Well, that more than moderately priced dinner with Miss Barbara or Kara didn't happen. Which would be a bummer if I had the possibility of meeting anyone from RT. I forgot what days Comic Con were lol, so a small tweaking of that impossible dream. Now for things that did actually happen, thank you guys for helping me reach 200+ followers. It's legitimately fucking awesome. As for the story, this is the last of White Rose we'll see for awhile, the next update of this will finally come back to Bumblebee. My artist, Bakki, will have a new picture up, hopefully before the next update, but we'll see. Again, thank you for taking the time to read this, hitting the fav/follow and leaving reviews. Keep it up and enjoy.

Ruby: Rescue the Rose

"Wait, Weiss. I know..." Ruby called out, the door to the dust store slamming as her date exited the roof. The young leader thought about chasing after her, wanting nothing but to quell Weiss' thoughts, but she knew it was better if she sat and let the heiress stew. She had already accidentally insulted her cooking and probably put her on edge with her confession of being intimidated by Weiss' wealth. She folded her hands into her face, confounded by her denseness.

"Weiss has never been one to accept apologies, I have to sort of own up to what I said. She looked so hurt. But what am I to do? Everything that seems to come out of my mouth today makes matters worse. I can't believe I said that about her money. I was meaning to never reveal that. Seeing as she tries so hard to separate herself from that luxury, proving herself in other ways... like making her date a nice meal. She could have easily gotten a table at a five star restaurant, bought the most expensive gowns for us to wear, and have us chaperoned. She restrains herself from doing that for her pride, and now, me with my concern. She says I always figure something out. Hopefully, as I'm cleaning up this, I'll think of a way to turn it around."

Ruby folded the ravioli into the thick lap napkins, nibbling on the brownie as she was toiling, knowing Weiss was downstairs ordering some sort of five course meal. The least she could do was have the table ready for the meal. The leader felt apprehensive, blaming herself for having Weiss to resort to her riches when so far she was really charmed with the effort Weiss had put in. "Must be hard with billions of Lien behind your name when you're trying to leave a mark of your own. Maybe that's why she tries so hard. She doesn't want to be that person who's remembered for just being a rich Schnee, but rather Weiss, the expert huntress; Weiss, the brilliant entrepreneur; or Weiss, Ruby's greatest girlfriend. I guess a commoner like me wouldn't have the slightest clue. Maybe I should..."

Ruby's thoughts were nixed as she heard multiple footsteps behind her. They rushed as they got closer, the leader bursting her semblance to have a man knocking over the heater and table, the utensils crashing to the floor. The young leader was always amazed how fast she was able to switch into her training, now crouched and analyzing the situation. There were three men, no Faunus attributes present unless they were concealed under their black vests and jackets. The spine-chilling realization that The White Fang was paying this dust store a visit as she saw the symbol accessorizing their outfits.

Ruby didn't pull punches, although the enemies reaction to her blows might have said different. Ruby was dashing back and forth, allowing them to make the first strikes, using the momentum of her speed to be a delivering force to her attacks, but she was no hand to hand combatant, regretting declining Yang all those times she offered to train. The lessons sure would be making this battle shorter as she was tirelessly hitting her opponents. The fleeting thought of how Weiss could be in trouble too popped up, encouraging the young leader to get done with this quicker, kicking herself for not being a well rounded fighter as Crescent Rose wasn't always going to be in her possession.

As she was making progress, the door to the store slammed open, giving the leader a breath of relief as she saw Weiss unharmed. With a couple of red vials in her hands and black debris coating her, she was fine. "Ruby, get over here," she beckoned, a small pleading tone in her voice. The young leader didn't hesitate, almost about to full sprint over to her girlfriend until she felt herself being pulled back. A man with an arm in each of their grasps used their full force and leaped off the building with Ruby. Behind her scream was Weiss' even louder cry, piercing through the cursing and struggle of The White Fang.

Ruby was thrown into the back of a vehicle, body hurting as her bones were connecting with the metal floors and seats. A man got on top of her, pinning her arms to her sides, the leader pulling in her legs demanding her opponent to release her with powerful kicks to the chest. A lucky shot got her from underneath him. Now, with even less room to fight, was forcing her to fight without her only advantage. With one down, the other took her head on, restraining Ruby up against the wall, his forearm digging harshly into her collarbone. With her arms too short to reach his neck, he was able to zip-tie her to a steel handle.

The back of the shuttle opened, Ruby seeing the city streets blazing past her. She watched as one of the men tossed out an ammo crate out and noticed a white glyph in the distance. She didn't know what Weiss was up to, but braced herself for an attack. The APC bounced as the explosion rocked the area, but the lack of crashing had Ruby thinking Weiss' plan failed. She tugged and started chewing on the industrial plastic, wondering how truly strong the seemingly flimsy tool is.

With one less limb, the three men descended upon her, properly subduing her with her hands behind her back and a black bag over her head. One even threatened a sock gag for her mouth if she couldn't stop swearing. Not really wanting a dirty sock taste in her mouth, she silenced herself. With destination unknown, and the intentions of The White Fang were frightening in their own right, but her heart was hurting with what happened to Weiss. She didn't know if there were more militia behind to take care of her or even if Weiss was the target and the store was a convenient front to unleash their plans. Used to placing others needs before hers, all Ruby could think about was Weiss, dreading the heiress' safety.

The ride wasn't long, Ruby predicting they were still somewhere in Vale, but with a bag over her head it was hard to tell where she was. The loud thud of the ramp signaling they were safe, the sound of metal scraping against concrete unsettling. She was picked up harshly from the arms, Ruby making it difficult on her subduers and being dead, wiggling weight all the way to some room. She was forced to sit in a chair, again cuffed her to the table to ensure her captivity. As the metal door slammed behind her, she did feel the gravity of her situation set in, her breathing shortening as the uncertainty of it all was disheartening.

"Calm down, Ruby. You're in a snag, but you can honestly say you've been in worse situations. Just breath and figure out your surroundings." She queued her aura, heightening her senses. Although underneath the black bag was darkness, the room was becoming less hazy. A few tin shelves lined the room, the table barely big enough for two, and what could be a multitude of bottles. She reached back and picked up one of the containers, hoping it was dust only to disappoint herself at where she realized she must be. "I'm in the supply closet, aren't I?" she depressingly let out as she pulled the trigger on the spray. "I know The White Fang isn't legitimate and can't shop around for evil headquarters, but really, I'm handcuffed to a bolted table in the broom closet?"

"Sit down, child. I'm sure your attention span is greater than that of a rat," a voice came from behind her. In Ruby's curiosity, she hadn't heard the door open behind her, the hairs on her neck raising as the surprise wore off and she was able to connect the voice to a face. She instinctively went into a defensive stance, the metal shackles forcing her to the table.

"Ow... I mean. Roman," she said sinisterly, trying to save face in front of the enemy.

The black burlap was yanked off her head, pupils focus as the room was brighter than she anticipated, a florescent lamp flooding the room, Roman Torchwick standing opposite her. "I said sit. We're civilized. No need to be so hostile when clearly we're not in combat. Speaking of civilized, I do believed we've never been formally introduced. Roman," he said, a sly smile with devious green eyes accompanied an outstretched hand.

Ruby didn't want to give the man the smallest of gratitude by shaking his hand, choosing to sit and stare back. "Fine, I see you're not one for formality, Miss Rose." A chill ran through her as her name passed through his lips, Ruby shaken that the enemy might know even more about her.

The orange-haired man sat across from her, flipping through some files on a scroll. Ruby reluctant to believe anything the snake passed through his forked tongue. With him humming through his device like it was an ordinary day at the office, or evil headquarters rather, the leader took her seat, her only real option with her hand in a bind. As she sat in the uncomfortable silence, she looked around the room, almost painfully hating that she was in the supply closet, bottles of glass cleaner and soap dotting the shelves along with other miscellaneous tools like the floor scrubber. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I do believe this is my operation. I think I'm allowed to do what I please, but that's not what you were asking. You are a very high profile hostage, Miss Rose. You definitely have been a thorn in my side when it comes to dust acquisition in the past. However, as minor a nuisance you were, now you have become rather valuable." Ruby raised her eyebrow, not knowing where this sociopath was coming from nor liking the arrogance in his tone. "I can see you're confused. Maybe this will make the picture more clear.

Roman placed his scroll in front of Ruby, sliding his finger across the screen to show the multitude of pictures of her and Weiss on the rooftop of the dust store. The leader's brow furrowing as fierce as her girlfriend's as each picture felt like a small violation of their privacy. "So, like taking pictures of underage girls, I see? Pretty sure you go to jail for that."

"Still got the mouth on you when you're in such a predicament. And please, on the list of things I can go to jail for, taking unsolicited pictures would be bottom rung. These pictures though were taken because you girls coincidentally were at the very store we were going to rob. The Schnee Dust Company has certainly vamped their security, forcing us to plan our heists better. But, in the meantime, small time stores for a quick cache of ammo is always up for grabs," Roman calmly explained.

"Then why even bother capturing me? Politely knocking me out and leaving me would have made my day go better," Ruby scolded.

"Yes, probably, but I wouldn't have made any money." Roman bringing back his scroll, specifically locating a very intimate photo of Weiss caressing Ruby's hand. The leader let out a small tint as she saw something so warm caught on camera. "Miss Schnee is obviously worth triple her weight in Lien to someone, and judging from your flirting actions, you mean a lot to her. Hopefully more than what we were going to get from that store, anyways."

Ruby already figuring out their plan put her at ease. She was going to ransomed and therefore safe for the time being. Each second passing hoping Roman would leave the room, allowing her to concentrate more on escaping. "So I'm assuming you were after Weiss then?"

"But of course. I can hardly imagine how much her parents would pay back for her safety. But we ended up with you. I'm not going to complain, but it is a shame getting silver when gold was within reach. Who would've thought funding an uprising would be so costly?" Roman writing in his scroll, updating any relevant information he gathered into it. Ruby was mulling over her thoughts, wondering if Weiss has had to deal with men like this her whole life, the leader seeing a new side to Weiss disliking her namesake. "So, how much is this girl in love with you?"

The question alone caught Ruby off guard, the added level of her inexperience in romance had her tongue in quite a twist. "I-I don't know. She's ve-very difficult to read. I mean she set up the date, ma-makes me happy, but I always feel that..."

Roman raised his hand, forcing the girl to stop. "I'm not your therapist. A simple gauging of one to ten would have sufficed. You're clearly crazy about her. The reason I ask is because I need to see how much we should ask for the ransom. Let's just put it in the middle, about five million Lien."

Ruby silently objected the quote, thinking her love with Weiss is priceless, but it seemed Roman was going to have to write something on the ransom. She averted her gaze to the silver table, disheartened that she knew so little about what's going on in her partner's mind, cursing her lack of social skills that made her so meek in the first place. "Sure.. five million is fine."

Roman made his way towards the door, tipping his hat as he departed. "Sit tight and relax, Miss Rose. We are a poor militia, but we aren't savages. So long as we get paid, of course." A toothy grin came after the subtle threat, making Ruby dislike the pretentious man even more. As the door shut behind him, Ruby mashed her head into the table, collecting herself to make her great escape. The only thing holding her back was her cuffs, sliding them off with something slick was better than gnawing her hand off.

Ruby found her answer, but it was on the other side of the room, forcing her get creative with the acquisition of the hand sanitizer. Duct tape, the greatest of all tools, was within her reach. A broom, a lint brush, a squeegee, a vacuum hose, and a rag-filled rubber glove were all jerry-rigged together to make the least technologically advanced apparatus Ruby has ever made, but will be as proud as her weapon if she was able to get what she needed. The length made the rod unstable, Ruby blowing through all of the roll and it still being rickety. She inched slowly, nudging the bottle closer to the edge. To save herself some time of shortening the rod if she had to scrap it off the floor, Ruby carefully flicked the small container into her glove.

Her escape became more real as she globbed the entire tub of the clear goo onto her hand. Ruby strugged for a few minutes, wondering if Weiss had made her gain weight and unable to wiggle out of these situations. Contorting her hand into as small a stump as possible, Ruby did one last pull, freeing her from the table, slamming into the shelf behind her. With the loud clang not alerting a guard's presence, Ruby rid herself of the strong smelling liquid. She inspected her hand, wrists red with some light bruising, the leader knowing if she didn't have a strong aura she would be bleeding from the amount of effort she put into freeing herself. Ruby tried the obvious choice and tested the door, her heart sinking knowing it couldn't be that easy. She conceded to her only option left, a dark, dirty and confined air vent.

Creating a makeshift tower of a few boxes and the chair, Ruby was tall enough to reach the screws. Her mood of being in the supply closet flipped when she was able to find a screwdriver to unlatch the vent's opening. She didn't procrastinate and went in head first to the foulness of the vent. Ruby was glad she was still small, wondering if Yang or Blake would be able to pull this off. She thought she was smaller, though, the vent being just big enough for her to put one arm in front of the other as she was shimmying her way to freedom.

Ruby felt like a rat in a maze, the vent's pathways forking off constantly. She kept her head cool and remembered an old trick to figuring these things out as a kid, keep to one direction. As she was turning left, making sure in her mind she wasn't making circles, the one thing that kept bringing her out of her thoughts was the slick grime and amount of dust that lines the walls, the young leader having to pause as occasionally a large dust particle got lodged in her sinuses. The last thing she wanted was to make The White Fang members be suspicious of her escape if the vents were having a sneezing spasm.

With her brain on autopilot looking for source of light to freedom, Ruby's mind wandered around her romantics issues, considering the whole escape thing was going pretty well. "I can't believe Roman was able to trip me up that badly. I can barely admit that I love Weiss in my own head. Seems I still have a long way to go before I can actually say it out loud to her. Maybe it's too soon to say. Last thing I want to do is scare Weiss away because I'm overly invested in us. But it's real... I know it's real. It's so real that it's becoming harder be stay so passive. That day in our room... that kiss. I wanted to continue so bad, but who am I kidding. I'd be fumbling with whatever comes next. Just cool your jets, Ruby. Weiss will come around. Hopefully sooner rather than...whoa."

A weak paneling gave way to the girl as her full body weight was on in. The darkness lit up as she plunged towards the ground. Too fast for her to react, her knees and forearms were the epicenters of pain, the resounding shocks through her body hitting every nerve as the tremors of agony were running their course. She brought her head up, the aching residing enough for her to move again. She wished she was back in the supply closet as five militia members stood around her, probably as dazed and confused as her.

Ruby snapped upright and dusted herself off, playing it as nonchalantly as possible. "You guys sure should look into installing new vents with all that ransom money." A nervous laugh coming out as she saw that none of the men were biting.

"Nice sell, but I think we would need to allocate those funds to a proper holding cell," one of the men shot back, pistols and assault rifles being drawn, Ruby backing up as she was seeing her window of opportunity shrink. She knew she could take these guys on, but not with her fists, eyes scanning her surroundings for anything to be used as a weapon. Judging from the long tables and vending machines, she was in the break room. The only thing she could possible help her was a plastic knife, which she ignored now favoring she burst for the exit that the men stood between.

Ruby's back hit a wall, her decision time now over. Even though Roman promised her safety, she didn't know if these guys got the memo, and with these close quarters, they'd have to be amateurs to not hit her. She raised her hands up, hopefully lessening the punishment of having her chained to a wall.

An explosion cracked through the building, startling Ruby and the militia. It seemed random blasts weren't part of the occupational routine. The alarms sounded off and a female voice was heard over the intercom. "All soldiers report to Hanger Bay B. Intruders on the first level. Targets identified as a woman and a male Faunus."

Ruby didn't hesitate and grabbed at one of the retractable batons on a soldier's leg. It may not have been Crescent Rose, but it was doing its job shutting down her opposition. Her quickness accelerating the blows had all the men on the ground as Ruby was hasting back and forth. With all the men too beaten to get up and fight back, the young leader took her leave. "Whatever decided to show up couldn't have better timing. Now to get out of here. If I was an exit, I would be this way."

Ruby now ecstatic as she was now about to escape, planning her next steps in figuring out if Weiss is alright. She sprinted through the corridors only ending up in where every solider in the building seemed to be, Hanger Bay B. She kept as low as possible, using the shadows and distraction to her advantage as she was ducking behind crates and vehicles.

The bay door was wide open, a quick release from her semblance and she would be home free. She peaked around the corners, making sure someone wasn't about to blast her off her feet and blitzed out. A white figure stepped in her pathway, Ruby stopping in her tracks as she saw the intrusion. White ponytail flowing in the wind, combat skirt blackened and frayed from dust, steely blue eyes meeting hers, and the scowl she's grown to love dismantled her at her presence. "Weiss, you came for me?" Ruby astonished by her rescuer's sudden entrance.

"Of course I would, you dolt." Weiss rushing over giving Ruby a quick, but firm hug. Ruby had her hands filled as the familiar weight of her weapon was placed. "No time to explain. That idiot Faunus rushed in wanting me to find you. Mission accomplished, but now we got to go save him from the nest he enraged."

Ruby didn't have a clue what Faunus Weiss was referring to, but feeling so helpless for the past few hours changed as soon as Crescent Rose unfolded into its scythe. The sight of the one-Faunus battle was something to be appreciate, Sun's nunchaku chain-linked shotguns firing at a rapid pace, making the minions second guess their actions, precious seconds that cost them their small openings to land a hit on him. Ruby wanted to jump in the fray as it seemed Sun was having so much fun, but she zeroed in on a higher priority target.

Roman was standing atop a service building, watching the carnage, eyes calculating when to strike. Ruby was determined to interrupt that thought and charged, the man in the bowler hat taking notice. A few cannon shots were fired from his cane, the young leader dodging them with ease. With a large leap she poised her weapon to strike, forcing Roman to move, the depth of the blow almost cutting clear the roof of the building.

"So, this is how you repay me after some kind hospitality? Little Red, you have no gratitude," he quipped, Roman now thoroughly sore as the fire in his eyes was present. He came in for the attack, Ruby having to catch up with his speed as he was furiously hitting back, the grace of his usual stance becoming undone with frustration. Ruby concentrated and was matching his form in seconds, now looking for her own opening for a counter.

Ruby slammed Crescent Rose into the ground, whipping herself around to swiftly kick Roman onto the ground floor. She had her high ground, transforming Crescent Rose into her sniper, ready to take aim and fire. The man was quicker to the draw, though, firing two shots from his cane to the supports of the building, Ruby tripping as she was jumping to safety. Roman quickly struck her as she was recovering, the back of her leg throbbing, the leader now limping from the pain. With her speed reduced, Ruby felt the pressure from Roman, her lack of maneuverability making the fight more one-sided as she kept backing up from Roman who was closing the gap.

"You should have told me your heiress was in love with you enough to actually pull a stunt like this," Roman said through clenched teeth. Ruby was slightly charmed at the realization, but too focused on what was happening to realize how far Weiss was willing to go for her. She swung Crescent Rose at Roman, him dodging, but she wanted him to do that. She fired her sniper, landing against the wall behind her, poising herself for the next strike. Using the momentum from Crescent Rose's recoil, she propelled herself as the bullet, Roman blocking, but the force behind Ruby's momentum knocked him off his feet. Ruby having the upper hand swung wildly, hoping to pin the weasel. All she was able was get in a few slashes, his white trench coat shredded by the time he was able to get back up to his feet.

Roman went from irritated to furious, Ruby guessing he doesn't like having his cage rattled or his pompous outfit ruined. He fired two shots at Ruby's feet, the girl blocking being her greatest mistake. As the smoke cleared, Roman was within arms reach, he flipped his cane and hooked Ruby by the neck, yanking her towards his folded hand. The pinpoint accuracy of his throat strike hit the young leader in the larynx, making her cry in pain, a reflexive deflated squeak escaping her throat. With the damaged tissue convulsing in agony, Ruby was finding her lungs heaving desperately wanting oxygen that wasn't able to inhale. Her knees got weak, the girl lowering herself to the concrete, body unable to carry her or her weapon. She dropped Crescent Rose, her hands desperately grabbing at her throat as she strugged to breath.

Ruby felt a hot tip aimed at her face, her will being forcefully raised to meet her opponent who bested her. Roman stood, a smug demeanor across his mug a small distance away. "Considering the attention brought by your girlfriend will bring the police over and nix this base, I might as well take something from her. A girl for a warehouse sounds like equivalent exchange to me."

Ruby had stared down a pack of Beowolves, fought a hundred White Fang members, and even endured one of Weiss' tongue lashings when Ruby accidentally left a red stocking in the wash, coloring all of her partner's whites pink. She has danced with death and won a lot of the time, but, as she looked down the barrel of Roman's cane, she saw death stare back and it drained her. She felt dead before Roman pulled the trigger, time slowing down as she heard the cocking of the hammer. Ruby wanted to call out for help, for anyone, for Sun, for Weiss. Ruby closed her eyes, anticipating her demise.

Under her legs, she felt the ground cool, a brightness piercing through her lids as she heard the blast muffled through ice. "This is why I call you childish."

Ruby's eyes burst open, that condescending high pitch of her being scolded could only come from one person. As her eyes focused, Weiss' white skirt was in front of her, from her perspective the red lining under her skirt, the snowflake symbol on her jacket blackened from combat, and her ponytail ticking the end of Ruby's nose. "Weiss..." was almost silent as she breathed it out.

"I turn my back for five seconds and you already ran off without me. You're not allowed to leave my side Ruby... not ever," Weiss declared. She jumped over her ice wall, Myrtenaster glowing yellow, the heiress not holding back as Roman was parrying. Channeling another glyph, she changed her setting to blue, launching Roman into the air, Weiss giving chase hoping the new gravity setting would give her the opening she wanted.

Roman was struck alongside the back, the pain realigning him and swatting back at the heiress as he could. Ruby sat in awe of the fight. As much as she hated Roman, he was adaptable, herself not knowing if she could be on the same level with him at times. Then there was Weiss, her white knight in a battle skirt. She knew the heiress had to protect her, being partners for almost a half a year taught her that. But it was what Weiss said that made her see her girlfriend in a different light, understanding now what she meant when she said she wanted to earn the necklace. How important it was for Weiss to comes to terms with how strongly she felt towards Ruby, not just how strongly the younger girl felt towards her. She was never allowed to leave her side, not that Ruby ever wanted to stray.

In her daze of adoration, she hadn't realize Roman's cane pointed at her again. Weiss deflecting the cane away from her girlfriend, but onto something just as precious. A gas main was hit, blowing out the side of the building with a heat infusing detonation. The aftershocks of the battered building now concerning Ruby as the structure was rocking back and forth. Ruby looked back to Roman, backhanding Weiss and making his escape with a helicopter waiting above him. He climbed the rope ladder and was off into the night.

Weiss rushed to Ruby's side after the villain was able to get away, escaping now superseding their priority. The heiress lifted her to her feet, eyes full of concern and fear. "No time for you lollygagging about. We need to get out of here, now!"

Ruby, still finding it hard to speak, nodded quickly, the monkey Faunus coming up from the rear. "You two, follow me and we're going to avoid a lot less handle once we're safe." Weiss followed Sun with Ruby in tow, the leader finding it peculiar that her girlfriend of all people was trusting of this Faunus. However, with the building collapsing around them and sirens in the distance, the fact that the heiress was more trusting of the race was comforting.

Ruby pushed herself to keep up, her throat still recovering from Roman's hit. They weaved throughout the industrial buildings, Sun showcasing his parkouring abilities as he reached rooftops with ease, the leader almost thinking this is some sort of thrill he gets running away from the law. At the edge of the industrial district, they stopped. The team looked towards the distance, read and blue lights dancing around the warehouse. "Woohoo! That was something!"

Weiss took offense immediately, getting in Sun's face as much as she could, the sledder finger that Ruby was so used pointed at her now directed at the Faunus. "You! If we didn't get Ruby out, I would strangle you where you stand. I told you a simple extraction was all that was needed."

"Yeah, but the way I see it, it was going to end up that way. Might as well cut out that whole chunk of time and get your girlfriend back quicker," Sun defended, Ruby noticing Weiss' tint on her cheeks, the heiress stalling from the circumstantial logic.

"You may... you may have a point, but that doesn't give you the right to go against the wishes of your employer," Weiss snapped back, the leader picking up on the few words that felt out of place. Weiss paid Sun to help her. Ruby felt that whatever the heiress was paying was far too much, even if she was her girlfriend.

"But I also helped shut down a White Fang base, meaning The Schnee Dust Company will be less likely to be under attack. If anything, I deserve an employee, or rather, a mercenary of the month award," Sun chided back, his teasing in good nature as he was riding high from the victory. Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose, accepting the Faunus' argument, herself finding it hard to be excited when it was Ruby's life at stake.

"Fine. You win. Ruby and I are going home. Come by Beacon tomorrow at two. You meet me at the fountain and do not make me wait. I do have the authority to deduct anything from your pay," Weiss ordered, Sun unphased by the threat.

"Yes ma'am," he bowed, mocking the high society as he descended from the building, the long golden tail whipping in the night. Weiss placed her arm around Ruby, the two shuffling casually back to Beacon. With the adrenaline of a good fight wearing off, Ruby was starting to feel the strain she endured. She noticed Weiss with her own battle damage, a few minor cuts and bruises that her aura would fix overnight, but could tell they were throbbing now. Even if it wasn't much, Ruby placed her arm around the heiress' small waist.

Ruby knew this wasn't the most romantic of setting, but she found herself slightly enraptured with the moment. Both of them propping each other up, a shoulder to lean on, and both of them looking as if they just came out of a war zone had its own appeal to the leader. However, with the silence that came with the occasion, also brought Ruby to address her neurosis.

"So... you're paying Sun for me?"

"Of course. I have the Lien and you get paid for services. Judging from how today went, if I do it by myself it ends in disaster. Money is all I am." The last sentence Weiss said under her breath, the self- loathing tone Ruby picked up on. A new pain now ailing her as she was feeling guilt in her heart. She looked up towards the heiress, the lack of spirit in the icy orbs making Ruby feel worse. She remembered back to what Weiss said, that she will always be wealthy. That realization spurring Ruby to be more assertive.

"You're wrong. I'm not saying that money doesn't define you, but it is a part of you because you're a Schnee. Never think it's entirely you, though. Money didn't save me from Roman, money didn't come back for me at initiation, and money sure doesn't stand by me as my best teammate. Regardless of how you feel about it, it shaped you into who you are now, and I really like who you are, Weiss."

Weiss stopped, turning to face Ruby, confused about what the young leader was saying. "But you said that you're intimidated by all of this."

"I am, but I'm also intimidated by Grimm. I still am a huntress and I still want to be with you. Even when it gets uncomfortable at times, I'll manage. You have really good judgment, Weiss. However you act as a girlfriend, I'll trust because I..." Ruby's speech being cut short as the passionate confession tweaked her throat muscle. A small whimper slipping out as Ruby faltered. Weiss propped her up, preventing Ruby from collapsing to the ground.

"Ruby! You need to take it easy. I can tell by the way you've been carrying yourself that he hit you fairly hard. You need me to take you to the hospital, perhaps a quick stop to a drug store to get some anti-inflammatories?" Weiss offered. Ruby wanted to finish her sentiments, the young leader wanting to express herself, buttoning her affection with the hopes of relieving the heiress of her burden. In that moment, as the heiress was affectionately attending to her, Ruby found that she ought to leave it be, her mouth usually the culprit in ruining moments.

She shook her head, promising her girlfriend to rest her voice. Ruby's gaze averted to the bare area of Weiss' collar, the leader almost forgetting to reward her hero. She quickly unclasped her snowflake necklace, draping it over Weiss. A chaste kiss placed on the cheek as she backed away, the heiress in disbelief in what occurred with her jaw half slacked. Before Weiss could protest, Ruby placed her finger over her mouth, a playful wink following was enough to quell the ice princess. Weiss deeply smiled and reached out, pulling Ruby in for an unyielding hug.

After the transfer of unspoken feelings was over, the two still had plenty to cover before they reached Beacon, Ruby hating the fact Vale shuts down after two. There was a silver lining that she was taking full advantage of. In the pale moonlight, she curled up with Weiss, the two occasionally squeezing the other as their attempts at flirting. Weiss gave a kiss through her short locks, Ruby hoping the light wasn't illuminating the free blush rushing to her face.

A sharp pain formed on the back of her neck. Ruby, remembering not to make a sound, silently mouthed her frustration. "Your hair smells like vanilla. You have your own shampoo, Ruby. Why do I notice you use mine more so?"

Weiss did like honesty, but Ruby was super embarrassed admitting this truth. As soft as she could speak, she confided, "I like wearing something that reminds me of you."

Ruby didn't need to look up, knowing her words were having an effect as Weiss' body was heating up. "It makes me feel stupid when you come up with such thoughtful ideas. Maybe I should find something to wear too." Weiss delicately held the necklace in her fingers, Ruby not directly staring as the heiress was fondly appreciating her prize. The leader's young heart filled with warmth, the satisfaction of making Weiss happy the perfect end to her day. "I can't accept this, Ruby."

The short-haired girl was about to scream. After all they had been through, Weiss not only deserved a necklace, but also earrings and a dress to compliment them. "Before you scream at me and we're forced to take you to the hospital, there's a small scuff mark on it." Ruby breathing a sigh of relief, although was feeling responsible for the tarnished jewelry. "If it's alright with you, I'll give it to Sun tomorrow and have him do one last errand for me as he goes to the bank."

Ruby had no problem with the proposition, only wishing she could pay for the repair, but wasn't exactly in the best of circumstances to argue. She didn't let it get to her though, not with Weiss and her enjoying a night out. It may have been the most unconventional date that could possibly be conceived, but this was the first time the heiress had been this loving since they got together. She didn't think her happiness could be deflated until they got back to the dorm, Yang freaking out at the condition of the both of them. Weiss' quick thinking masked what really happened. Ruby didn't know if the excuse of a lover's quarrel was easy enough to fool Yang, the leader questioning if that's how the rest of the school saw their relationship, but would overlook other's perceptions so long as Weiss was able to evade the wrath of her big sister.


Ruby's recovery went swimmingly. Still finding it hard to swallow though was keeping her from using her vocal chords as much as possible. She didn't think life as a semi-mute was hard, but communicating with a scroll at times was difficult. Having the cafeteria chefs wait for her to spell out the group meal took a rather long time, frustrating for whoever was behind her waiting. This morning, Yang was taking out Blake to someplace special, assuming there was some fishy brunch that could cater to the Faunus' unique palate. With just Weiss in the room, Ruby was able to speed through the line.

As Ruby entered the dorm, Weiss was standing next to her bed, fiddling with what she thought was the necklace she gave her. As she stepped closer, she noticed red design in the middle instead of her snowflake, a little red rose. "Weiss, is that my..."

"Emblem," she finished her sentence. "It is. I was thinking back to what you said and decided why not wear a little reminder of you around my neck. So once I had my idea, I gave Sun another check to take to my jeweler. He was happy to do it once he saw what I was paying him. He delivered it while you were gone. That crazy fool actually leaped up to the window."

Anyone else would have been dejected from a gift replacement, but all Ruby saw was Weiss wanting to showcase to the world to whom her heart belongs. She placed the tray on her desk and walked towards her girlfriend, her mind splitting on trying to resist not tackling Weiss to the bed with the amount of euphoria coursing through her. With her mind snapping, all her face could to was make a grin so big that it had her partner perturbed.

"Ruby... what's with that face?" the heiress' eyebrow raising, bewildered at the overzealous expression on her partner. "If you're going to make a big deal out of this, I'm going to take it off."

Ruby was calling her bluff. Weiss wouldn't have went through with the idea if she wasn't feeling the same way. Taking a leap of faith, she pressed her lips onto Weiss', the blue eyes popping at the sudden smooch. The heiress pulled away, attesting to the affection. "What's with..." Ruby interrupted the coming rant with another kiss. Weiss wouldn't be silenced. "Stop it..." the leader cutting off her girlfriend again. The heiress tore herself away from the passionate act again. "Ruby, I'm warn..." a soft moan escaping Weiss as Ruby pressed into her again.

Ruby closed the gap, hands cupping Weiss' face as the heiress still had residual resistance in her. She didn't know if her actions were making her girlfriend weak in the knees or if she was still trying to wiggle out from Ruby's advancement, but Weiss was forced to the bed, elbows propping her up as she climbed on top of her. As Ruby was getting lost in session, she was forcefully pushed away from her lover's lips. The leader was alarmed, not knowing if her antics were crossing a line. Weiss' chest was heaving, collar slick with sweat, and blue eyes propping up a fierce scowl.

Ruby thought she was in trouble until her girlfriend spoke. "This is the only time you're going to get away with this. You got that?"

Ruby smirked at her girlfriend's condition, feeling a sense of accomplishment that she's figuring out this whole relationship deal. "Yeah, sure. I was scared you would..."

"Just shut up and kiss me," Weiss demanded, yanking on the ruff of Ruby's cloak, mashing their lips together awkwardly. The leader matched her girlfriend's intensity, kissing with such passion that taking heavy breaths through her nose was almost not enough. Ruby wrapped her hands around Weiss' face, locking her in place as the heiress' arms snaked around her back, binding the two as their bodies meshed. Before long, she felt the moist touch of her lover's tip, feeling the desire that had been dammed up flooding from Weiss. The heiress parted her mouth, allowing Ruby's tongue to slip past, tentatively dancing with the sensitive nerve endings. The genuine, pleasurable reaction from Weiss' body to her actions made Ruby feel that, for once, everything was coming natural to her.

Especially the embarrassment that came after.

A slow clapping came from the entrance. Ruby froze as she turned and saw the blonde terror stood at the doorway, a diabolical smile stretching across her face as she soaked up the enjoyment she was having caught the couple canoodling. The leader jumped off her girlfriend, the heiress following as she was nervously straightening out her skirt. Ruby's eyes could barely meet her sister's, the shame of being caught too great, nervous sweat forming, her face as red as the eyes of a Grimm as she spoke to Yang.

"Y-yang, why-why are you ba-back?"

"I forgot my wallet. Pretty easy to be absent-minded when infatuated with something, or rather, someone, isn't it, Little Sis?" Yang briskly walked to her bed, collecting her Lien. Expecting to head out the door, she first came by the list of room rules, grabbing a marker off her desk to scribble on. She capped it and left the couple with the following thought. "One of many amendments I hope to make to the list to make it fair for all of us in the room. You play safe you two. I'll send a text when Blake and I will be returning."

As the door shut, Ruby felt she could breath again, letting the tension leave her body with a deep sigh. Curious as to what Yang wrote, Weiss and her inspected the rules. Just below rule number one, 'As long as Ruby and Weiss are in the room the bed is for sleeping only', was scribbled 'Blake and Yang too'. Towards the bottom, there were two new rules, 'Number twenty-one, treat my sister well, Weiss', and 'Number twenty-two, good on you, Little Sis'. Ruby felt like her relationship was official with the graffiti on the paper.

The heiress tore off the rules, "The markings alone would make me want to replace this, but I think your sister may be right. It might be time to modify it to make it more current." Weiss pulled out the snowflake necklace she had in her jacket pocket, placing it around Ruby. "Wouldn't you agree, girlfriend?"

Ruby's heart was rushing as Weiss formally addressed her, wondering if this was love. This incredible euphoria that was enveloping her as gray eyes met the heiress' blue. "Yeah. Let's get started." Ruby and Weiss took to the bed, working out a new list that would please everyone. The leader was slightly distracted though, not knowing what to make of this new awareness she was having about the heiress, but the novelty intriguing to Ruby.

"Weiss... I don't know how to express or even articulate how I feel towards you right now and I can't wait to figure it out."