Painting the Roses Red

The air has a certain scent before it snows, indescribable yet anyone can pick it up if they try and recognize it. Ruby is as keen to it as ever, keen to it and the heavy moisture in the air and the encroaching chill of winter taking back what the storm had temporarily usurped. All the fine hairs across her body are bristling to it, strangely invigorating. A tingling rushes through her and she checks her teeth with her tongue, not knowing why.

"I think it's going to start snowing again soon." Weiss exhales, her breath a brief mist as the two make their way around the manor, hand in hand. Ruby just smiles with a little hum, amused how she hadn't even shared the thought with her Maiden yet it was still a mutual notion. Mutual like the thought of squeezing their partner's hand a little tighter, something else they did in unison after a moment. "I knew Nora was...different, I just didn't think it'd be this different."

"Nora's pretty amazing." Ruby nods in agreement. "I think it's kind of cool having a Witch for a friend."

"I didn't mean to sound like I wasn't pleased with the situation," the heiress tries to recover. Because in reality she's pleased as punch -her compulsion couldn't be happier to have one more resource at its disposal.

"I know and you didn't, I was just adding my two cents." you don't have to be so defensive. Are you okay?

"I'm fine, thank you." she says aloud with her trademark Schnee demeanor, even going so far as to tip up her chin about an inch. But the persona breaks up as Ruby inches too close, their hips bumping together as she giggles softly. She knows Weiss is anxious, she can feel it in the crystalline vibrations along their link, but she can't discern the cause. Not yet, anyway. "So where are we going?"

"Just around, who says we need any place to go?" Ruby swings her arm with her casual strides, Weiss' mimicking the motion. "At least the manor looks kind of nice from the outside. I mean, yeah, it's dark,"

The Maiden clears her throat gently. "I suppose I could try to remedy that."

The pair stops, Ruby taking a half step back to watch as best she can. She feels a flicker of magic pass over her -through her with a cold spark in her wrist where the mark rests. Ruby can just barely make out little pinpricks of light ignite around them like fireflies, hanging in the air in the instant before Weiss draws them all together between her palms that she's holding out in front of her. The brightness steadily grows and solidifies, holding a spherical shape that continues to hover in place even as Weiss pulls one hand away. The other hand rests just beneath it, palm up, unconsciously hesitant to move should she lose focus and it falls. Now Ruby can clearly see the proud smile on Weiss' face, her already pale features cast in a cool, alabaster glow.

Weiss looks up from what she's made and catches a glimpse of Ruby's adoring gaze, immediately dropping her eyes as blood rises into her cheeks. When she hears her Guardian's soft hum of "you're amazing," in a tone a part of her thinks is much too reverent, she clears her throat again and encourages them to carry on.

"So yeah," Ruby tries again, knowing and feeling her Maiden's slight fluster, "nice house."

"Clearly they don't build them like this anymore." Weiss smirks to herself, feeling a bubble of humor at using the idiom. Though she would go on to admit that the structure is indeed a fine example of a bygone architectural movement, the predecessor to what was currently so desirable in Atlas. And while the sprawling mansions of her home kingdom are erected from perfectly fitted, almost seamless marble facades and wrought iron, Glynda's manor appeared as a distant, weathered cousin of apparently common stone and just visible mortar. However the stained glass work throughout Glynda's home is exquisite, beyond compare to anything anywhere else.

"I can hear you thinking."

Weiss looks sideways at her Guardian, unimpressed. "You don't say,"

Ruby laughs, bringing her hand up to kiss her Maiden's knuckles, her bright silver eyes fixed on Weiss' face, watching as her cheeks redden a little further.

Th-that felt nice.

Ruby's smirk broadens. Good to know.

The usually pristine heiress reddens further, perturbed by the heavy implications of the thought's delivery.

They continue to walk the grounds, talking about nothing in particular and everything in general so long as it didn't include the hot mess they were facing right now. Anything that brought them within a certain closeness to the anxious worry they both carried is quickly deflected towards something wholly unrelated -they both knew they were doing it and didn't mind. Both of them just needed time away from it in spite of the fact that it is all but staring them in the face.

Weiss runs her fingers over the rough stone until it turns to wrought iron and dormant ivy wrapping along the bars. Absently she reaches over the spokes lining the top of the barrier, her hands brushing across the rough edges of bushes, fingertips cautious of briars and thorns. There's a flicker of surprised interest; she never thought of Professor Goodwitch as the gardening type. Then again, it could have just come with the house when she moved in and it's much more likely that she ignored it entirely, otherwise absorbed in something she deemed more important.

"Want to check it out?"

"Nothing to check out this time of year, it's too cold." Weiss sighs in response.

"So what, we could still have a look around, couldn't we?" Ruby nudges her with her shoulder. "Or we could wander off into the woods, but I have a feeling doing that would cause someone to have a stroke,"

"Likely."

"Unless," Ruby's sudden pout is audible, "you want to go back inside."

"Of course not." and she shakes her head, quick, precise, the orb of light almost mimicking the gesture. "You suppose there's a gate in the wall?"

"Even if there isn't, we could just misbehave and jump the fence. Should be fun." Ruby winks at her, glad to see her amused at the idea. Although both girls are a little disappointed when they happen to find the unlocked gate at the far end of the fence.

The hinges squeal and groan as the door swings out towards them, Ruby holding it open and gesturing with her hand for Weiss to go first, going so far as to bow a little. Weiss just rolls her eyes, but she still smiles so Ruby takes it as a little victory. Anything to break up that sometimes too cold exterior, to bring out the warm and loving young woman Ruby knows she really is. The door swings closed a little louder than she expects, making her jump.

Once inside the garden it becomes quickly apparent that Glynda does indeed maintain it. Any stray and dead plant matter has been cleared from the paved path that winds throughout the clusters of dormant bushes and trees, breaking the garden up into four equal regions. The edges of the flagstones are marked by brass placards designating what plants went in which plots. A wooden lattice cubical juts upward from one of the spaces, the planks all twisted up in barren vines and the remaining leaves that looked ready to fall any day now. At the center of it all is a seemingly generic stone fountain with three shallow but wide tiers, basins that only held the rainwater from the earlier storm. Weiss drops the orb of light into the lowest tier, the glow spreading outward and upward to the other basins, allowing them to discover the quartet of what looked like winged monkeys perched there. They're fixed on all fours with wings extended upward, their tails coiled around their legs and lips puckered to sell the illusion once water passed through them again. The girls stare for a moment, faces and heads cocked unevenly. Eventually they accept it with a sigh and sit on the edge of the fountain.

Their fingers lace together without a thought, Ruby scooting a little closer once Weiss is settled. Her grip unwinds as her chest lines up with Weiss' back, her now free hand gripping the hem of her cape and pulling it around her Maiden's frame. Weiss grabs it almost immediately, pulling it tight around her with a comfortable smile as she looks back at Ruby. They move thoughtlessly again, their lips coming together for an initially brief kiss. Still nose to nose they look at each other with hooded eyes, smiling wide enough to show teeth, and then kiss again. It's longer, deeper, a small groan working between them in the heat of it. Ruby's arm snakes around her waist beneath the cape, her other hand bringing the rest of the crimson garment to close around Weiss almost protectively. She feels Weiss smile against her lips before she leans into her, insistent, unaware that she's doing it because she loves the way Ruby smells and loves the warmth she gives up to her so readily.

Weiss turns towards her, one leg hooking over Ruby's as she settles without breaking the pressure of their kiss. She loves the security of Ruby's arms around her, her back cradled by locked hands between her shoulder blades. She can feel the strength in them, powerful musculature crafted by years of wielding Crescent Rose. And she loves how readily and openly Ruby showers her with physical affection even when it sometimes feels like too much. Her hands smooth over Ruby's collar bones, up the column of her throat until they line the gentle edges of her jaw and cup her cheeks. They linger there for a moment, drinking in the heat before pushing passed her ears and hooking against Ruby's scalp.

A faint giggle echoes along their mental link. You're almost in my lap.

There's a loud pop as Weiss jerks back, their lips coming undone. She looks back at Ruby, wide eyed and a little slack-jawed, her irises gently shimmering. "I'm s-s-"

"Don't apologize, okay?" Ruby smiles unevenly at the same moment her arms around her teammate's waist tightens. "I like it." She tries her best to assure her, because she knows all about Weiss' big hang-up. She knows enough about Weiss' upbringing to expect a sort of resistance; she had been sheltered for most of her life, including from herself in certain aspects. Other girls made out with their significant others at desolate garden fountains, other girls think about what it's like to kiss the one they love from head to toe, and only other girls masturbate. But not a Schnee. Certainly not the CEO of the Schnee Dust Company.

And while Weiss is all too aware of the absurdity of such mantras now, it still left her with years of conditioning to unlearn.

"But if it's making you uncomfortable, we can stop." and Ruby does her best to hold down the rising disappointment.

"N-no, no, we," she's fumbling, still holding on to Ruby's head so she won't fuss with her hands like usual. Weiss adjusts her grip, cupping her cheeks again and pushing them upward until Ruby's expression in ridiculous. "I want to. I want this...just,"

"It's okay," although when Ruby talks it's like watching a fish breathe, "really. We don't have to do it now. No rush."

"Stop trying to change my mind, Ruby," she squeezes her partner's face a little more, her lips now shaped like a swollen four-leaf clover. Weiss can't keep it together and starts laughing, her chin dropping to her chest. Only seconds pass before Ruby starts chuckling too. "Truth is," Weiss straightens and lets Ruby go, covering her own face instead to hide the awful redness she can feel burning in her cheeks. She's gasping to catch her breath. "Truth is, I have no idea what I'm doing. There. I said it. I'm," her lips buzz on an exhale, and she's still laughing when she finishes with "I'm a useless lesbian."

Ruby holds her close, laughing into Weiss' shoulder and waiting until the loudest of it passes before propping her cheek against her chest. "But you're my useless lesbian and I love you."

Weiss finds her composure almost instantly, but still smiles, albeit more reservedly. "Say it again." she sighs.

"I love you, Weiss." And hearing you laugh makes my heart soar.

And if you're not careful, all the blood in my face is going to come out through my nose. But by the way she giggles behind her hand, Weiss is clearly anything but upset.

Ruby kisses her forehead, the tip of her nose, then her lips, all brief little brushes of sweet contact to usher back in the comfort that had been there before the laughter. She holds Weiss' attention with an assuring smile as she grips her by the waist and tries to move the smaller huntress around, convincing Weiss to settle with her back to Ruby's chest and between her thighs. It's reminiscent of how they sleep, slotted together like pages in a book with one foot on the pavement and the other on the rim of the fountain. Though Weiss is too ladylike for that and resigns to cross her legs.

Weiss relaxes further as Ruby's chin perches on her shoulder and her partner's arms circle her again, bringing to cape back to cover her up. Reflexively she crosses her arms over her stomach, taking hold of either side, freeing up Ruby's hands. She doesn't expect them to rest atop her thighs, fingers splayed apart with a half earnest grip. Her ribs jump with a little gasp.

Is this okay?

F-fine.

You sure? I was serious when I said there was no rush. Maybe you'd prefer to go inside, be in a bed?

No. Too crowded. I want it to be just us. Because she is far less opposed to the idea of doing it outside than she is doing it in Professor Goodwitch's home.

Okay. As long as you're sure. Ruby kisses her neck just below her ear, slow and heated pressure. She loves feeling the muscles there tense beneath her lips. You'll tell me if you need to stop?

I-I will. She swallows loud enough for them both to hear. S-so...what do I do?

You don't need to do anything, all the while she's still kissing up and down her neck, chancing a little nip with her teeth at her partner's shoulder and smirking when she jumps. I want this to be about you, so just keep my cape from falling open.

Weiss' hands instinctively clench around the fabric, pulling it tight as a blossom of warmth radiates out from the butterflies in her stomach, in congress with Ruby pressing up against her. A strange, choked noise that she's never known herself to make jumps out of her throat as Ruby's powerful hands squeeze her thighs. Smooth, calloused palms ease down towards her knees but then double back, tentatively pushing upward against the hem of her skirt. She makes the noise again, sounding decidedly cheated when her hands move away and cup her hips instead.

Something wrong? Ruby chuckles when all she receives in response are sputtering half thoughts and intelligible noises across their link. Her Maiden shudders in her arms as her hands move over her stomach, still pushing upward to thrum her ribs through her dress. Weiss is already panting when she moves her hand away one last time before smoothing them over her smaller, clenched fists. Ruby curls her fingers just so to offer up a little scratch of her nails, dragging them between Weiss' knuckles and to her wrist, then along her toned forearms to her elbows. She grips her biceps, just as sculpted as her own but not as thick or pronounced. Ruby kisses behind her ears, taking in the cool cleanliness of her scent as she slowly maps her collar bone with her fingers. Weiss is panting a little quicker, quieter, and it's beautiful. It makes Ruby's heart race.

Weiss is starkly aware that this is more than they've ever dared, that this isn't the same thing as laying in bed back at the manor and just kissing, kissing, kissing. This isn't really the same as unexpectedly getting yanked into a dark corner or spare bedroom as she walks by only to have whatever protest she would give in regards to the shock smothered by more kisses and a bit of tongue and a hand at her backside. This is decidedly something else and she didn't know what to do about it except...what?

"You're so soft," Ruby purrs against her shoulder. She pauses a moment, looking down to see how red Weiss' skin has gotten even in the dim light from the fountain. She can almost make out a crescent of teeth marks. With a smug smirk she shifts, redirecting her attention to the other side after pushing Weiss' silken hair aside. She pushes her hands a little further down, slowly, not wanting to spook her, but feels her tense in a way she still expects. Their mental bond is full of chiming static, but Ruby doesn't really need that to tell her what's going on.

Weiss' head drops back against her team leader's shoulder, turning towards her and kissing her cheek unconsciously. Panting still she tries to apologize, tries and fails when the words can't make it through the heavy haze of her awareness. She tries again and fails again, this time as Ruby stops her from getting the first word out.

"Do you still not want me to touch them?" Ruby chances carefully.

Weiss whimpers, kissing Ruby again to try and cover it up. I just...I want it and...I just don't want you to be disappointed.

We've talked about this, you can't disappoint me. Trust me, okay?

"Of course I trust you," Weiss exhales hotly when her mind won't focus enough to form the thought otherwise. Then she tucks her chin and looks down, like she can see through the shelter of Ruby's cape. "But...they're so small."

"So what? They're a part of you and you're beautiful." Ruby drags the flat of her tongue up her neck to catch her ear between her lips, mindful of the earring that dangles there. But if you really don't want me to,

Weiss trembles, breath hitching as her thighs clench and push her closer to her Guardian. For a moment she can't answer out loud or in thought, all her focus fixed on just getting air in her lungs. As she comes back together what thoughts she has scatter like snowflakes on the wind, everywhere and nowhere at the same time. For some reason she starts to wonder how Ruby could be so certain of herself, so confident, then something selfish rears its ugly head. H-have you been with someone else?

Ruby pulls back a little, waiting for Weiss to turn her head so they could look at each other. "Um...no," silver eyes blink, catching the dim light curiously. "Why?"

Weiss breaks the connection, eyes falling away and her brow furrowing, looking embarrassed. "It's just...you appear to know what you're doing. And...well,"

Her curious confusion softens with a deep chested sigh, a smile working half her mouth upward. "You want the truth? I never even thought about anybody this way before. I just...the feelings just weren't there, so there couldn't have been anyone else."

Now it's Weiss turn to show surprise.

"After I got to know you better, have you as a friend and partner for a while, I realized I was attracted to someone and that someone turned out to be you." A thready laugh coupled with some redness in her cheeks. "But, then again, just because I wasn't attracted to anyone physically doesn't mean I didn't...you know...have urges and stuff. It's not that I know what I'm doing, just that -you know- I'm a girl...and you're a girl...and we got the same parts and I figured some of the things I like you would like...and all that. So...yeah."

"Oh." Weiss exhales after a moment, looking anything but comforted. "...Now I just feel stupid."

"Hey, don't say that," Ruby bumps Weiss' temple with her forehead, "you're not stupid. Everybody has a first time, right?" the once meek grin slips wider, into something almost mischievous. "In any case, I like your boobs,"

"Do not call them that," Weiss groans, nigh on offended.

"Well I'm not calling them tits because that just sounds rude." and she laughs a little. "Lumps?"

"No."

Ruby's starting to giggle again. "What about jugs?"

"Stop it."

Ruby can't even say what she's thinking next, she's laughing much too hard. Her head has drooped against Weiss' shoulder and it's taking everything she has not to snort. She can't get it under control until her Maiden huffs, turning her back fully to her and sulking. "Hey, hey, don't be like that, I'm not making fun of you,"

"Oh?"

Her smile fizzles abruptly. "I didn't hurt your feelings, did I? I'm sorry, Weiss, I didn't mean to,"

After a moment -she wanted her Guardian to sweat it a little- she rolls her eyes. "You ever call them jugs again, you'll have to find somewhere other than my bed to sleep." and she almost immediately regrets the threat when Ruby throws on the most convincing lost puppy eyes she's ever seen.

"I'll be good," she whimpers.

Weiss just nods, seeming satisfied. "Now kiss me."

They're quick to settle back into what they began, Ruby putting a little extra effort behind her kisses, hoping to telegraph the heated hunger she's feeling. She draws the backs of her fingers along the soft bend of Weiss' cheek, moving to trace her jawline and then smoothing down the pronounced tendon in her throat. Her partner doesn't flinch when her fingers skate passed her collar bone this time, instead her chest lifts with a quick inhale and a tight whimper.

Ruby honestly can't imagine someone like Weiss being self-conscious, certainly not over her body, but she respects it all the same and thinks to go about it like one pulls off a band aid: quickly and with little fanfare and fuss. Not too quickly, seeing as this sort of stuff demands a certain finesse, but she shows little hesitation as her hands settle over Weiss' breasts. Her partner jumps again, startled like a doe, and Ruby does her best to keep her in place without making her feel trapped. She keeps kissing Weiss' throat, drawn to the pulse just below her jaw and nipping there -a little distraction. She carefully flexes her fingers, testing, already taking notice of the firmness of her nipples through her clothes. See, it's not so bad, is it?

Ruby, and the response echoes hot and breathy, shaking.

"You like that?" the Guardian whispers, brushing her thumbs over the stiff tokens beneath the fine fabric. Another little jump makes Ruby chuckle before taking a bit of skin gently between her teeth. "Hm...you taste good,"

Weiss stutters through a word that starts with an "f" but she can't form the rest, likely the best and worst attempt to swear she's ever ventured in her life. Every brush of Ruby's thumbs across her tender nipples is a shock hard enough to derail any thought -a part of her is briefly impressed she was able to try words in the first place- and sends fiery barbs of sensation through her stomach to crash between her legs. Already she's starting to feel feverish. Weiss tries the word one more time, this time with feeling, but only manages the sound of something like steam escaping.

Ruby marvels at her partner's reactions, falling in love with the little noises and pants. She projects encouragement along their link -at least the feeling of it- all the while trying small and simple questions her brain can handle. Is this okay? Can I try it like this? How does this feel?

"M-more," Weiss finally stammers, her back arching almost tight enough to hurt. "I-I," I need...something...

Okay, okay, don't worry. I've got you. With her mouth just behind Weiss' ear she whispers "I'm going to open the zipper. Make sure my cape stays closed."

Weiss shudders, her breath mimicking the motion of her body noisily. The heated hush, the tone that teetered precariously between a considerate update and a seductive order, rattles her. She feels vulnerable and powerless, but for the first time the idea doesn't bring fear ripping through her. No knee-jerk instinct to take control back, but she has to consciously bite it back when she hears nothing but the dull whir of the zipper between her shoulders as it's dragged downward. Her breath is trapped in her chest until she feels Ruby's hand against her bare skin, fingers fanning across the middle of her back with an almost sweltering warmth. Fingertips press and pull down the length of her spine, slowly scorching, then there's the brief bite of a fingernail at the small of her back that makes her mewl and squirm.

"Not too loud," Ruby cautions, her smile audible. You're so cute.

"Y-your fault,"

"Shhhh," Now both of her hands work beneath the dress, hands splayed across her toned stomach, fingers fitting in the furrows between the muscles. "Let me keep your mouth busy if you can't,"

Weiss lunges for her Guardian's lips, unapologetic of the obvious force she captures them with and unashamed of the throaty groan that vibrates between them as her tongue pushes through. Ruby takes it in stride, her hands working steadily upward, pausing only a moment as she's caught up in the dizzying thrill of Weiss' scent and flavor overwhelming her senses. Then she feels the velvety softness of Weiss' nipples settling into the bend between her first and second fingers, tearing a high pitched whine from her throat as her body bows.

You're so soft, Weiss. You feel so good. And while she would love to know what she would say, Ruby keeps their lips tangled together. A wise decision considering the other noises that worm their way between them as Ruby kneads her Maiden's breasts, gently working the nipples with her fingers.

Everything has gone white, both appropriate and unsettling for the heiress. She feels helplessly adrift in the torrent of all these feelings, these sensations that she simply doesn't know how to process yet and finds it both thrilling and terrifying. Some long dormant instinct is telling her to unwind her legs, to accept the throbbing between her thighs in spite of the learned reflex to keep them together.

Hot and cold, exposed and protected, frail and omnipotent, all at once in a maelstrom of...gods, is there a word?

I love you, Ruby, her mind finally declares, clear as a ringing bell and equally resounding. I love you, I love you, I -please don't stop- love you...

Can I go lower?

Weiss mentally chokes, the noise shuddering across their link to be smothered by an almost mischievous laugh.

I'll take it slowly. If you need me to stop just say so.

And before Weiss can even fully comprehend the implications of those few words, she's shivering in Ruby's arms as one of her Guardian's hands pushes down over her fluttering belly. She bites off a surprised squeak with she feels a fingertip dip into her navel, tugging a little, and then flushes that much harder when Ruby tries to suppress a giggle. Her breath is cold across the still wet kisses and bite marks on Weiss' neck.

Y-you're enjoying this, aren't you?

More than you'll ever know.

Both of them suddenly still as Ruby's fingers find the low profile hem of Weiss' panties -the heiress out of heated shock, and Ruby because she wants to be certain her Maiden has all the time she needs to decide if this is really what she wants. Weiss' hips roll beneath Ruby's hand, almost silently encouraging her to continue, the idea reinforced when her legs finally come undone and one heel clicks against the flagstone next to Ruby's boot.

I don't have to go under...

Please? and it's a meek request, reminds Ruby of all the times she ever asked for one more cookie. I want to know how it feels.

Okay. Just try to stay quiet. And to do what she can to ensure her silence, Ruby pushes her lips tight to her Maiden's as her fingertips slip beneath cloth and beyond with gentle confidence. Weiss' hips buck into her palm, forcing closer contact that only tugs her breathy mewl a few octaves higher. Ruby wonders briefly if she'll ever be able to listen to Weiss sing the same way again now that's she heard that sound. Her heated palm maps softer, cooler skin, her fingers forking when they touch sparse, silken curls and Weiss rolls her hips again -and again making that wonderful sound.

Please please please Weiss' mind chants.

Keep kissing me. Ruby whispers back just before her two middle fingers come together and dip into the pillowed folds, finding the Winter Maiden hot and wet. Weiss almost swallows Ruby's tongue as a sharp gasp tears into her lungs at the intimate touch. Ruby hums into her open mouth, sounding pleased, and she all but shatters. Do you like that?

Weiss' answer is a wall of static and what sounds like howling wind, the kind that batters against sealed windows in the heart of a blizzard -it's raw and powerful and demanding. And all her Guardian can do is yield to it.

Which Ruby does happily. She's drinking in the feelings shuddering across their link -desire, love, a virgin's anxiety- and tries to let them imprint on her memory. She wants to burn all of the sensations of this moment across her very bones if she's able. She keeps Weiss close, taking her swollen bottom lip gently between her teeth when she tries to pull away farther than she needs to breathe. The heiress' broken gasps are hot against her face as her hand still kneads one breast, giving the stiff peak a little pinch to make her squeak again. I love the sounds you make. An erotic jolt sparks between their minds at the little declaration. Ruby's other hand works cautiously between Weiss' legs, well aware of the muscles of her inner thighs fluttering as her fingertips ease through the ample wetness of her sex. She hesitates briefly at her entrance, testing it but not penetrating. Maybe next time -if there is a next time- as Ruby didn't feel like risking whether or not Weiss would like that. Instead she draws back, gently finding the swollen bud of her clit.

The hot sensation swamps her, edging on a precarious pleasure/pain, and she has to tear her lips away to breathe. Her hands are gripping so tightly she actually has a concern for ripping Ruby's cape. She can feel herself trembling, maybe even vibrating, and part of her brain is struggling to suss out why.

"You okay?"

She just nods, though the tight knit of her brow suggests uncertainty. "Don't stop, please don't," because she has to say it or else it isn't real. She has to say it aloud, hear her own voice working or else it's really just a dream and she'll wake up. "Please, Ruby,"

"Alright, you don't have to beg." though, admittedly, she kind of liked the sound of it.

As Ruby's hand shifts from one breast to the other, the movement fluid and flawless, her other hand rolls her middle fingers in slow, almost lazy circles. Immediately Weiss' hips start bucking again, pitching in time with the completed paths of Ruby's fingers, coupled with punctuated exhales. The air around them suddenly shudders colder. Ruby can feel her Maiden's aura flexing, stirring sharply with little gusts of air the swirl around the garden and rustle the dried bushes. The noise only adds to the heated static jumping across their mental bond.

Are you close already? The thought sounds amused, awestruck.

Close to what? Weiss frantically replies.

...Don't you know about orgasms?

Of course I kno-oh, just like that- she audibly grunts, her back arching upward, frustrated at what felt like such a stupid question. I've just n-never...at least I don't think I've ever...

Oh. the thought is laced with interest and quiet amusement. That's okay, should be fun to watch.

Watch wha-ah gods, Ruby...

Thoughts scatter and come undone as Ruby's fingers move a little faster. Weiss goes boneless against her Guardian, her head dropping to lean against Ruby's jawline. She's trying to stay focused but can't; between the wild thrumming of her heart, her heaving lungs, and the vicious but delicious burn between her legs, nothing sensible can find purchase in her mind. But who said something like this needed to be sensible? She's starting to shake again, her whimpers climbing into a steadily higher pitch, and her legs want to clench together but are stopped by Ruby's hand.

Her toes curl in her shoes when it happens and she bites her lip almost to bleeding at the first of a series of dizzying spasms that rock her suddenly fragile feeling frame. The dull humming of her pulse fills her ears and Ruby holds her tight as her body threatens to tear away, the hand at her breast just shy of clawing to keep her in place. There's a burst of aura and magic, a gust of wind, and -she doesn't see it- a swirl of osiria petals stirs up around them. The sphere of light in the fountain shatters, freezing over the water in all three tiers though the glow remains and as Weiss comes down from the indescribable high, the first flurries of a fresh snow do the same.

Weiss doesn't like the feel of Ruby's hands pulling away, doesn't like how the heat that had gathered beneath them starts to dissipate, leaving the cold behind, but she can't argue or resist. All she can do is try to breathe and stop the thready whimpers from getting out. Gods, she feels so weak. One hard shiver works through her as she feels the zipper at the back of her dress pull together, and now she feels secure enough to finally let go of Ruby's cape and draw her arms around her Guardian's neck, anchoring herself.

Ruby hugs her again, arms cinched around her narrow middle as she sighs, content, a smug and satisfied smile on her lips. She kisses the top of Weiss' head, waiting until she seems to have calmed a little before gently clearing her throat. "So?"

"Th-that was...satisfactory." Though her thoughts come across far less censored. Words like amazing, incredible, and that word that began with an "f" having finally completed itself and that she dare not say aloud.

Ruby's lips buzz through a soft laugh and she kisses her again, this time on the forehead.

Weiss' brow knits. "What's so funny?"

"Just you. You're adorable." a third kiss, this time on the tip of her nose. Ruby catches a hint of sweat on her lips. "I love you."

For a split second Weiss feels like she has the perfect retort, but it fizzles just as quickly, making her sputter with a hint of embarrassment. So she simply resigns to "I love you too." And again Ruby laughs because it sounds like she says it out of spite.

"It's starting to snow again. You want to go back inside?"

"Not yet." Weiss wants to hold on to this moment for as long as she's able. Who knows when she'll get it back, if ever. Now is just too soon. "Just a few more minutes." And she carefully turns, putting her and Ruby's shoulders together and tucking against her.

Ruby just pulls her cape around them again, finding no need to say anything as the wind picks up, stirring the snow and rose petals into spirals.

Author's Note: FINALLY. This felt like it took forever, guess I just had a hard time visualizing these two going at it. Ruby's still kind of a kid to me but I'm trying to work passed that, seeing as she's older in this UA. Plus I've kind of fallen in love with the idea that Ruby's Demi, so, I tried to show that here -it's my understanding that being Demi or even Ace doesn't mean you don't have sex drive, just a lack of attraction. Though, feel free to correct me. And Weiss is emotionally stunted because -at least how I see it- she didn't get a lot of love from others or the freedom to really love herself, so there's that. Still, I think I got what I wanted across. These two have a lot of growing to do as a pair and I think it's going to be beautiful exploring that in the future. Hope you enjoy!