3 years later

"Last chance, Weiss. You sure you can't reschedule this meeting and come with us to Patch?" Yang asked, grabbing her sister's luggage from the foyer of our home.

I sighed as I looked between her and Ruby, "I've told you, I can't. This is too important to just reschedule or miss. I have a duty to my father and, hopefully, the company I'll run. But I do know how important this is to you, so I promise to be there the next time."

My wife nodded in understanding before approaching me, wrapping her arms around my waist in a hug. "I'll miss you," she said to me.

I couldn't resist a smile as I held her close, feeling the warmth radiating from her body. Her familiar red cloak felt soft to the touch, and I clutched onto it tightly. "I'll miss you too," I whispered back, feeling her breath on my neck.

I didn't want to let go. I wanted time to slow down so that we could enjoy this moment together. We haven't had many to share but, after that day, I came to realize just how important Ruby truly is to me.


My dearest Yang,

These days seem to move slower and slower, bleeding together into a seemingly never-ending nightmare. The board of directors keep hounding me, my father is breathing down my neck, and the press is stepping on my toes, showing me to the world as if I'm lazy. All the while, the constant pressure to strive higher is straining my marriage with your sister.

And you are so far away. Do you have to be so far away? Your constant optimism is endearing, and has helped me through the worst. Though my work is piling up, the thoughts of your smile brighten my day, and Ruby's patience and trust make everything bearable.

I hope you find your mother soon. It's been too long, though when you return, it will be to open arms.

With all my love,

Weiss Schnee

A knock came to the door, "Weiss, dinner's ready."

I turned towards the door of my office. "I'm on my way." I returned back and proofread the message before sending it.

"Weiss, there's a surprise before dinner that I can't wait to show you," Ruby called back through the door.

I didn't look up from my scroll, another message brightening the screen, "I'll be there in a minute, save my plate."

"Weiss!" Ruby whined.

"Okay, okay" I said, finally standing and going to the door. I opened it up to find Ruby waiting patiently for me, dressed up. I took a moment to admire her attire. She was wearing a long black dress, two white straps leading down into enough black fabric to moderately conceal her breasts. It continued into a solid silver belt around her waist, and the rest of the dress flowing down her body. She wore the necklace I had given to her on our first anniversary, a brilliant diamond heart with a bright ruby set in the center. It hung perfectly in the middle of her open chest which made my eyes linger longer.

"Hey, stranger," she said calmly with a smile on her face.

Her smiles were so infectious; I love them, and I couldn't help but stare at her beauty. Her red-tipped hair had grown longer through the last year. She said she wanted to try a new look, and I think it suits her perfectly. But I couldn't avoid glancing at the three scars running across her left cheek. I brushed the thought aside as I focused back on her beautiful eyes. "What's with this stunning dress, Ruby?"

Her smile widened, a mischievous gleam in her eyes. "Oh, this? I just wanted to wear something nice for you. Plus, It's also part of the surprise."

I smoothly moved in and gave her a peck on her lips. I didn't stray far apart, instead staying close and taking in her warmth and smell before asking, "So what is this big surprise that can't wait?"

She grabbed my hand, "Come down to dinner, we can discuss it while we eat."

She gently guided me down the hall, though I could tell our slow pace was forced from the normally speedy huntress as she seemed to be hopping with every step. Although, it did allow me to take in her splendor even more. We descended the stairs, passed through another hallway, and entered the dimly lit dining room. I took in the sights and gasped, bringing my free hand up to cover my mouth in response to the surprise waiting for me.

Set on the rather large dining room table was a feast full of delicacies and beautifully prepared items that looked like they could've come out of a magazine. The smell wafting off was enough to kickstart my appetite, my body realizing just how little I had actually ate today. A few small dust candles were situated on every open space left on the table, and still more lined the walls, the flickering lights changing the mood into a very romantic scene.

It's then that I realized the biggest mistake of my life.

"Happy three year anniversary, Weiss." Ruby said excitedly, almost dancing with glee as she gestured towards the table.

I stared in shock, unable to comprehend how I could've forgotten about our anniversary. I looked at my wife with wide eyes, my hand still covering my mouth. "Ruby," I managed to whisper out.

She pointed back to the table, a look of pride matching her tone of excitement as she wanted to show off what was there. "I went ahead and prepared everything that I remembered you saying you liked, and just the way you preferred it. I made sure every ingredient was perfect, and everything was cooked just right."

"Ruby..."

"It took me a little while to do everything, some of these items needing to be started a day or two before, but once I got everything planned out and ready to go, it was really just a matter of execution."

"Ruby, wait-"

"Though I have to admit, I did get a little bit of help from Blake with a few things, but I think I did a pretty good job overall. And with you being as busy as you've been, you helped make it easy to keep this a secret. Even then, my idea of booking you for a meeting this afternoon and canceling at the last minute so you could be home early was probably the icing on the cake. You should really be more open about your schedule so I can do this more often."

"I'm so sorry. I forgot our-"

"No!"

I took a step back at the sudden outcry, a stern face taking over the smile on Ruby's face, though her voice softened. "You've been too busy doing so much good that I don't expect you to be perfect. I don't want you to be perfect. I want you to be Weiss: the strong, stubborn, and beautiful woman that swept me off my feet when we met. I know that work has been difficult for you, and you've been trying your best to keep it from getting between us, but I know you see it too. We're cracking, and I don't want that."

"I don't want that either, Ruby." I said honestly as guilt rose in my stomach to the truth in her words.

"So please, for me, take a break and enjoy this time together with no worries, no stress, and no guilt. I don't care that you forgot our anniversary; I was planning on it. What I care about is that you take a break from work and spend some time with your wife." Ruby extended her hand.

I smiled and gently grasped it, a sense of relief and acceptance flooding through me as I brought it up to my lips and giving it a soft kiss. "I would love nothing more."


I placed my fork down, having eaten my fill of the smorgasbord of food on the table before me. I sat at the head of the table and looked to my left to see Ruby eating her last bite. With a clang, her fork dropped to the plate and she leaned back, satisfied with her meal.

She met my eyes and the same perfect smile she always had graced her lips. She reached her hand out and grabbed mine, squeezing it. I reciprocated the gesture, staring longingly into her bright, silver eyes. We sat in silence, enjoying the moment together until she leaned in closer to me. I met her lips with my own and I got lost in the bliss of her, grabbing the back of her head with my spare hand to deepen the kiss.

Ruby lightly chuckled against my lips before she returned with a longing kiss of her own, though she backed away quickly and smiled, "Not so fast, Weiss. There's something else I have for you."

I felt myself falling into a haze of desire, though impatience rose within me as she pulled back. "Can it wait, Ruby?" I asked, pulling her lips to mine again.

She squeezed my hand with her own and continued her giggling through the kiss until she broke off again. "It'll just be a moment, Weiss. After that, I am all yours."

I conceded after stealing another small kiss from her and leaned away ever so slightly. "Alright, Ruby. What else is part of this 'surprise' you've planned?"

"Well," Ruby began, her eyes staying locked to mine, "What would you say about a summer vacation to Patch to visit my father?"

I immediately perked up, excited about the opportunity to visit Ruby's father. I had a far better relationship with him than my own father, and it had been too long since the last time we visited him. "Oh, when would that be?" I asked with a smile, trying to stay calm about the potential vacation.

I could tell that Ruby noticed my excitement as she returned a grin at me, "It would be in a little over two weeks, at the end of the month. It would be an extended five day weekend trip to visit my father on Patch."

My heart skipped a beat as I heard the date, and I lowered my head slightly to avoid her gaze. "Ruby, I can't go then."

Ruby stared back at me, confusion overwriting her face. "Why can't you go, Weiss? It's a short vacation, just through the weekend. I'm sure your father would let you take a few days off after seeing how hard you've worked."

"It's not that simple, Ruby. I can't," I said, trying to explain myself. There was still so much to do before the presentation deadline that same weekend that I couldn't even think about a vacation, no matter how much I wanted to go.

Ruby interrupted me before I could, however, still trying to convince me. "Come on, Weiss. Yang promised she'd be there, and you know she never breaks a promise."

"Ruby, just listen," I said in desperation, irritation rising in my voice as I tried to get through to her.

She wasn't letting me. She only redoubled her efforts, now taking on a pleading tone to strengthen her point. "Oh, I can show you this lake that I know in the forest near my house. I used to go there all the time. You and I can go when the sun starts to set; the reflection of the sky in the water is breathtaking."

"I could lose my job, Ruby!" I screamed over her, letting go of her hand and slamming my own down on the table. My wife jumped back in shock, not expecting me to lose my composure. I looked at her in anger, but the scared expression on her face came as a shock to me. I didn't want to frighten her, I just wanted to make her understand. I lessened my scowl and lowered my gaze to the plate before me. "If I go with you, then I will not only lose my job, but my standing as heiress of the Schnee Dust Company."

Ruby was silent for a moment, trying to comprehend what I just said. "W-what?"

I sighed deeply, thinking back to my office, and the mounds of files and reports that remained unfinished. I shuddered at the thought, focusing back on Ruby. "I have a special project that I need to complete and present to the board of directors and my father to cement my place as the next CEO of the company. I can't mess this up, or else everything I've worked for, my entire upbringing, will be a complete waste."

Ruby grabbed my hand again, gripping it tightly, then lifted it to her lips and gave it a small kiss. "I'm sorry, Weiss. I didn't know. I just... wanted to give you a break from the craziness, and I know you appreciate spending time with my family more than yours, so..."

"It's ok, I understand your intentions and I appreciate it a lot. I would love to go, but this is something I have to do." I stood up, squeezing Ruby's hand lovingly, and smiled.

"Is there anything I can do to help? There has to be something..." Ruby stood herself, keeping my hand clenched in her own as she started to drag me through the dining room and up into the office. She kept talking my ear off, trying to convince me of her service. "I'm sure I can help with something. Maybe keeping you organized or focused. Maybe I can do the boring repetitive things to help you out. Or, I can go with you to the presentation. Be the cute show girl and help you along."

We stopped in front of the office, Ruby looking at me excitedly, hoping that I would take her up on her offer.

"Ruby, I can't accept your help. This is something my father entrusted to me. I would feel like I took an easy way out. That I didn't work hard enough to earn what I got. I would feel like I cheated my father. Like I cheated myself. I can't do that to myself, Ruby. I'm sorry."

Ruby let go of my hand, her face falling, and it broke my heart. I wished I didn't have to do this to her. Why did my pride keep me from being happy?

"Why do you always have to do this, Weiss?" Ruby said, the all too familiar anger welling up inside her voice. "Why, on our anniversary, do you have to be so... so... so selfish!"

I kept my face stone cold, my base instincts starting to kick in. "I do this for you, Ruby, so that you can live a comfortable and easy life. I know you didn't grow up with this, but the situation before you is what you signed up for when you married me."

"NO!" Ruby screamed, a tear starting to form in her eye, "I didn't want this... this coldhearted workaholic. I didn't want to be alone for the entire day, wondering when you would get home so that I could shower you in love, only to have you shove me aside like I was one of your servants."

My face remained stiff, but inside, my heart ached, taking another hard blow. I didn't know how much more I could take before I cracked. It was my fault; I had driven her away with my work. Now I had to face the consequences as Ruby didn't let up.

"What I wanted was the Weiss that I fell in love with, the Weiss that would share jokes with me one second, and push me to be my best the next." Ruby sniffled, tears running down her cheeks. For once, I didn't know what to say. I had made my normally happy and cheerful wife so miserable she cried. The regret and shame tore at my heart, but before I could gather my thoughts, Ruby spoke again.

"You would always push me to be my best, though look at where it's gotten me! I haven't touched Crescent Rose in over a year because of you. Because you were so worried about my safety ever since I got this scar that you convinced me to stay here." She gestured to her left cheek, a tear running along the claw marks of a Grimm that had gotten the better of her.

"And now I feel trapped in this empty house with the only solace that maybe one day you will pay attention to me, a-and not just run back into your office. I don't remember the-the last time I was in the same room with my sister and father at the same time. And you know what the worst thing about all of this is?" Her voice had taken on a high-pitched anguished tone, her whole body shaking from the sobs.

I stood still, not daring at all to move.

I was locked in my position for fear I would shatter in front of her. I just stared, watching her face becoming more flushed, any semblance of makeup washing down her face as the tears and emotions pent up for so long came flooding out. I wanted to grab her and hug her, to hold her tight. Tell her I'm so sorry, and that I will fix it all.

Though in the end, I stood still, unable to bring myself to move.

"The worst part is that I don't care about any of that." I gripped my fists tightly, trying to keep my eyes dry as Ruby continued her explanation "I don't care about any part of my life, Weiss, because you aren't happy. You, the most important person in my life right now, is miserable, and that makes me feel like I've done something wrong, that I wasn't good enough for you, that I wasn't there when you needed me. I feel like I've failed you." The last sentence came out as a broken wail as Ruby's composure broke completely, and she resigned herself to crying.

A single tear fell at my feet, a soft sob confirming that my rigid facade had broke. I looked at my wife through blurry eyes, her own uncontrollable sobs causing my heart to sink further into despair at what I had caused. How had I let our relationship deteriorate so much without realizing it? How had things gone so wrong? I had to fix this, I just had to! I couldn't lose Ruby, the most important person in the world.

I took a small step forward, then another, until I stood right in front of Ruby. We were both sobbing messes by now, and we were both looking into each other's eyes. Her silver eyes were overflowing with tears, but they weren't happy ones like on our wedding day. Instead, they were from helplessness, frustration, and anguish.

"You never failed me. Not once," I whispered, trying to keep my voice composed. "I… I never wanted to make you feel this way. I was just so focused on trying to impress my father that I…"

Ruby gently reached out and touched my hand. I softly grabbed hers and we wound our fingers together, a gesture we hadn't made in so long. I smiled weakly at her, though she lowered her head to stare at the floor. I leaned closer to her, brushing her cheek with mine, and brought my lips to her ear.

I whispered, so softly and so delicately, something that I would never say out loud, hoping to win her back. As I receded, I gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek and moved to look at her face and see her reaction.

I didn't get the chance though, as she grabbed my head with both of her hands and smashed our lips together forcefully. I melted into the sensation, leaning further into Ruby as I wrapped my arms around her, pressing her close to me. I savored the feeling, the salt of our tears adding to the sweet taste of her tongue swirling with my own. My grip on her tightened further not wanting to shove her away. Not again. Not after everything that has happened. Not after the three years we spent together.

I felt her mouth starting to pull back, but I didn't want this to end. I chased after her perfect lips until she broke free, giving me a wide smile as she laughed. I joined in, this perfect feeling long overdue. Ruby gestured her head with a wordless question, breaking from my grasp, grabbing my hand, and slowly leading me to the bedroom. To top off the point, she unzipped her dress and let it fall to the ground.

I supposed I could take a break for the night.


I slowly and unwillingly unwrapped my arms from my wife, but she didn't move far before stealing a kiss. She then quickly said her last goodbye, never breaking eye contact with me as she walked backwards, nearly missing the door until her sister steered her back on course. Her cheeks flushed from embarrassment and she quickly waved before a cloud of rose petals overtook her spot.

"Aww, that was so cute!" Yang gushed to me as she resituated the luggage in her arms.

I could feel heat rushing to my cheeks, "Shut up, brute."

Yang chuckled off the nickname before locking her gaze with my own. "Hey, in all seriousness, I'm glad you two are together. It takes a huge load off of my shoulders knowing that my baby sis is safe and taken care of."

"Anything for her, Yang, but I'm more worried about you," I said, crossing my arms across my chest. "All of this running around Remnant, even for a good cause, always makes me worried that one day you'll disappear. Just like your mother."

Yang sighed, looking down at the floor, "I know, it hasn't exactly been easy for anybody that cares about me. I haven't even gotten any closer, but I don't know what else to do."

"Have you tried settling down and staying in one place? Maybe there's someone in your life you would like to spend some more time with, outside Ruby?" I suggested.

"Well I… I have fallen for someone, but…"

I saw her grip on the luggage tighten, the seams threatening to break and the hesitation in her voice made me concerned. "Yang?"

"Hey, what's the hold up? If we don't leave now, we'll miss the airship to Patch," Ruby called from outside.

That seemed to snap Yang out of her thoughts as she jerked her head up, a brilliant smile dominating her face, though I could tell it was fake. Her somber lilac eyes had given her away again, just as they always have since we first met. "Right, well that's my cue. Bye, Weiss!" She made her way out the door.

I watched her go, but I couldn't stop thinking about what she said. I knew there was something more she wasn't telling me. First a futile search for her mother, and now worries about a relationship problem? I didn't want her to have to go through that alone, and I vowed to ask when she came back.

I closed the door behind her and sighed as I leaned my back against it. I looked in through the house with a weird feeling of dread, an icy cold seeming to envelop me at the vacant feeling of the space around me.

The silence that followed was something different from what I got from my office upstairs. It wasn't warm or inviting, just… empty.

'Is… is this what Ruby feels while I'm gone all day?' I thought to myself as I shivered from the atmosphere around me.

I shoved the thought aside as I made my way back to the familiar feeling of my office.

I still had work to do, after all.


A/N: We are officially half way through this story, with two more chapters to come.

I would once again like to give a giant shout out to Gorsouul for helping me out with this. Not just with the story, but with my motivation to write. He's pretty awesome and I really appreciate what he has done.

I hope you enjoyed this, please follow, favorite, and review to help show support. It always helps.

-MM