"Will you please just tell me where we're going?"

A very exasperated Weiss sighed heavily as she walked though Mistral's busy downtown area. She gave her partner, who was practically skipping next to her, the most disapproving look she could muster. Ruby either didn't notice or didn't care as she hummed a tune. Weiss sighed again, this time mixing a low growl with it. This was really starting to get irritating.

"Ruby, please. We've been walking for an hour."

Again, no response from the other girl. Weiss let her head fall backwards. "You could at least answer me," she grumbled.

With the only sounds of people going about their business and the occasional vehicle going by, Weiss let her mind go back to earlier, when she got herself into this silent trek.

"You want me to do what?"

Weiss carefully set Myrtenaster down on the table she was working at. Ruby was practically bouncing in place beside her.

"Come with me downtown!" she said cheerfully.

"Can't it wait? I need to get this Dust chamber maintenance done," Weiss sighed.

"Pssh, that can wait. This is WAAAAY more important!" Ruby waved her hand dismissively.

Weiss raised an eyebrow. Something Ruby found more important than weapon upkeep? Her curiosity got the better of her. She closed the fire dust chamber she had been cleaning and moved her weapon over to a safe place on the table.

"Alright, Ruby. I'll go with you," she said, standing from her chair.

Ruby fist-pumped the air. "Yes! You'll love it, Weiss! Come on, come on! Let's go!"

"Come on, Ruby!" a fully annoyed Weiss growled, "We've been walking for an hour, these angled streets are really hurting my feet! I know you have those boots but I'm in these platforms and...!" She was once again, ignored. Weiss stopped walking and stomped her foot. "Ruby Rose! This is it! I'm not taking another step until you tell me where on Anima we are going!"

That got Ruby's attention. She turned and faced Weiss, her brow crinkled slightly in worry. Finally, she spoke. "I'm sorry, Weiss. It was just supposed to be a surprise, and I think I got lost a little..."

Weiss felt the anger flooding away with one look at her leaders face. Damn those puppy eyes! Weiss rubbed her temples and took a long, slow breath. Honestly, she could never truly be angry at Ruby anymore. But... one must keep up appearances. She straightened out and folded her hands demurely in front of her. "It's okay. I'm sorry," she said calmly.

"No, I'm sorry. I should have answered you earlier," Ruby reached up and scratched at the back of her head in embarrassment. She soon after took a look around her. "I could have sworn it was around here somewhere..." She folded her arms and looked at her surroundings. "Was it two rights, then a left? Or... two lefts then a right?"

"Why don't you tell me where we're going? We can look for it together," Weiss smiled.

Ruby lightly kicked at the ground. "I really wanted it to be a surprise..." She pouted for a moment before facing Weiss and smiling. "But looking together sounds like fun!" She held out her hand to Weiss and looked at her expectantly.

Weiss blinked a couple times and looked between Ruby's face and hand. She could feel her heart rate pick up as she tentatively reached out and put her palm in Ruby's hand. The first thing she noticed was her partners warmth, and then a roughness that came with extended use of her rather heavy weapon. It caught her off guard. Ruby's hands always looked so soft. The next thing Weiss knew, Ruby had gripped her hand tight and gave her a gentle tug.

"Come on, Weiss! We gotta make it before the lunch rush!"

"R-right," Weiss tried hard to keep her voice from cracking.

The two girls resumed their walk, hand in hand, through the busy streets. Weiss wasn't sure what she was supposed to be looking for. She guessed some kind of food place, based on Ruby's previous statement. She did find it hard to focus on anything that wasn't the feeling of Ruby's hand in hers. She had to commit this to memory. Just in case.

... No. She had to kill that line of thought right away. There was hope. Ruby did love those cookies, after all. So there just had to be a chance she'd also love...

"This is it!"

Ruby's sudden shout brought Weiss back to the present. She first looked at her partners excited face, then followed the direction her other hand was pointing at to a small diner.

The walls and roofing matched the off-white, maroon, and green aesthetic of Mistral. To the right was a dark brown wood pavilion where patrons sat and talked among each other, as a few waiters and waitresses assisted where needed. A couple carefully groomed native flowers Weiss didn't know the name of flanked the sides of the building.

"... Ruby? What is this?" Weiss asked, raising an eyebrow.

Ruby tugged at Weiss's hand. "It's great! Come on, I know you'll love it."

The younger girl hopped in excitement, giving Weiss a pull once again to encourage her to follow. Weiss conceded and followed Ruby into the building.

The first thing Weiss noticed was the strong, delicious smell of fresh Mistralese coffee. Under that was the aroma of baked goods of various spices and flavors. It was enough to make her mouth water. She followed Ruby to a booth by a window overlooking the mountains and some lower parts of Mistral. Weiss reluctantly released Ruby's hand as the two took opposite seats across the table. She did manage to not let out a whine of disapproval she felt rising in her throat.

Not long after the two girls took their seats, a canine Faunus waitress approached their table. "Welcome to Ikebreakfast-oh! Miss Rose! I didn't see you come in!"

"We just got here," Ruby replied, smiling at the woman.

The waitress put away her pad and pen. She looked over and smiled at a visibly confused Weiss before putting her focus back on Ruby. "Shall I get that special order going for you?"

Ruby nodded excitedly. "Please do!"

Weiss watched their waitress give a polite bow and leave before leaning backward in her seat slightly. "Are you going to finally tell me what all this is about?" she asked.

Ruby shifted in her seat, fidgeting. After a long pause, she finally spoke. "...Well, I guess. Since we're here and all. I wanted to take you out!"

Weiss stared at Ruby, annoyance bubbling up inside her once more. "And that needed to be a secret because...?"

"Yang said that if I surprised you, it would be more effective."

Yang. Weiss was immediately reminded of Ruby's sister's incessant teasing for the entire two weeks since what Weiss internally called 'The Cookie Failure'. Her mind was already made up. Whatever this was, it was going to be a disaster.

Weiss leaned forward and let her elbows rest on the table as she rubbed her temples. "Dare I ask, what exactly would be more effective?"

She looked up at Ruby, whose cheeks were a rosy pink. She smiled and said, "This date."

Weiss let her hands fall from her head to the table with a loud smack. Had...had she heard Ruby correctly? She could feel her whole face and ears starting to heat up. It was a rarity for her to be rendered this speechless. Weiss managed to choke out "A-a-a... A date?"

Ruby burst into laughter, which only added to Weiss's confusion. She settled down after a few seconds and wiped a tear from her eye. "I'm-I'm sorry Weiss. That was just too funny!"

Weiss, now sporting a bright red face, grumbled under her breath and folded her arms. Ruby leaned forward on the table and smiled. "Come on, Weiss. I knew exactly what that was all about. I'm not dumb."

Weiss eyed her cautiously. "What what was all about?"

Ruby giggled. Weiss's heart skipped a beat.

"When you made me those cookies shaped...kinda shaped like Crescent Rose," Ruby smiled, "I mean, I didn't get it right away. But I figured it out on my own before breakfast was over. They tasted like you put a lot of care into them. And then I started thinking about you and all the fretting you've done over me and it just," She put her hands together in a single quiet clap, "...clicked."

Weiss could only blink, blush, and make tiny noises as she struggled to find words. She would have been out of this state faster if Ruby would just stop looking at her like that! Her silver eyes sparkling, the gentlest and kindest of smiles on her lips, the way the afternoon sun hit her body through the window and made her look like she was glowing...

Ruby continued. "So that's why I took you out on this date! Umm.. ta-da!"

She had lost battles before, but Weiss had never truly felt defeated until now. A small part of her had hoped Ruby wouldn't figure out her feelings. Then again, if even Jaune was able to, it made sense Ruby would too. Weiss willed herself to inhale strongly and let out her breath in a long exhale. She needed to stay cool and collected. Trying too hard to act casual, she adjusted her bangs and shifted in her seat to sit up as straight as possible. Although she could still feel her cheeks burning.

"Well the...the surprise certainly was effective," she said, her voice shaking ever so slightly.

Ruby inwardly gasped and lit up, sporting one of the biggest-cutest-smiles Weiss had ever seen on her partner. She started to say something, but the waitress from before had returned with something Weiss couldn't exactly identify on a tray.

"Sorry about that wait, miss Rose! Here's your special order, as requested!"

The waitress set a large and ornate glass cup between the two girls. It was overflowing with what looked like pink and blue ice cream and fizzy soda, and topped with chocolate drizzle and colorful sprinkles. Sticking out of either side were two straws bent into hearts in the middle. Ruby thanked the waitress, who left the two with two long spoons, a small polite bow of her head and a wink.

"Ruby," Weiss started, leaning forward on the table to inspect it, "what IS this?"

"It's a strawberry and blueberry ice cream float! With sprinkles! The biggest size they had! And the biggest ice cream treat this side of Mistral."

"It's almost as big as your face!"

Ruby's cheeks turned a brighter red than before. "I got the biggest one because, well I... wantedittobeasbigashowmuchIlikeyou."

Weiss blinked. Did she just...? No, it had to be unrelated. Weiss sat back down and cleared her throat. "I... didn't catch that last part."

Ruby snickered. "You're really not a good liar, Weiss," She moved the colorful ice cream monstrosity over slightly and Weiss' ice blue eyes locked with silver. "I wanted the treat to...to be as big as how much I like you," she repeated slower.

Weiss whimpered quietly, now certain her face was a red as Ruby's cape. Her heart pounding against her rib cage, she spoke with a slight waver to her voice. "I-If this is another one of your 'Be your BFF' ploys, Ruby, I swear..."

Ruby puffed her cheeks out slightly. Oh no. That was adorable.

"Weiiiiiss, come ON. I know you're smarter than that!" She whined, "If I could figure out you liked me from some cookies, you can figure out I like you from all...all this!" She waved her arms around to emphasize the end of her sentence. "Finding the perfect date spot, getting your favorite flavor ice cream... I know it's not frozen yogurt but it should still taste the same and-!"

"I-I just needed to be sure!" Weiss interrupted, her voice a little louder than intended, "So I don't get my hopes up, only to be devastated to find out you only want friendship instead of more like I do!"

An awkward silence fell across the girls as the realization of what Weiss just said sunk in. Ruby just stared at her, her mouth slightly open. Weiss needed to take damage control measures. She was just about to take it all back when Ruby leaned forward and gently took Weiss's hands in hers.

"The cookies were nice, but... It's even better to hear you say it," she smiled.

Weiss shifted ever so slightly in her seat. Ruby squeezed Weiss's hands and continued, "I was a liiiiittle worried for a bit. I thought it was just me for... Well, since the forest. Before we officially became a team. So, uhh... Yeah."

Weiss had several questions rising in her mind. Just as she was about to open her mouth to begin asking them, Ruby released her hands and fidgeted with her own. She took a short breath and smiled warmly at Weiss. "I... I love you, too, Weiss."

Weiss whimpered at the words, which was apparently more audible than she intended as Ruby laughed quietly at it. Her heart flew at the reciprocation and it almost felt like a huge weight was lifted off her shoulders. She folded her hands in her lap and couldn't help but smile at the other girl. "I'm glad it's mutual," she said.

Ruby didn't say anything back, but simply rested a cheek in her palm and looked at Weiss softly. There was a dark pink hue to her cheeks and Weiss briefly wondered how she was keeping so calm. She cleared her throat in an attempt to dispel the silence. "So... what do we do now?" she asked.

Ruby suddenly avoided eye contact, choosing to focus instead on the treat she ordered. She toyed with her straw. "...Kiss?"

Weiss completely froze. Sure, she had thought about it once or twice...oh, she couldn't fool herself. Too many times to count. Somehow, she managed to move enough to look around the rest of the restaurant. "Not in public!" she hissed.

Ruby tilted her head. "When we get back to the safehouse then?"

Weiss couldn't handle it anymore. She moved the ice cream back between them quickly. "L-let's figure that out after we eat this," she said quickly, "I don't want it to go to waste. Especially if you put as much thought into this date as you said."

It seemed to work, for Ruby's eyes sparkled as she looked back at their shared treat. "Yeah, you're right!" she said with a laugh. Ruby grabbed one of the spoons and scooped up a big glob of the blueberry ice cream before holding it in front of Weiss. "Say 'ahhh'!"

"Oh man, that was more than I thought..." Ruby held her stomach with her free hand and groaned.

"I'm still amazed, and frankly a little afraid, of how much ice cream you can eat," Weiss commented.

"But it was so good..."

Weiss rolled her eyes with a smile. Her gaze turned to their entwined hands and she gave Ruby's a little squeeze. "Pace yourself next time. And maybe you wont have three consecutive brainfreezes."

Ruby simply laughed at that. The two stayed mostly quiet after that as they walked back through the main busy roads to their safehouse. Weiss was the one to break the silence first as the building came into view.

"I had a wonderful time this afternoon," she said glancing over at Ruby.

"Me too!" Ruby said with a smile, "but it was even better once we got all the awkward stuff over."

The two slowed to a stop just outside the main entrance door. Ruby rocked back and forth nervously, gently squeezing Weiss's hand.

"What's wrong? Are you still feeling sick from all that ice cream?" Weiss asked.

"No, no. It's not that. It's just... The more I think about it, the more nerve wracking the idea of a kiss is."

Weiss lightly pulled on Ruby's arm, turning the other girl toward her. "Ruby, if you're uncomfortable, we can wait."

"No, I-! ...Please?" Ruby used her trademark puppy eye pout, complete with pathetic whimpering to seal the look.

Weiss grumbled under her breath. There was no way she could resist that face. Steeling herself, she closed the distance between them with a couple steps and put her hands firmly on the other girls shoulders. She somehow managed to ignore her pounding heart and whatever negative thoughts tried to surface. Weiss locked her determined eyes with Ruby's anxious ones before she closed them and leaned in, lightly pressing her lips to her partners.

The kiss lasted a long moment before Weiss pulled back a few inches. She could feel her cheeks burning.. "...There. Now you've gotten your-mmph?!"

The rest of her sentence was cut off by Ruby pulling her back in for another kiss, this one much more like the ones Weiss had fantasized about for so long. She felt strong arms wrap around her waist, holding her body closer as Ruby continued to kiss her, attempting to deepen it. After a second or two, Weiss allowed it, melting into the kiss and Ruby's body. She somehow managed to keep holding tight to her shoulders to keep her knees from buckling under her. This one lasted much longer than the first and when Ruby pulled away for air, Weiss felt like her head was swimming.

"S-sorry... I just..." Ruby stuttered, looking away.

Weiss smiled and gently cupped one of Ruby's cheeks in her hand.

"Don't apologize. I rather enjoyed it," she said, rubbing Ruby's cheek with her thumb.

Ruby grinned. "Can we do it again?"

Weiss rolled her eyes. She said a soft "Dolt," before kissing Ruby once again.

"Okay, lovebirds. You can't block the doorway forever."

Weiss hastily broke away from Ruby and spun to see Yang grinning at them, leaning against the now open door. She could actually begin to feel her soul leave her body.

"Yang! How-how... How long have you been there?!" Weiss yelled.

Yang's grin turned mischievous. "Long enough,"

Weiss groaned and held her face in her hands. If only some freak thunderstorm could strike her down where she stood. She could die happy and not have to deal with any more of Yang's teasing. It was a win-win situation.

"Really though, I'm just glad to see Ruby happy," Yang's sudden shift in tone had Weiss jolt her head upward at the blonde. Yang shifted her weight to one leg. "You've done a lot of good for her, Weiss. As her sister, I gotta thank you for taking such good care of her."

This time, Ruby groaned. "Yaaaaang,"

"Alright, alright, I'll stop," Yang turned to go back into the house, but stopped after a couple steps. She turned her head and flashed a smirk at the two, holding up her closed scroll in her prosthetic. "...After I show off these pictures of you two sucking face to eeeeeeveryone."

Weiss summoned a white glyph under her that was immediately followed by a series of her Semblance in a path to Yang. "You will not!" She yelled, propelling herself forward to a now running and laughing Yang.