It has been a long time since i posted anything, but that is the consequence of only posting things that are completely finished. I would rather take an eternity to completely write something than post something chapter by chapter and abandon it half-way through.
Anyways, this is an idea i had a couple weeks ago. I liked the idea for this story from the beginning. I somewhat wish someone more talented than I had written this, but unfortunately I wrote it.
Nothing else to report at this time, so enjoy.
Just a Bit of Confidence
The rhythmic thumping of the music keeps droning on. Soon enough the music and the raised voices trying to overcome the music's volume becoming simple background noise to the patrons in the club. A sea of people moving and dancing below gives the darkly lit hall an almost surreal feeling. Across the room, a young girl could be seen siting awkwardly at the bar, her bright red button-up makes her standout in the sea of people.
The young girl-
Her name is Ruby …
Ruby was sitting awkwardly on her barstool. Eyes forward, back ramrod straight. She refuses to look anywhere other than the glass in her hand, which thanks to the attentive bartender, never seems to be empty. Only when someone approaches her does her gaze shift. A couple of guys approached her earlier in the night and one or two women as well. Most of them seem eager to get to know the younger girl, but after a few words all of them leave. Ruby is left to return to her drink. After each person that walks away the young girl seems to grow smaller and smaller.
Blake, who has been watching Ruby from the VIP lounge across the club on the second floor, feels her heart ache for the younger girl. Every time someone walks away Ruby's charismatic shine grows more dull.
The clink of an empty glass draws Blake's attention away from the depressing sight of Ruby. A couple, Blake's best friends Yang and Weiss, are sitting down on the couch against the wall. The blonde motioned her over. Yang finished off the rest of her drink before addressing Blake as she sat down.
"So how's she doing, Blakey?" The onyx haired girl shrugged before answering.
"Not well. A couple people have talked to her, but they keep walking away. To make matters worse, every time someone leaves she loses a bit of her already abysmal confidence. It doesn't looking like anybody will be taking her home, if that what you're hoping for." Blake tries her best to keep the animosity out of her voice. She's not fond of the idea of anyone taking Ruby home with them.
Blake struggles with the two emotions that are bubbling just beneath the surface of her skin. On one hand, Blake hates to see Ruby so lost and sad. It has taken everything she has to not march over to the younger girl and kiss her sadness away. Oh, how she longs to feel Ruby's lips against her own … but on the other hand, Blake is somewhat relieved that Ruby is so socially awkward. No one has been able to look past Ruby's awkwardness to see the innocent wonder that is Ruby Rose. No one sees her like Blake does, and while that idea fills Blake with pride because she is the only one who knows just how good Ruby is … it also makes Blake sad because until she can conquer her fears Ruby will be left feeling unworthy of being truly loved.
The rambling of Yang breaks Blake's internal debate and brings her back to the conversation.
"Ruby just needs some confidence! She's spent the last few years cooped up in her dorm studying for exam after exam. Now she's on her clinical rotations and finally has time to go out at night. It's been years since she's had a girlfriend, the last one broke up with her because Ruby was spending too much of her time studying." Yang continued in a barely audible mumble, "Stuck-up bitch couldn't understand that Ruby was studying to be a doctor to save lives, not make money."
Blake quietly shuffled away the information Yang just dropped on her, trying not to let a relieved smile show on her face upon finding out that Ruby is gay. Yang doesn't know about Blake's hidden affection for Ruby. Surely if the overprotective older sister were to find out the teasing would never end.
Weiss, Yang's girlfriend and business partner, finally broke her silence.
"Do you think she's just forgotten how to interact with people her age?" Blake could only shrug. Like it has been all night, Blake finds her attention quickly being drawn back to Ruby as yet another guy walks up to talk to her.
Yang takes some time to ponder Weiss's comment. She responds only after she finishes off another drink.
"Nah, she just lacks some confidence! If only she could nab one of those cute girls for a night! Even Ruby would grow some confidence after a night … of fun …"
The blonde stands from the couch suddenly. The unexpected movement causes Weiss to lose the support she was leaning on and nearly collapse onto the couch. Excitement was evident on Yang's face, she was bouncing on her feet for a few seconds as the gears in her head began to turn. Before Blake could tear her attention from Ruby as that guy from earlier walked back to the sea of people, Yang appeared next to her on the railing, shaking with excitement.
"That's it! She just needs to sleep with someone! Then she'll have all the confidence she could need! Gah, why didn't I think of this sooner!" Blake's confusion was evident on her face. Before Yang could ramble on about her new idea Blake spoke up.
"But how will she sleep with someone? Everyone that talks to her ends up walking away." Yang pondered for a moment, before inspiration struck. She angled her pointer finger to Blake as she spoke.
"You'll do it." It took Blake several seconds to figure out just what Yang was proposing. A searing blush erupted across her face for a number of reasons. Just the thought of a naked Ruby was enough to make her weak in the knees, combine that with the mental imagery of what they would actually be doing nearly crashed her operating system.
After recovering from her near-fall, Weiss finally spoke up to voice her disapproval of this plan.
"I think this is a bad idea. I know Blake and Ruby don't really know each other super well, but they're still friends. If you do this, you run the risk of ruining that friendship." Yang took her girlfriend's words seriously. The blonde looked to be thinking about this plan again, second-guessing herself. After thinking about it some more Yang offered an amendment to the plan.
"What if we get her really drunk? So drunk that she doesn't remember the rest of tonight …" Yang got a burst of inspiration once more, "Oh! Then you-" she pointed at Blake, "take her home and make it seem like you two are gonna sleep together, then when she passes out just put her in bed and leave a note for her to find in the bed! It's the perfect plan!"
Weiss was silently contemplating Yang's plan. Blake opened her mouth the reject this new plan, but was cut off by Weiss.
"That could work. The only part that I'm skeptical about would be whether or not you can get Ruby drunk enough to not remember anything, but leave her conscious enough to make it to her place." Yang's eyes sparkled at Weiss' challenge. Before either Weiss or Blake could say something, Yang sprinted off to the bar to get Ruby drunk.
Once Yang was gone, Weiss approached Blake, who was still staring at Ruby from the railing. A mane of yellow could be seen making its way towards the younger girl. Weiss' tone shifted to a much more gentle one as she address Blake.
"Are you going to be okay? This may jeopardize everything for you …" Weiss knew of Blake's affection for Ruby, the cat-faunus had confided in her a couple months ago. Weiss fully supported Blake in this, even going so far as to help her hide it from Yang.
Blake could only shrug in response. Weiss could see that Blake didn't want to do this, but at the same time she knew that this may be the last push she needed to get over her fear of rejection.
"Maybe … maybe this will get things moving for you? Maybe this will help you and Ruby grow closer?" Blake could only scoff in response. Weiss was about to scold Blake for her rude response, but the cat-faunus began moving. Yang had motioned to her from down at the bar.
At the top of the stairs that lead down to the rest of the club, Blake took a moment to collect herself. Unless she did something to change her current relationship with Ruby, nothing would change.
Blake felt like she had been here before. This same scene just keeps playing out before her: the same club, the same music, the same sea of people below, and the same girl sitting at the bar. This time the girl is wearing a nice black dress, making it much harder to spot her in the crowd.
Despite the events of last week, Ruby seems to be doing just as poor tonight than she did before. Although Blake has picked up on a new pattern, whenever someone sits down next to Ruby, her face lights up with excitement, but after they exchange a few words the smile falls from her face. Then the younger girl mutters something to the stranger, which causes them to stand up and walk away. Although, this time around Ruby doesn't seem to lose her confidence every time they walk away.
Blake struggled to keep the regret that has been gnawing at her since last week at bay. She wished she never went through with Yang's plan.
Yang was able to get Ruby quite drunk; the younger girl didn't even recognize Blake when she showed up at the bar. By the time they got to Ruby's apartment they were locked in a fierce kissing war, one where even Blake lost track of the plan. It wasn't until they got to Ruby's bed did the older girl realize that she wasn't actually supposed to sleep with the girl. But when she tried to leave, Ruby pulled her back to the bed. She managed to convince a drunk Ruby that she was going to wash up in the bathroom. Upon her return she found the younger girl fast asleep.
In that moment she realized that this wasn't real. She realized the one Ruby was kissing wasn't her. It was the stranger from the club that Ruby was kissing. She realized se was no closer to the younger girl. She realized that this whole thing was a mistake. The only saving grace was the fact that this wouldn't make things awkward between them in their brief interactions. Blake struggled to keep her tears at bay as she scribbled out a note and left it on the pillow next to Ruby's.
Now she was being forced to watch strangers flirt with Ruby over and over again. She is no closer to Ruby, nor is she any closer to a relationship with the younger girl. The only reasons she agreed to Yang's plan was because she was hoping Ruby would recognize her through the alcohol and realize her feelings. But neither occurred and Blake was left with nothing but regret.
As yet another guy approached Ruby at the bar, Blake decided she could no longer watch, and she retreated back to her friends.
Yang and Weiss were talking quietly to themselves on the couch. Both wore faces of surprise when Blake sat down across from them, looking tired and drained. Yang was the first to ask.
"So what's the deal Blake? Why so down?" Blake glanced back at the railing for a second before shaking off the unnerving feeling that was gnawing at her.
"Nothing, its just that Ruby isn't really doing any better than she was last week …" Weiss chimed in next.
"Did you leave a note for Ruby last week?" Blake nodded before elaborating.
"Yes, I did."
"And you made sure it mentioned how much you 'enjoyed' the night before?"
Blake nodded.
"And how did you sign it?" Blake froze, she didn't remember signing it.
"I don't think I did sign it, I don't remember what I wrote." Weiss seemed content with that.
As Weiss and Blake went back and forth checking over everything that was in the original plan, Yang was peering down at the bar, specifically at her baby-sister. Something must have caught the blonde's eye, because she promptly excused herself and made her way to the stairs that lead to the ground floor.
By the time Blake and Weiss went over every embarrassing detail from last week, Yang was back. She seemed a little subdued, as if she had just been scolded. At the weird looks she was getting from both Blake and Weiss she walked over to the cat-faunus before clapping her hand on Blake's shoulder.
"She wants to talk to you."
Before Blake realized it she was walking across the club towards Ruby. Just as she reached the bar, another girl took the open seat next to Ruby. From her proximity Blake could hear the conversation.
"Hey there! I'm Jane! What your name?" Ruby seemed unimpressed at first, but she put on a smile and responded politely.
"Ruby." The woman named Jane jumped at the new information.
"Ruby, huh? Like the gem?" Ruby nodded with a smile. "Makes sense that such a pretty name belongs to someone as pretty as you." The smile on Ruby's face fell into a grimace. The woman picked up on the shift in Ruby's mood and stopped talking, which allowed Ruby to speak.
"Look, I appreciate that you think I'm pretty … but-" Ruby caught sight of Blake in her peripheral vision as she turned to address Jane. Without warning, the younger girl bounded over to her and wrapped her arms around one of Blake's. The particular sensation of Ruby's chest pressing against her arm caused all of Blake's mental functions to shut down. All she could do was stand there dumbfounded.
In the mean time, Ruby resumed talking to the woman.
"Like I was saying … I appreciate your compliment, but … I'm taken! Blake's my girlfriend!" Ruby's statement ripped Blake out of the haze that fell over her mind.
Both Blake and Jane responded at the same time, "What?"
Blake's confusion made Jade suspicious, so she pressed forward and moved to separate the two. Ruby clung tighter to Blake.
"I think you're lying. You've been sitting at this bar all night, by your self! And don't think I don't recognize your 'girlfriend' she's one of the VIP's that buddy-buddy with the owner! There is no way you two know each other!" Jane was red in the face at this point. Most of the surrounding crowd had grown silent in response to Jane's shouting.
Ruby responded in a cheery voice. "Nuh-uh! Blake and I just recently stating dating! Last week in fact!" Blake's head snapped to Ruby, confusion evident on her face.
As if understanding what Blake was confused about, Ruby unlatched one of her arms to reach into her pocket to fish something out. It took only a second or two for Ruby to pull out a folded piece of paper from her pocket. She handed the paper to Jane for her to read.
The woman opened it and read the contents. A light blush coated her face when she finished the note. Jane had to cough into her fist a couple times to thaw her vocals, but the next thing she asked threw off Blake.
"Are you that famous author? 'B.B.'?" Blake's confusion intensified, but she nodded her head nonetheless.
How does this person know about my books?
Jane quickly shoved the note into Blake's hand, before turning and walking back into the crowd at a brisk pace. Once the woman was gone, Ruby dropped her grip on Blake's arm and took a step back to put some distance between them. Blake instantly missed Ruby's warmth.
At a loss for words, Blake turned to Ruby for an explanation, but all she got was a sweet, heart-melting smile from the younger girl. Blake proceeded to open the note and read it for her self.
Blake stiffened in shock. It was the note she left Ruby from last week. The language was far more seductive than she remembers it, it could have been straight out of one of her erotic novels. But the one aspect of the note that nearly knocked the air from her lungs was the signature at the bottom. In big, curving loops resided her signature, just like she writes it at book signings.
Ruby giggled when Blake sighed in defeat. The bubbly younger girl began speaking through her giggle.
"I was kinda surprised when I found that note last week, because I know we didn't do anything." Blake's gaze snapped back to Ruby at her admission. "I'm sure Yang thinks she got me super drunk, but she doesn't know that some of my classmates and I turned studying for exams into a drinking game on occasion. My tolerance for alcohol is higher than she thinks."
Blake could only stare at Ruby in surprise, as Ruby continued speaking.
"And I figured out that this whole note thing was Yang's idea. But don't worry I already gave her a good scolding for forcing you to go through with it." The look of jubilation on Ruby's face fell into one that reminded the older girl of the Ruby from last week. Blake instantly responds.
"She didn't force me to do anything. I wanted to do it." The tips of Ruby's ears burn in response, the younger girl keeps her gaze trained on the ground. Blake is confused by Ruby's embarrassment before she repeats what she said in her head. A searing blush of her own erupts on her face before she flounders to correct her statement.
"Wait! I didn't mean-! I-I just meant that I wanted to get closer to you!" Ruby peaks up at Blake through her bangs, the innocent look causing Blake's heart to melt. Before she can second guess herself, Blake begins spilling her heart to the younger girl.
"The truth it I like you. I have for a while. I was kinda hoping that you would recognize me through all the alcohol and realize my feelings for you. I was heartbroken when I realized that last week wasn't real, and I thought-" Ruby placed a finger on Blake's lips, silencing her, thus allowing her to talk.
"Last week was real. I only brought you to my apartment because it was you. I wouldn't have done it with anyone else. I have a confession to make … I've been in love with you since I met you at Yang's graduation 3 years ago."
Blake released a breath she didn't know she was holding, tears brimming in her eyes as she exhaled. Ruby's eyes began to tear up as well.
Both of them began moving closer.
From up in the VIP section on the second floor, Weiss and Yang could see The cat-faunus and red-tipped-brunette locked together in a kiss.
Yang leaned over to her girlfriend to whisper, "I told you this plan would work."
Weiss hummed in acknowledgement. Before resting her head her girlfriends shoulder and watched Blake and Ruby basking in the warmth of their mutual love.
End of Just a Bit of Confidence