A/N: So this was just supposed to be a oneshot, but I kind of became obsessed with this version of these guys. There's no overarching plot here, just another bit of fluff. Happy April Fools. :)
Belle stood in front of the full-length mirror and considered her yellow sundress, turning first to one side, then the other, then craning her neck over her own shoulder to inspect her backside. It was her fourth outfit change of the evening, but she doubted it would be her last. It was of the utmost importance that she looked as cute as possible tonight.
Of course, she thought that every time she went out with Ruby Lucas.
Ruby Lucas. Just the thought of those four syllables was enough to make her stomach surge with butterflies.
Belle was just about to go to her closet to try something else—this dress was unquestionably her color, but she wondered if her butt might look better in skinny jeans—when suddenly her phone buzzed with a text message. She dove across her bed to answer it.
Hey, my last client cancelled so I'm off early tonight. OK if I come pick you up now?
Oh God! Oh God! She'd thought she had another hour at least to get ready. But hmm, did this mean they would get to spend more time together? Maybe now they could go out for ice cream or something after the movie. That would be worth it.
Belle gave it ninety seconds before texting her back.
Sounds good! Let me just throw something on real quick.
You're on like your seventh outfit, aren't you.
No!
Princess.
What time should I buy tickets for?
Don't worry about it. Already bought them. :)
The butterflies swirled even faster, forcing their way out as an involuntary giggle. Belle rolled onto her back, overwhelmed, until they were gone.
Then she went ahead and changed into the skinny jeans.
Ruby rolled up in her red-on-black Camaro not much later. Belle had been terrified of this beast of a car at first, jumping every time the engine snarled, but she was slowly growing used to it. Ruby slouched next to her in the driver's seat, shower-fresh, leather-jacketed, one hand hooked lazily over the wheel while the other held Belle's knee. Belle tried very hard not to disintegrate from the contact.
Belle was quite excited for this date. Not just because she would be sitting right next to Ruby in the dark for over two hours, during which Ruby would probably hold her knee like this the whole time, but because she'd been waiting to see this particular movie, the first film adaptation of the classic Broadway musical Hats, for years. Belle knew every word to every song and fully expected to cry at least three times. It wouldn't be as good as seeing the real show, she knew, but surely it was the next best thing.
Ruby was probably a little less enthusiastic. Okay—a lot. She'd admitted she didn't care for musicals. She'd wanted to see some horrible werewolf movie, Red Moon Rises or something like that. But the last horror movie Belle had seen was Gremlins, at a sixth grade sleepover, and that had haunted her for months. She'd been immensely relieved when Ruby had come around without much of a fight.
When they reached the theater Belle practically ran through the doors, stopping only when she realized she didn't have the tickets.
"I just want to put it out there that your butt looks especially cute today," Ruby observed from behind her, catching up a moment later.
Belle was almost too worked up to feel properly vindicated.
"We're late."
"We're fine," Ruby chuckled.
She was right. By the time they'd turned in their tickets, bought their snacks, and found their seats, the previews hadn't even started. The theater was already jam-packed, though. Mostly with rowdy groups of teenage boys and a couple of their overloud girlfriends. Hmm. Not your typical clientele for a movie like this, Belle thought, but then, maybe kids today had more culture than the barbarians she'd grown up with.
They settled in, Belle diving into a bucket of popcorn, Ruby gnawing on a Twizzler like a dog with a bone. And sure enough, as soon as the lights darkened for the previews, Ruby's hand sneaked across to rest on Belle's leg.
"You excited?" she whispered.
Belle nodded vigorously. Ruby grinned, a flash of white in the dark.
"Me too."
Belle jumped at a sharp musical cue as the first preview started. It was for an exorcism movie. Some preteen girl was being contorted into a pretzel. Belle squirmed in her seat at the sight. Ruby just snickered.
The next preview was for a movie about a bunch of twentysomethings trapped at a ski lodge during a blizzard. Someone, or something, was picking them off—"ONE. BY. ONE." Belle tensed at a sudden shrill scream. Ruby gave her knee a squeeze.
The last preview promised to be a redband trailer. The group of boys behind them cheered. It was some found footage movie about a group of scientists running tests on aliens in the desert. Scattered gunfire. Desperate cursing. An arcing splash of blood.
God, who on earth had thought it would be a good idea to advertise this stuff to the audiences of Hats? These were almost as bad as that movie Ruby had wanted to see—
…
Wait a minute.
No.
She didn't.
She wouldn't.
...
Belle shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Um. Ruby?" she whispered.
"Yeah?" Ruby's eyes were still trained on the screen.
"Are you, um. Sure we have the right theater?"
Ruby turned and flashed her another grin. "Definitely."
"Okay." Belle chewed her lip. "Good. Because for a second I thought maybe we accidentally walked into a showing of—"
RED MOON RISES. The title faded in. A lone wolf howled.
"Well, not accidentally," Ruby amended. "I thought it'd be good for you to give horror movies another chance."
!
Belle was tempted to get up and run out right then. She had a book in her purse—she always kept a book in her purse—she could just wait for Ruby outside. Where she would then give her a sterntalking-to. This was unconscionable.
But then, of course, if she left…she wouldn't be able to sit next to Ruby anymore…
Here in the dark…
For over two hours…
With her thumb rubbing her thigh just so…
Belle sighed inwardly.
"I just want to put it out there that you're horrible," she hissed.
"You're gonna love it."
I doubt that.
Belle slammed her eyes shut within the first ten minutes, when the werewolf emerged from the shadows to heartily devour a sexually adventurous young couple. She still heard everything, though, including Ruby's continued snickering. She had a cute snicker. Belle tried to focus on that.
"Come on, Belle, you're missing the best part," she whispered finally.
"Is it safe to look?"
Ruby paused. "Yeah."
Belle cracked one eye open, slowly—
—just in time to see a cheerleader get her head bitten off, OH MY GOD.
She buried her face in Ruby's arm, cursing into the soft leather of her jacket.
"I can't believe you!"
"Okay, come on, you have to admit that was pretty funny—"
"I wanted to see Hats."
Ruby just continued to laugh softly and wrapped her arm around her so Belle burrow herself away more effectively. Even in her state of distress, Belle couldn't help but notice how good she smelled up close. And how nice and warm she was. And how tightly she held her with her long, strong arms.
Belle began to relax. Just a bit.
She even began to enjoy herself.
Not that she'd ever admit it.
"You stopped trembling," Ruby noted.
"That's because I died of a heart attack twenty minutes ago."
But Belle cracked one eye open again.
Am I still in the doghouse?
Yes.
How long?
Forever and ever.
That's too bad. I have something for you.
Is it another knife in my back?
The next message was a long time coming. Belle huddled around her phone in the dark as she waited for it, staving off her own sleepiness. It'd been half a week since Red Moon Rises, and to Belle's great surprise, she hadn't had a single nightmare.
It'd still been the most traumatizing experience of her life, of course.
Then the message finally came, not words, but a picture. Belle squinted, zooming in.
It was a picture of…tickets? Two tickets, held between Ruby's slim fingers. Oh God.
But these weren't just any tickets. These were tickets to see Hats.
Live.
In person.
This weekend.
I thought it'd be good for me to give musicals another chance, Ruby explained.
Belle practically dropped her phone.
OOOOOHHHH MYYYY GODDDD!