A/N: Crossposted from Ao3! I'll be uploading the next 7 or so chapters over the next couple days, still figuring out the FFnet formatting system.

After three days worth of going back and forth on it, the three of them finally stood at the corner just before their dorm room.

It was Friday evening, and the dorms were mostly empty. Beacon wasn't exactly a party school, but classes had only just begun this week, and most of the third-years wanted to get some fun in before the workload started to hurt.

For these three third-years, though, tonight was more important. It was a night months—maybe years—in the making. It could be the beginning of something really excellent.

Or… it could just be really, really awkward.

Ruby Rose swallowed, staring at the door to her dorm room. "Okay. Um. Maybe I'm not ready."

Blake sighed, putting a hand on her leader's shoulder. "Ruby…"

Ruby shook her head. "No, but seriously, what if she isn't interested? What if she thinks I'm creepy, or I put too much pressure on her and stress her out? Or—"

She felt another hand on her back. "Rubes," Yang said, "you are going to go in there, and you are going to tell Weiss Schnee that she's beautiful and she is going to blush and stammer and be adorable the only reason I'm not going to be taping it is because I respect both of you too much to ruin this for you." A pause. "And because Blake would yell at me."

"I would yell at you."

Ruby pulled her cowl over her head in embarrassment. "What if she hates me? I don't think I can deal with Weiss hating me!"

Blake chuckled. "Ruby, relax. You know Weiss. You know that she likes you, and that's not going to change because of a crush. She smirked, squeezing Ruby's shoulder with a very Blake-y smirk in her voice. "Plus, if the looks she's been giving you since the two of you got back from Patch are anything to go by, she really likes you. I don't think you have anything to worry about."

Ruby mumbled something that wasn't words. Blake was right, Weiss had been acting strange all winter, and even a bit before that. Lingering glances and small hesitations at first, then small touches, little hitches of breath. Leaning harder into Ruby's hugs, and casually sitting close enough for their shoulders to brush.

Not that I minded. I've been the same way, probably for longer.

Yang didn't give Ruby a chance to form a coherent response, just giving her a gentle push around the corner. "You got this," Yang whispered. "I believe in you, sis."

Beside her, Blake made a fist in solidarity. "Go get the girl, Ruby."

"Okay, okay!" Ruby shuffled forwards. "I'm going, I'm going." She turned away as the two of them slipped back behind the corner. "Dumb, gay dorks," she muttered with a little hidden smile, grateful that they were on her side.

She stopped right outside the door, her breath catching as she heard a chair move. Yes, Weiss was definitely in that room.

Ruby gathered up her all her strength of will, though it didn't feel like much at the moment. Be strong Ruby! She's fine with Blake and Yang dating! And Blake says she likes you! Maybe even thinks you're cute! You trust Blake! And even if Weiss doesn't feel like that, she probably won't hate you forever for having a crush on her! Probably!

"Is somebody out there?"

Ruby almost screamed as the door swung open, revealing a grouchy-faced Weiss, dressed in a sleek blue nightgown and with her hair unpinned and cascading down her back.

Somehow Ruby had never gotten used to that. She'd seen Weiss in her PJs plenty of times over the last two years but the sight of Weiss with her hair down stunned her every time. She was beautiful like this. Not that she wasn't always, but—

"R-Ruby?" Weiss said, snapping Ruby out of her trance. "Is something the matter?"

"Oh! Uh!" Ruby grinned, hoping her blush wasn't as obvious as she knew it definitely was. "Sorry! I actually had a thing that I wanted to ask you?"

Weiss's face was blank, and for about two seconds, raw unfiltered panic coursed through Ruby's veins.

Then pink crept into Weiss's cheeks. She averted her eyes. "Um, yes, certainly." She shook herself and stepped out of Ruby's way. The door sealed them in together.

Ruby's heart hammered at her ribs like a caged beowolf. There was a moment of strained silence, as the two tried very hard not to look at each other.

Then Weiss sat down on one side of her bed, leaving a conspicuous amount of space beside her. "So," she said. "What were you here to ask?"

Taking the hint, Ruby sat beside her, keeping a fair amount of distance between the two of them as fireworks went off in her brain.

Like dad says. Communicate. Clearly state what you want, without pressure or expectation. Use your words.

Ruby sucked in a breath.

"HeyWeissIhaveacrushonyouwouldyoulliketogoonadateorcuddlesometime?"

Those were words! Ruby tucked her legs up to her chest, face on fire. Okay okay, she's not saying anything. How is she reacting? Look, dammit! Look with your dumb silver eyes!

She looked. Weiss was staring off in the other direction, her face and neck red as embers.

Ruby wasn't sure she'd seen her friend blush this hard before.

"Ruby," Weiss said, measuring her words. "I… would like to do that."

Ruby's heart soared.

"…However, I… don't think it's a good idea right now."

Ruby's heart stopped soaring and did a double take. "Wh? Why not?" she blurted out before she could stop herself.

Weiss continued looking away from her, which was… more than a little distressing. "To start with… there's my family to consider."

Ruby took a sharp breath. "Your dad," she said, almost a whisper.

Weiss looked up at her. "If it was just him… I wouldn't hesitate for an instant."

It was all Ruby could do to hold Weiss's sight, her stomach was dancing in her throat, and her heart had decided to play her liver like a drum. "…But it's not?"

Weiss shook her head, her gaze falling mournfully to her knees. "It's… me. I've never been all that good at dealing with interpersonal relationships, and I'm worried that I won't be able to be a very good partner to you."

"Oh," Ruby said, her mind racing to take in… whatever was happening. "Weiss… you know that's not what this is about?"

Weiss looked up at her, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. Ruby swallowed, and looked back with all the determination in the world.

"I mean that… Weiss, I want to date you. I want to kiss you. I lo… I like you. I don't want a 'good partner,' I want you. "

There was a beat. Red crept into Weiss's cheeks, and then quickly into Ruby's.

Oh god I just said all of that.

Ruby recovered, seizing the inertia before she could freeze again. "I want you to be able to talk to me about whatever's going on. Whatever you decide is fine, and I'm gonna be here for you one way or another, but I thought you might feel the same way about me." She swallowed, and the next words took all her strength to say. "Was I wrong?"

"No!" Weiss said, her voice hard. She tensed, and then suddenly stood, putting distance between them. "You weren't wrong," she said. "I want that. More than I can say." Her hands balled into fists. "I'm not sure if… Ruby, I…"

Ruby's eyes softened, and she gingerly stood. She walked over and hugged her partner, pressing into her back. Weiss gasped. She moved as if to pull away, but when Ruby loosened her grip Weiss just turned and pulled Ruby to her.

It was shockingly warm in Weiss's embrace.

A sob tore its way out of Weiss's throat, and Ruby hugged her twice as hard. "It's okay," she said, pressing her face into Weiss's shoulder. "It's okay. I'm here, and you can talk to me. Anything you need to say."

Weiss shook, crying into Ruby's shoulder, tension and terror bleeding out into the fabric of her partner's clothes. Her fingers clutched at Ruby like she might slip away, but Ruby didn't make any move to run.

"Ruby," Weiss said, her voice shaking, "I think something is wrong with me."

"Nope."

Weiss laughed, lifting a hand to rub at her eyes. Ruby guided her back to the bed, sitting her down. Ruby kept her arm around Weiss, running her fingers in little circles over her shoulder blades, through the fabric of the nightgown.

Her cheeks lit briefly. Weiss is only wearing a nightgown.

She shook it off. Not the time.

Weiss looked off towards the other end of the room, the two empty beds there, her face distant, lost in thought.

"I mean it though," Weiss said.

When she didn't offer further clarification, Ruby tilted her head cautiously. "It's not the… two girls thing?"

A bitter smile crossed Weiss's lips. "My father would object, but… no. I'm bisexual. I've known that for years."

Ruby's heart fluttered a bit. "Okay," she said, failing to keep the hope out of her voice. "Well… you don't have to tell me, but… if you'll let me, I want to know."

Weiss was silent, her eyes on that distant point, her jaw set. She opened her mouth, paused, and then spoke.

"In Atlas, I was taught how to love people."

Ruby's eyes widened.

Weiss took a breath before she continued. "In abstract, I mean. Lessons, with tutors. No one expected me to be celibate, far from it in fact. A lady in Atlas is expected to use her sexuality as a tool. A bargaining chip. It's part of politics, of business deals, of… socializing."

Ruby swallowed, feeling a little sick. "That's…"

Weiss's mouth twitched. "Repugnant?"

Ruby hesitated, clearing her head. "It's… not something I really understand," she said. "But it sounds… cold."

"I suppose so," Weiss said, smiling sadly. "But… it's how things are. A teacher of mine once told me that being bisexual was an 'asset.' That it would open doors that were closed to other women." Her laugh was hollow. "I was proud of that, even when she told me not to be too public about it.

She sighed, her hands folding in her lap. "But feelings are more complicated. In all that talk of 'making love,' there was little talk of falling in love, just that it was dangerous and that I should keep a level head and be wary of seduction, lest I be taken advantage of. Even marriage was described to me in terms of practicality. A way to connect families and fortunes, and to perpetuate bloodlines." She smiled bitterly. "Which meant, of course, that I could never marry another woman."

Not sure what to say, Ruby squeezed her partner's shoulder. Weiss shut her eyes and breathed a long sigh.

"Then, I came to Vale. A world utterly unlike my own, with different beliefs and different rules. I'd read stories about people in love, but I didn't fully understand the difference until…"

She trailed off, and Ruby followed her eyes to the other beds. "Until Blake and Yang got together?" she guessed.

Weiss smiled. "They were so happy together. They cared about each other, not about using each other's bodies or getting something out of the relationship. Even just being friends with the three of you, with everyone here at Beacon, helped me understand so much that had been missing. Understanding that I didn't have to hide my emotions from everyone, or hold everyone at a distance to preserve my image." Her smile grew, her face luminescent. "And then I started to understand what love was like."

Ruby smiled, squeezing her again.

Outside, the sun was going down, but neither of them moved to turn on the lights.

"Only…" Weiss said, her smile fading. "I think that… it might not have been a good thing."

Ruby felt Weiss tense, and looked up at her. Weiss was looking away, her shoulders set.

"I love Vale," Weiss said, her voice suddenly shaking. "I'm so happy I got to come here, to experience this place and these people. I'm so glad I got to meet you… but…" Her voice hitched. "I don't think I can love people like I'm supposed to here."

Ruby's voice was gentle. "What do you mean?"

"I mean… where I grew up, relationships of convenience were the norm. There was never any illusion of committment or deeper connection, or… exclusivity ."

Ruby's eyebrows rose a fraction.

"And when I came to Vale, and started to understand all of this, I… I kept some of that in me." She pulled away from Ruby's hand, shifting towards the far end of the bed. "I learned how to love like you do, but nobody ever taught me how to stop ."

Ruby's eyebrows rose another fraction. "Oh. Um… that's—"

"That's what I mean when I say I'm broken," Weiss said, her voice losing its warmth in a bath of shame. "I've thought about it, I wanted to say something, but every time I did, I could only think about how much it would hurt you if I wasn't strong enough." She laughed, humorlessly. "It's almost funny! For all that I criticise my own culture, at heart I'm sitll just another blueblooded atlas slu—"

Ruby clapped her hand on Weiss's shoulder. "Weiss."

Weiss looked up, like she was stunned out of a trance. There were tears in her eyes.

Ruby took a deep, deep breath.

"That's not a problem."

They stared at each other for a few seconds. Weiss sniffed, rubbing her eyes. "You're ah, taking this strangely well?"

Ruby sighed, and fixed Weiss with the full force of her silver eyes. "Okay, this is going to seem weird, but hear me out."

Weiss nodded, looking nervous.

"Alright. Weiss? Have you ever thought about the fact that Yang and I have two different moms?"

"Um," Weiss scrunched her brows together. "I was aware of that, but I'm not sure I follow."

"Well, we were born two years apart, right?"

Weiss nodded.

"And our parents—and Uncle Qrow but don't worry about him right now—were on a team together at Beacon, so they all knew each other really well, long before Yang was born, right?"

Weiss's eyes widened, maybe starting to see where this was going. "…Right."

Ruby's mouth twitched into a smirk. "And you probably didn't know this, but Raven, Yang's mom? She left my dad when Yang was three ."

She could see the gears in Weiss's head turning. "Ohhhh," she said softly. "And your father…"

"Definitely had a lot of help building our house," Ruby said.

"Ah."

There was a pause, as Weiss stared at the sheets in stunned silence. "I didn't know people did that," she said, weakly. "Everything I've read since coming to Vale… even in Atlas, marriage was something different. Singular."

Ruby shrugged. "Love is weird, Weiss. I don't know how it worked for my parents. Yang and I never got dad to give us a straight answer about it."

Weiss's lip twitched. "It… sounds like there might not be a straight answer."

Ruby groaned, loudly. "Nooooo…"

She stopped, suddenly hearing a sound that set her heart flying. Weiss was laughing, light and careless. Ruby looked up and caught her gaze, and they lost their thoughts in each other's eyes.

After that breathless moment, Ruby put her hand on Weiss's. Weiss grasped it, folding their fingers together.

Ruby spoke. "I just want you to know that… you're not broken, Weiss. And if you are, then you're only as broken as my family." She felt a pang. "And, I guess that's actually not the best way to say it, uh—"

Weiss squeezed her hand. "I understand," she said, her voice so thin it seemed like it could shatter at the slightest breeze. "Thank you, Ruby. Thank you… so much."

Have her eyes always been this beautiful?

"I love you."

Ruby felt a spark of rushing panic as she realized that she'd been the one to say those words. Her hands tried to fly t0 her lips, but Weiss held them like an anchor.

"I…"

Weiss swallowed.

"I love you too, Ruby."

"Oh," Ruby said. "Cool."

…

Weiss snickered, and Ruby pulled her knees up so she could bury her face in them.

"Oh my goodness," Weiss heaved, trying to catch her breath amidst the giggles. "You are such a dolt."

"I'm sorry!" Ruby whimpered, giggling through her flushed embarrassment. "I'm so bad at this! Aaaaaaaaaahhh!"

"Please, you aren't nearly as bad at this as me."

"Um, excuse me? Apparently you had flirting training or something!"

"That so doesn't count!" Weiss was laughing hard now, and Ruby realized they were still holding each other's hands. She lifted her head, giving Weiss a smirk.

"So," Ruby said, infusing her words with flirty energy, "did they ever teach you how to kiss someone?"

Weiss froze mid laugh.

Ruby faltered, as her brain started to catch up with her mouth. "B-because uh I have no idea, and um, y'know, if you'd, like to, uh, show me, that'd be… cool."

Weiss's face was glowed like she had light bulbs in her cheeks. "W-well," she said, lidding her eyes and dropping her voice. "I w-wouldn't be opposed to the notion."

Anxiety was bubbling through Ruby's whole body, expectation and irrational terror warring in her cells. But… "Well then?" she said, fluttering her eyes with a look she hoped was sultry.

Weiss's breath caught in her throat. She leaned in. Ruby's heart nearly stopped.

Their foreheads smacked into each other with a thunk.

They pulled away.

"Oh no," Weiss sputtered, "I'm so sorry Ruby areyouokay—"

Ruby started laughing.

"Hey!"

Ruby couldn't help it, she leaned into Weiss, chin against shoulder, laughing so hard she cried. The anxiety in her broke, cascading down her sides in a rush of happy chaos. "Oh my god," she wheezed between giggles. "Weiss, Weiss, that was hilarious."

Weiss huffed. "Well, I'm glad you find my pain amusing!" Gently, she untangled her hands from Ruby's and put them around the younger woman's shoulders. She shifted, pulling away just enough for their eyes to meet.

Ruby smirked, heat in her cheeks as she stared into those smiling blue eyes. "You wanna try again?"

Weiss rolled her eyes. "Just shut up and kiss me, dolt."

So Ruby did.

The next few hours happened slowly. New kinds of touch, new kinds of happiness. Tension melting like snowdrifts in spring. The tickle of breath on neck, of fingers on spine.

But there was also hesitation. Places untouched. Things unspoken. They didn't taint the moment, but they lingered over it, even as Weiss gasped at the feeling of lips on her neck, she couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt.

Ruby, bless her, noticed it.

She retreated, silver eyes sparkling in the low light. "Weiss?" she asked, her lips a worried line. "Is something wrong? Are you okay?"

Weiss shut her eyes, trying to decide what to say. "Ruby… I… I'm just scared."

Ruby's breath caught in her throat. "Oh! Oh, sorry, did I—? Sorry!"

She tried to scurry away, but Weiss caught her by the wrist, blue eyes piercing into her partner, pinning her.

"No," Weiss said. "Sorry, I didn't… I'm not scared of you, Ruby. I'm not scared of this. "

Ruby's lips parted. "Oh."

Weiss kissed her, as tenderly as she could. She was still new at this, still clumsy despite her education. Atlesian courtly lovemaking was a physical thing. It was quick, efficient, precise. It was supposed to feel good, but it was impersonal. Clinical. Like the pushing of buttons.

Ruby deserved better than that.

"I'm not scared of you," Weiss repeated, pressing her forehead to Ruby's, feeling the warmth of her, the sweat on her brow. "It's okay."

"Ok." Ruby nuzzled into her, and Weiss's heart bloomed, but Ruby pulled away again. "Then… what are you scared of?"

Weiss sucked in a breath. She didn't want to say it. She wanted to push it down, to just melt back into this moment and be with Ruby, to lose herself in the touch of lips and the warmth of skin. She wanted to just… be happy. To be satisfied.

But she couldn't let this continue. It had been a lovely evening. Maybe the best she'd ever had. But she couldn't hold back this information and let this relationship grow on ground so poisoned. Ruby mattered too much.

She shook herself, leaning into her training, steeling herself and composing the words that would chop it all down. "Ruby… I can't do this."

Ruby froze, and Weiss found she'd never hated herself more than in that moment.

"Why not?" Ruby asked, her voice wobbling on the edge of something terrible.

"Because…" Weiss swallowed, trying not to cry. Why was it so hard to keep her emotions in check? "You're too kind. I know you don't think I'm broken, but even if I'm not… even if you accept that I might not love you and you alone… that doesn't mean this is a good idea." She looked into Ruby's eyes, and found a hurt in them that cut through her chest.

Still Ruby wasn't one to give up without a reason. "That… still doesn't answer my question, Weiss."

Weiss shut her eyes. "It's not about how I love. It's… who ."

She felt a hand land gently on hers, fingers twining. "I don't care who it is. No matter who it is, it won't change anything," Ruby said. "I promise, Weiss, so—"

"Even if it was your sister?"

Ruby's hand tensed, and Weiss felt very small. Ah, here it is. The one good thing I've had, now destroyed. I really am the worst—

But then, the hand relaxed, still twined with hers.

"Oh," Ruby said, quietly.

Weiss opened her eyes. Ruby looked… stunned.

Not angry. Not disgusted, just… lost in thought.

"That could be complicated," Ruby said.

Weiss balked.

"T-that's it?" she said. "I tell you that I'm in love with your sister and your response is that it's complicated?"

Ruby blinked, eyes on Weiss, clearly trying to find words to match her thoughts. "Well… I mean, you'd have to talk with Blake about that." Her eyes widened. "Oh, wait, what about Blake?"

Weiss's cheeks reddened sharply, and she looked away. "That's…" she muttered. "I thought that, you'd be more upset about…"

"Oh, like, the idea of you dating both me and Yang?"

Weiss blushed even harder, ducking her head in shame.

There was a pause, and then there was something brushing against her cheek. Fingers tracing the edge of her hair, brushing lightly against her jawline.

She looked up, and found Ruby smiling.

"I mean," Ruby said, "Sure, it's weird, but we're all weird."

Weiss just stared, completely at a loss. "Wh… how… how are you okay with this?"

Ruby shrugged. "I dunno? It doesn't bother me. It's not like this really shatters my dreams or something, mean, I never thought of myself being in any kind of relationship before I met you."

Weiss's mouth dropped open, too stunned to speak.

"Um, which," Ruby stuttered, suddenly looking away. "Um, sorry."

"W-why are you apologizing?" Weiss burst out. "That's… that's the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me!"

The two of them were having a hard time looking at each other. Their hands were still intertwined, and Ruby's suddenly seemed very warm to Weiss. Without thinking, she pulled their hands to her lips, and kissed the back of Ruby's palm.

A little shiver ran through Ruby. "Wow."

Weiss was about to apologize for the impulsive action, when Ruby tugged their hands back and kissed Weiss's knuckles. Silver eyes looked up at Weiss over the gesture, wide and seeking.

The proper kiss that followed felt as inevitable as gravity. It lasted ages, and might have continued forever if Ruby hadn't eventually run out of air.

"So," Ruby said as they parted, glancing off to the side with a mischievous smirk. "You never… answered my question about Blake."

Weiss did her best not to lose any more of her composure than she had already. "Well… yes, I do have… feelings for her as well." She sucked in a breath. "Which, I promised myself already that I would never tell anyone about. Along with my feelings for Yang. Because they're already in a committed relationship and I'm very happy for the both of them and I don't want to get in the way with my own selfish desires, so please never speak of this again?"

Ruby smiled gently. "Your secret is safe with me. Althooooough, I have one too I guess?"

Weiss tilted her head.

"I… also think Blake is really cute."

Weiss's jaw dropped, and Ruby's cheeks lit up in embarrassment. "Not that I was going to do anything about it! Like you said I'm really happy for both of them and I don't wanna mess with stuff. It's just that she's so, y'know, cool, and kind, and driven. Like she's been all around the world and had all these amazing adventures fighting for what she believes in and she's really hot and… I get what my sister sees in her." She broke off, smiling a sad little smile. "I… hadn't thought about it in a long time, honestly. Remember how they got really obvious at the end of last year?"

Weiss's mouth twitched. "You mean the flirting in class."

Ruby groaned. "They did it so much. And, it was funny, and they seemed happy, and that's when I decided that… well, I guess that's it." She shifted, falling to lay on the bed beside Weiss. "Just before that, I… was trying to decide which of you to ask out."

Weiss looked down, in shock. "Me or Blake?"

"Yeah," Ruby said. "You're both really important to me, and I care about both of you a lot as friends. Plus you're both gorgeous and awesome. You're really different people, but you're both people I would have been happy to spend my life with. You still are."

Once again, Weiss was stunned into silence.

"That's!" Ruby sat up sharply, hands waving. "Ahhh forget I said that! Sorry!"

Something in Weiss snapped.

"Ruby," she said, her voice dropping to a dangerous pitch, "stop apologizing for saying adorable things or I will kiss you until you lose the ability to speak."

There was silence for an instant as they both processed what had just been said.

Then, Ruby giggled. "Is… is that a promise?"

Weiss just stared for a good six seconds. Then, she snorted. "Unbelievable."

Ruby just giggled even harder."Not gonna lie, the way you said that was pretty hot."

It took a great resolve not to tackle Ruby right then and there, but Weiss held up a hand, stalling the moment. "Alright," she said. "I… I need to ask one last thing, to be sure."

Ruby nodded, her face taking on an uncharacteristically serious shade.

"What do you think I should do? About these feelings."

She was familiar with the question herself. She'd agonized over it, wept over it, in private. She knew her answer, that she'd take what worked out and… suppress any other feelings. It wouldn't be the happiest thing, but with Ruby by her side, she'd be alright. Things would be alright.

Still, she wanted to hear Ruby's answer.

Ruby pondered, her brows knitting as she turned the question over.

When she spoke, it wasn't the answer Weiss was expecting. "I think you should talk to them."

Shock stung at Weiss's neck. "T-talk to—"

"To Yang and Blake," Ruby said. "I don't know how it would turn out, or how they would feel about it, but… Blake cares about you. She won't be angry anymore than I was, and Yang… well, you've met Yang. If nothing else she'll be flattered by the attention."

"You're serious," Weiss said. "And if—"

Ruby moved across the bed and pulled Weiss into her embrace. "If they don't feel the same way, I'll still be here," Ruby said. Her voice was soft as the petals of a flower. "And if they do…"

"If they do…" Weiss felt tears rising at the possibility, one she hadn't dared to consider for fear of becoming lost in it.

"Whatever happens, yes or no, in the end I believe it'll be okay," Ruby said. "And, who knows? It might even be great!"

It felt like a sun was shining in Weiss's chest, scouring away the cobwebs and the fear, the old dirt of shame and anxiety. She looked at this beautiful, remarkable, wonderful girl in front of her, the kindest soul she'd ever met.

"Ruby?" she asked, her voice shaking.

"Yeah?"

"Can I kiss you?"

Ruby beamed, her wondrous smile declaring her answer.

It was another hour before Ruby remembered to text their teammates.