AN: Trying something different. Thought I might try out writing this pairing that I've seen on Tumblr lately. Enjoy.


Ruby.

Ruby Rose.

"Ruby. Ruby. Ruby Rose," Blake mumbled. That name sounded nice to say.

Blake still remembered her first meeting with Ruby. That smile, that lovely childish grin continued on playback in her mind was a distraction ever since. But it was a lovely distraction—a well worth of a distraction for the day classes. Who'd ever thought such a smile would be so beautiful and so adorable?

Blake had caught a whiff of her scent, a trace of roses that intruded her nose. Though faint, it was strong enough of an attraction to not ignore.

Blake had wondered if she were to come back to visit her in the library once more. It was where they first met, back at the library near at the reference section. It was the most isolated place as not too many people would go there to check out materials and resources. Yet, somehow, that childish hyperactive girl met Blake. Or was it the other way around?

She asked why the girl was all the way out in the back. Engineering, Ruby replied. Blake had not expected that answer, let alone be the only answer out of the entire subjects in school Blake would ever thought up alone.

If Ruby were to meet her once more, Blake had taken the initiative to seat at the same place at the same hour of time. It would maximize her chances. And she didn't want to sit at the middle of the library. There were too many people to deal with silently. Blake liked the isolated area of the back. Not a single person would give an "accidental" glance.

To keep herself busy, she borrowed one of the books from the fiction section. Well, not a book, per se. It was more to the lines of a graphic novel. The synopsis was compelling enough for Blake to give it a read.

Halfway through the it, her ears twitched at the sound of movement near her. Her eyes moved up like the scope of a submarine searching for a target. The books on the shelves were too big and too thick to see through the gaps of the book stand.

For a few seconds she observed her surroundings then lowered her sight back to her book. Then her left ear twitched once more. Gazing upward, she saw the girl stopping in her tracks with a cookie in her mouth, clearly violating the library's "no food" rule. Her hands were floating in the air like paws of a cat. She had attempted to scare Blake.

"Nice try," Blake said.

Ruby pouted, her arms slumping to the sides. Why was that so cute? At that moment, Blake began to question her definition of cute.

Ruby sat across from Blake, nibbling on the chocolate chip cookie that she had stashed in her jacket pocket.

Ruby paid attentively to Blake reading. The book was a bit bigger and wider than an average book that had images with text.

'A graphic novel,' Ruby questioned in her thoughts.

"What'chu reading Blake," Ruby asked.

"A book," Blake deadpanned.

Ruby tilted her head. Her expression fell in annoyance to the obvious.

"I hadn't noticed," Ruby said sarcastically. "What is it about?"

Blake sighed. She didn't like to describe things what she reads in her past time. But she let it slide this time because of Ruby.

'I need to have my mind straightened out...'

"It's about these four girls in an academy where they would learn to fight against the monsters and creatures of their world. In this volume, they are in their first year. Their leader is the youngest to attend the school. The other is a princess of one kingdom who tries to get away from her parents. The third is an ex-terrorist of a radical group. The last is the step-sister of the leader. She is hotheaded and goes into fights without thinking of the consequences. I won't go into the plot because it's quite big."

Ruby looked easily amused, evident by her mouth dropping down to the table and her eyes wide open. Blake let out a small smile.

"Now, are you done with your questions or can I get back to my reading?"

Ruby laid her hands on the table and leaned forward half the length of the table.

"Blake," she called. "Would you like to have some coffee with me sometime?"

Blake furrowed her brows.

'She wants to... To have coffee with me?'

Her hands were slightly trembling. Her chest felt a bit tight. To have coffee would be nice but to have it alongside with someone else was so alien to Blake. Not once she had someone sitting next to her having coffee or anything else. Sitting next to classmates for projects was entirely different, that she can handle.

But this? Right now, she struggled to get a single word out, hell even a single syllable.

How does one socialize?

Ruby slumped back to her seat. She looked away from Blake and brushed her hair in embarrassment.

"I-It's fine if you don't want to. I understand."

Blake felt her heart sank. To see Ruby get rejected was heartrending. Blake met her only a couple of days ago, so why is she feeling this way at all?

With no choice but to go along, she said, "Sure. What day and what time?"

Ruby's head shot up at the speed of light. Her expression changed in flash from being depressed to a shock of wonder.

"Um... How about tomorrow or Saturday? I'm free either day."

Blake's brow shot upwards.

"No classes tomorrow?"

"Only on Mondays and Wednesdays."

Blake lowered her book on the table and closed it. She leaned forward and glared at the girl.

"If you have classes on Mondays and Wednesdays, then why are you here," she gently asked. 'Not that I don't mind...'

Ruby rubbed the back of her head and laughed nervously, smiling like a Cheshire cat.

"Um... It's 'cause..." Ruby slumped back to her seat in defeat. "I just... Wanted to see you, that's all. You're so... Pretty and mysterious. I don't know why but... It's that you don't know it yet—just how lovely you are."

'Just... What?'

Blake felt her cheeks warming up. She looked down, the sight of the table was well worth a sight to look at.

"Thank you Ruby. That was... pretty nice of you to say."

"So..." Ruby trailed off, hoping that Blake would take the hint. Fortunately she did.

Blake looked back up, her eyes making contact with Ruby's own.

"Saturday would be nice."

'Because Friday is a big f-u to my plans with you.'

Ruby smiled broadly. Those silver eyes twinkled like the stars in the clear night sky.

"It's a date then!"

'It's a—what?'

Blake didn't respond in time when Ruby zipped to the side and kissed the side of her head. She took out something from her jacket pocket and placed it on Blake's unoccupied hand before disappearing into the depths of the library.

She looked down to the object in her hand. It was a single napkin wrapping something rough and bumpy inside. Setting the object on the table, she opened it carefully. It was a chocolate chip cookie that appears to be homemade. She picked it up from the napkin below and tried a bite.

It was soft, better than the college cafe's own batch. The chocolate pieces embedded inside melted in her mouth perfectly.

'Holy... Wow.'

Blake opened her eyes from the pleasure of the sweetest cookie she had eaten. On the underside of the napkin was a scribble of words in pen.

It said, "Coffee at Cinder's Cafe at ten?"

Her chest and her cheeks felt warm. There was an odd feeling inside her, something that Blake had not felt before. What was this feeling? She only met Ruby once.

But she knew what is was—reading a number of romance novels gave her the knowledge of such feelings.

Perhaps that was all she need: just one meeting to change her life around, all done with a cup of coffee.

For once in her life, she can look forward to meeting a person, perhaps on a daily basis. Without her book, of course. And with a cup of coffee as well.

Because, what is life without coffee?


Don't worry, I'm still doing EPP. Just wanted to do something different for a change. Fav, R&R! It always helps me out (and it makes me happy)!