She guessed the business party Weiss went to served wine as one of the drinks. This was most likely the reason why the white-haired girl was in her bed holding Ruby from behind.
She's probably too intoxicated to realize she's in my bed. The thought made her feel a weird sense of dissatisfaction in her heart. Was it because she secretly was happy to have her crush hold her or was it because it made her feel all fuzzy inside. The red-haired girl way too embarrassed to find out.
"Umm Weiss … " she started by trying to wake up her sleepy roommate, "you're in my bed." She turned her head to analyze her response expecting to see a shocked expression. Instead, she saw her eyelids quickly opening to reveal those stunning blue eyes. The older girl looked at her with a hard stare before muttering something that made Ruby's heart jump.
"And?" She said sternly as if warning the other girl to try and remove her from her comfortable position. In response, Ruby let out a small "eep" before laying her head back on her pillow. She attempted to calm her rapidly beating heart before speaking any further.
"Can you at least tell me why you are doing this?" If she could hear a reasonable answer like her bed was broken or it was a complete mess, Ruby would be able to calm her frantic mind. It would make sense since her bed was the only other bed in the room. Plus, there was the off chance that the heater was still broken. Though, deep down, she knew there was no reasonable answer.
"My bed is too cold. You're nice and warm." Weiss mumbled simple-mindedly as if it was obvious enough. The red-haired girl didn't think it was physically possible for her blush to redden more but it did.
"B-but Weiss, two roommates shouldn't share a bed unless they're … they're." The red-haired girl couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence. Hopefully, her statement would bring some sense into Weiss. She didn't know how much more her heart could take of this. She heard the blue-eyed girl let out a sigh of frustration before loosening her hold on the other girl's waist. She removed herself from Ruby's back while the red-haired girl desperately tried not to think about the sudden cold entering her blanket or the loss of the comfortable feeling.
Before she could mutter out a "thanks" she felt a weight press itself on her stomach and felt fingers intertwine with her own. Her arms were raised above her head and in no time, she saw the white-haired girl staring at her with an unreadable expression. Ruby saw that her roommate was straddling her stomach and that her face was dangerously close to her own.
"W-w-w-wait Weiss, w-what are you mmmph-" Before she could finish her question, the blue-eyed girl closed the gap between them and enveloped Ruby in a kiss. Her lips were unusually soft and warm despite the chill temperature. The short-haired girl could feel her body rubbing against her own. She tried to wiggle out but to no avail
This isn't right. She's drunk, she has no control over her actions. She thought frantically as if trying to convince herself. Despite this, she found her body willingly giving in to the kiss and could feel her strength dwindle like in her dream. Her grasp loosened and she began returning the kiss with the exact same effort as Weiss while her eyes closed. Eventually, something wet pressed against her lips which caught Ruby by surprise. Her mouth opened in light gasp which soon turned the normal kiss to an open mouth tongue kiss.
"Then … let's … start … dating," Weiss breathed out in between kisses. Ruby's mind began to feel hazy and she could no longer think straight. She could feel her heart beating rapidly against her ribcage while her chest began to burn due to the lack of oxygen. Her nose could only smell the perfume coming from her roommate which smelled of french vanilla. Fortunately, after what felt like an eternity, Weiss lifted her face up and ended the kiss. Both girls were out of breath and panting loudly. In that moment, the silver eyed girl no longer felt the shivering cold in their room and instead found that her body felt like it was on fire.
She looked at Weiss's face and saw that she bore a similar expression. The sliver of light coming from the moon shone brightly on her face, emphasizing her features. The scar on her left eye and the way her hair looked like a waterfall of ivory took her breath away. Her sharp facial features were beautiful and the reason so many guys gawked at her. Her eyes looked like pools of deep water and her cheeks were tinged with slight pink. The older girl was still in her dress from the party and it showed off a bit of skin while outlining the contours of her body.
The two of them stared at each other for a while before Weiss lowered herself and went back in the position she was in before the kiss happened. Her arms resumed their position around Ruby's waist while she buried her face in the younger girl's hair. She entangled their legs together and began dozing off again.
"Know if you'll excuse me, I have a headache I'm trying to sleep off," Was the last thing she said before going to sleep, leaving a stunned Ruby alone with her thoughts. The silver eyed girl remained silent for a few minutes before she felt herself doze off too. She relaxed in her position and moved her body so it was as close to Weiss as possible. She closed her eyes and began to enter the land of slumber with a wide smile on her face and an immense feeling of happiness.
"Goodnight, Weiss," She mumbled before falling into deep sleep. That night the short-haired dreamt of her new girlfriend as they enjoyed some time together. And for the first time in her life, Ruby like she was on top of the world.