Updated 6/13/19
+517
All aboard the angst train - next stop, Super Angstville. This is your conductor speaking, get ready for a bumpy ride!
Ruby kept her word and texted as soon as she finished running, even though Weiss hadn't been able to read the messages until a couple of hours later. It was good news too - Ruby won all of her events and Vale University placed second as a team, undoubtedly led by Ruby's strong performances (even though she would never agree with that assessment).
From the exclamation points littered throughout the messages, Weiss could tell that Ruby was beyond excited after the competition was over. The euphoria could've stemmed from winning, or it could've come from Yang and Blake's decision to break protocol and get ice cream to celebrate a non-injury finish to the winter season.
To Weiss, it felt like a suspicious time to break from ritual, but she tried not to dwell upon it too much. For all she knew, the girls decided that it was a good time to leave the injury rule behind. Or, more likely, the trio always found an excuse to go out and get ice cream together.
When Weiss had finally returned home from the church - mentally exhausted and agitated from spending so much time with her parents and the Winchesters - she'd immediately messaged Ruby congratulations. That's when the most disappointing part of Weiss' day happened.
Ruby responded, but only to say that she was really tired from the track meet and was going to sleep early.
It was disappointing because Weiss wanted to talk - she wanted to hear Ruby's voice, knowing that the cheerful sound would wash away the worry over what had happened at lunch. But she didn't feel right asking Ruby to stay awake with her, especially not when Ruby had physically exhausted herself earlier that day.
Before Ruby went to bed, however, Weiss did get her to promise they'd see each other the next day. No specific plans were made - just that they would see each other. It wasn't exactly what Weiss wanted, but knowing she'd have a chance to make things up to Ruby was enough to allow her to fall into a fitful sleep.
When Weiss woke up, her senses immediately told her that there was something different about today. Something was brighter and...warmer. It took her a few moments to figure it out, but eventually she pinpointed the source of the change. It was the sun - the sun had risen and was now shining brightly with not a cloud in the sky to obscure its rays.
After dressing for the day, she walked over to the windows and discovered that it was not only sunny, but they'd received snow overnight. The grounds outside her windows were covered in a fresh layer of pristine white that was almost difficult to look at with the sun reflecting off its surface.
Standing close to the glass, she stared outside - her breaths creating a small circle of condensation that grew and shrank to match her inhales and exhales. Locating her snow barometer (nothing more than a bench sitting on the edge of the gardens), she estimated that they'd received maybe two inches at most. But it was still beautiful - a perfect blanket lying atop the world, untouched by human hands. The sun glistened off the surface, creating sparkles of light that looked like thousands of diamonds had been cast about their lawn.
There was less cold slipping through the window panes than the previous days. In fact, there was a bit of warmth touching her skin as the sun's rays hit the side of the house. It was going to be a nice day - probably even a tolerable one to spend outdoors.
An idea popped into her mind - a suggestion for what she and Ruby could do today, if Ruby was willing. Something that would give them the opportunity to speak privately, without interruption, and spend some quality time together.
It might be a little too early for Ruby to be awake, but Weiss retrieved her phone and sent a text anyway - wanting to make sure Ruby remembered their agreement the instant she woke up.
'Good morning! Would you like to go for a walk with me today? I can meet you whenever.'
Satisfied with the slightly-desperate invitation, Weiss headed downstairs for breakfast. Surprisingly, her phone buzzed with a response before she even made it to the dining room.
'Sure - how about 9?'
The amount of relief Weiss felt at the reply was unquantifiable. With just a few words, Ruby provided assurance that they would see each other today, and that was enough for Weiss to breathe a small sigh of relief. The affirmative response lightened Weiss' mood considerably, even though a pinprick of concern wondered why Ruby was awake so early.
Regardless, if Ruby was willing to meet, then things couldn't be that bad. Maybe Yang hadn't said anything, after all. Or maybe Ruby was at least willing to hear Weiss' side of the story.
"Good morning, Miss," the chef greeted her as she walked into the kitchen. "What would you like this morning?"
"I'll have a grapefruit," she replied, watching the man spring into action to prepare her breakfast. She didn't understand why she couldn't do this herself - all she needed to do was cut a grapefruit in half and set it on a plate, after all. However, she'd been instructed not to partake in such 'menial tasks.' Instead, she watched the man set both halves of fruit on the plate with a grapefruit spoon and slide it across to her.
"Thank you." Taking the plate, she sat down at the dining room table and forced down as much as possible. Her appetite had left her recently, but she knew she needed to eat. As much as she used her 'wedding diet' excuse, there was a fine line between dieting and passing out from lack of nutrition. Seeing as how she had plans to walk with Ruby today, the last thing she wanted to do was pass out and cause a scene.
Half a grapefruit later, Weiss' appetite disappeared when her mother strode into the room. It was early, but the woman was already dressed to the nines - looking like she had somewhere very important to be.
"You need to try on your dresses for the rehearsal dinner," the woman said, skipping a 'good morning' or 'how did you sleep' in favor of getting straight to business. "Meet me in the living room in five minutes."
There was no time to respond as the woman breezed out of the room, leaving Weiss to shove away the rest of her breakfast and stand up. Five minutes essentially meant right this moment, as she was expected to be 'timely.'
Walking into the living room (three minutes early), Weiss found that the space had been transformed and now looked much like the wedding dress boutique visited some time ago. A rack of dresses stood where a sofa used to be, while several tall mirrors were arranged to create a wide viewing area.
"Start with the teal one."
Pulling the teal-colored dress from the rack, Weiss headed into the adjoining bathroom to change. Fortunately, these dresses were far easier to put on than the large, heavy wedding dress. It only took her a couple of minutes before she walked out of the bathroom and stood in front of the mirrors for her mother's judgment.
Pursing her lips while scrutinizing the dress and its wearer, the woman shook her head.
"No. Try the next one."
Without a complaint, Weiss pulled the second dress from the rack and went back into the bathroom to change. A few minutes later, she was back in front of her mother's critical gaze - earning another disappointed shake of the head.
"Next."
Returning to the rack of dresses, Weiss grabbed the next gown and retreated to the bathroom once again.
Each dress was a different color and style, but crafted in her measurements and shipped to their home for convenience. Some minor alterations might need to be made, but a seamstress could be called at a moment's notice to do the required work. She was grateful for the privacy, as it was easier to weather her mother's cold judgment without an audience.
"Not that one."
All of the dresses were Weiss' to keep, but only one would be the 'winner' - the dress to be worn in a little over a week. Although why she wanted to keep the dresses that were so harshly dismissed, she didn't know.
"Definitely not."
The process was tedious, but at least it passed the time - and it was relatively easy for her to repetitively change while steeling herself against her mother's gaze.
"Hmm…"
Weiss nearly stepped away from the mirrors before she realized this dress hadn't been rejected yet. Standing in place, she watched her mother narrow her eyes in thought.
"Spin."
Taking the direction, Weiss spun in a slow circle before coming to a stop. After several more seconds of analysis, her mother gave a single nod and stood up to leave.
"Perfect. That's the one for the rehearsal dinner."
The woman walked out of the room without another word - having far better places to be, apparently - and Weiss turned back to the mirror to take a better look at the dress selected for her.
It was red - a beautiful shade of red that would match the roses. Of course, it reminded her of Ruby...and would remind her of Ruby on the night she wore it again - the night before her wedding.
Sighing in a mixture of pain and regret, Weiss returned to the bathroom one last time to change back into her outfit for the day. She then hung the dresses on the rack with the winning red gown hanging on the end, before leaving the room behind in preparation for going to meet Ruby.
"Find a chauffeur for me?" she asked the butler crossing the foyer.
"Right away, Miss," the man said before rushing outside to do as she requested. While waiting for him to return, she searched the hall closet for her warmest winter coat, gloves, a scarf, and her best pair of winter boots - ones that would withstand walking through the snow.
When the butler returned and motioned her outside, she recited Ruby's address to the chauffeur and was immediately on the way, feeling anxious energy taking over the nearer her destination grew.
She wasn't very familiar with nervous habits, as her family's status had insulated her from that all-consuming emotion, but she'd recently discovered that she would play with the ring on her finger, sliding it on and off repeatedly or just gripping it as if she might take it off.
Touching her hand to her finger, she realized that the ring was currently sheltered by her gloves - an outline of the object pushing through the fabric. She pulled off the glove to remove it, only for the diamond to snag on the interior lining, a small tearing sound issuing a moment later.
With a big sigh, she stored the ring in its special compartment before flipping the glove inside out - finding a small rip in the woolen lining. It wasn't large and, thankfully, the diamond hadn't torn through the leather - no one else would notice except for her.
The streets grew familiar as the distance to the apartment grew shorter and shorter. The more 'business-oriented' section of Vale was left behind, making room for a middle-income area filled with apartment buildings and smaller houses squished in between. When Ruby's building came into view, Weiss felt an ounce of trepidation dash through her veins - a feeling that only increased when she spotted Ruby waiting outside the building with Zwei sitting beside her in the snow.
The sight was soothing and nerve-wracking at the same time.
While Weiss usually didn't know what to expect from Ruby in terms of what the girl might unexpectedly say or do, she'd learned to expect a positive, sunny attitude that could lift her out of the darkest of times.
But what would today bring?
"It might be a while, if you want to come back in an hour or two," she directed towards the man in the driver's seat before letting herself out of the vehicle. Stepping onto the sidewalk, a puff of air visible air exited her mouth, but the sun was doing its part in warming her skin - creating an odd cold-yet-warm sensation that was difficult to reconcile.
She forgot all about the weather when Ruby met her gaze - a small smile appearing on Ruby's lips.
"Hey, Weiss."
With just two words, Weiss knew something was wrong. The greeting was far less enthusiastic than usual, the smile was smaller than usual, and Ruby's eyes were dull today - containing none of the encapsulating sheen they usually possessed. Ruby's somber mood extended to Zwei, as well. The dog stood up and wagged his tail, but it was a soft, mellow wag very much unlike his normal hyperactive whip.
Two words and Weiss knew - Yang had told Ruby the truth.
Ruby knew that Weiss was at lunch yesterday instead of in the business meetings she'd said she was going to. Ruby knew that Weiss had missed the last winter track meet to have lunch with Cardin instead.
Even though she'd seen it coming, the reality of the situation ran like ice water through her veins - her blood running cold as panic gripped her chest.
"Hello," she replied, forcing a smile even though her lower lip quivered with a rush of emotions. "You guys ready to go?"
When Ruby nodded, they turned and set off down the sidewalk, making their way towards the park where they'd first met.
Usually, their silences were comfortable - pauses in conversation that were enjoyable to stay within for a short period. Most of the time, Ruby would hum softly to herself, the soft sound melodic and calming to Weiss' ears. But the way Ruby stared at her feet today - completely silent - put Weiss on edge.
What was she supposed to say? Where should she begin? Would Ruby even bring it up?
She didn't want things to be like this...Ruby's downtrodden aura could break her heart into pieces.
"So, how were the meetings? Learn anything cool?"
When Ruby looked over to hear her answer, Weiss felt the first crack appear in the center of her heart. There was hurt in those silver eyes.
She needed to fix this - she needed to fix it right now, before her heart broke apart.
"Oh, my dad canceled them last minute and dragged me to lunch before some 'family outings,'" she replied nonchalantly, the agony in her chest growing when Ruby looked relieved by the answer.
But Weiss continued anyway.
"And lunch was...not fun. But I ran into Yang and Blake celebrating their anniversary."
Most of it was true. She had been dragged to lunch, and it had not been fun. And Ruby was smiling now, nodding her head as the glimmer of pain disappeared from her eyes.
"Yeah, they mentioned seeing you! I told them there must've been a change of plans!"
And just like that, Ruby was back to normal - innocently trusting Weiss when she shouldn't. Ruby seemed vindicated, even, her words suggesting that she'd argued with the two girls in Weiss' favor.
Weiss' stomach turned in revulsion from the lies she'd just told, and from the way Ruby believed everything that came out of her mouth. Ruby trusted her, and she'd just taken advantage of that trust, again.
At least Ruby was happy...but the price of her continued happiness grew steeper and steeper by the second.
Hoping the put the subject far behind them, Weiss looked around and recognized the flower shop on the left-hand side of the street. The park entrance was to their right - the area currently motionless and abandoned. The trees were now barren, save for a few evergreens that stood tall and proud amongst the brown skeletons. A thin line of white was visible on every surface - from the benches, to the branches, to the pathways. With so little snow accumulating, the sidewalks hadn't been shoveled, leaving the snow undisturbed except for the footprints of the people who'd been there before them.
Weiss immediately noticed that Ruby liked to step where there were no imprints, even if it meant she had to leap from one spot to the next. The childlike behavior brought a smile to Weiss' lips, admiring the way Ruby could find such simple things to take delight in. For her part, she tried to step where everyone had already walked - those slushy areas seeming safer in terms of not slipping on an unseen patch of ice.
After Ruby unclipped Zwei from his leash, the dog trotted ahead where the grass once was - each of his steps leaving a tiny paw print behind. He didn't have to worry about stepping in anyone else's footsteps - he had the grass all to himself.
"I'm really sorry I missed your last track meet, Ruby…" Weiss said to break the silence. "I would've much rather been there, believe me."
She could never apologize for that enough, but she could at least try to clear the air of the memory for now.
"That's alright," Ruby replied, waving one gloved hand through the air. "You can make it up by coming to one next semester! It'll be my last official track season."
"Deal," Weiss immediately agreed.
"And if you really want to make it up to me, you could come to more than one," Ruby suggested, turning to give Weiss a lopsided grin and a wiggled brow.
Weiss laughed at the proposal. Clearly, Ruby understood that she felt bad enough that she would agree to something like that. Plus, it would be nice to watch Ruby win - watch her best all of the other competitors thrown her way.
But then an unwelcome thought popped into Weiss' mind - one that stole the oxygen from her lungs.
She would be married then. Did Ruby realize that?
Would they spent time together like this after that happened? Would Ruby still want Weiss to come to track meets? What will happen to them - to this - after the wedding?
Being anything more than friends would have to stop - that's all Weiss was sure of. She couldn't risk rumors cropping up about a mysterious relationship...but she didn't want anything to change. She wanted everything to stay like it was.
An impossibility, she knew. For some reason, she knew that Ruby would...feel very differently...about her after she was married. Likely so differently that they couldn't remain friends. Would that mean that they wouldn't talk to one another anymore? No more messages, no more phone calls, no more...anything?
"You wanna hear what Emerald tried to do this time?"
"Please," Weiss replied, wanting to hear anything that would draw her mind away from her current thoughts.
"Ok, well first, she tried to get in my head before the first race - saying 'I hope you don't fall on your face again' or something like that. She wasn't even in that race with me! She just walked by and said it!"
"That's pretty cruel…" Weiss said, although her lips refused to frown due to how widely Ruby gestured while they walked along the snowy path - Zwei buzzing along beside them. Thankfully, Weiss also knew this story had a happy ending, so it was hard to be upset about it now.
"But I didn't fall because sometimes I can stay on two feet for an entire race. I ended up in the finals with her, but I got the inside lane and she was in lane six. You know what she tried to do then?"
"What did she do?" Weiss asked when it became clear Ruby wanted her to pose the question.
"She tried to get her lane switched!" Ruby said with a laugh. "Which is so dumb...they won't switch lanes - we only stay in them for a few seconds anyway!"
"What was her reasoning?"
"Something about how the lighting bothered her eyes…" Ruby replied with a giggle. Letting out a little laugh herself, Weiss shook her head at how ridiculous this girl sounded.
"She's really something…"
"Yeah! So, that didn't work out for her. Yang said she looked soooo mad when we lined up to start."
Ruby probably hadn't meant it to be a dig at Weiss' absence, but she still flinched in discomfort and jealousy when reminded that Yang had made it there when she had not.
"And then the other girl from her school false started - uh...started running before the gun went off...so we had to line up allll over again," Ruby continued with a shake of her head. "But the next time we started clean, and I just whooshed away from them!"
Ruby clapped her hands together, her gloves muffling the noise, before shooting one hand away from her in a whooshing motion.
"Anyway, the inside lane is awesome because you don't have to merge - you just keep running as fast as you can until the race is over. You never see anyone in front of you - it's just a wide open track. It's almost like running alone, if you didn't hear the sound of footsteps behind you."
"Chasing you," Weiss pointed out, making Ruby laugh.
"Yeah, that makes you want to run a little faster."
"I didn't beat my record, but it was still good enough to win!" Ruby added. "And Emerald placed third, but ended up getting disqualified after the fact for grabbing this girl's arm to slow her down."
"Idiots never learn," Weiss commented with a roll of her eyes, satisfied that the girl hadn't gotten away with the antics this time.
"That's why she's still in school! She got held back - her and Mercury both. They aren't transfers like Pyrrha."
"Really?"
It was surprising to hear of people being held back these days - at least, to Weiss it was. Most of the children she'd gone to school with had been busy trying to move up a grade.
"Yup! At least, that's what I think happened. Other people say they spent a couple years in a detention facility in Vacuo - something about armed robbery? I think they just got held back, but let everyone believe they were in jail so they look all cool and dangerous."
Weiss looked at Ruby with wide eyes, but Ruby didn't notice the glance while watching Zwei zig-zag across the sidewalk in front of them. The comment was worrisome, even more so due to the offhand way Ruby said it. Of course Ruby believed the sweet, innocent version of the story, but sometimes tales were just as nefarious as they appeared.
Maybe Weiss was overreacting, but she should probably do some digging into Emerald's background. A girl with that type of history...who was so competitive with Ruby...there was no telling what Emerald might do if she continued losing races. It might even be worth hiring an investigator to figure out the girl's past, just to be on the safe side.
When Ruby turned off of the path and onto a patch of undisturbed snow, Weiss knew where they were headed. Treading more carefully upon the invisible trail, they quickly found themselves standing in front of the angel fountain Ruby had shown Weiss weeks ago. The water had been drained and the fountain switched off, but the statue in the middle was just as beautiful as the first day she'd seen it. The angel on top was covered in a thin layer of white snow, but the small cherubs underneath were still protected from any inclement weather.
They must be the first ones to travel this way today, as the snow in the clearing was smooth save for the footsteps they'd just created. Zwei added as many paw prints as possible though, running back and forth while smelling every surface he could find.
When Weiss and Ruby stopped in front of the fountain, Zwei jumped into the now-empty pool on his own accord - not waiting for Ruby's approval. The little dog then ran in a few circles before nosing his way up to the statue, where he sniffed the base before lifting a leg to relieve himself.
"Zwei!" Ruby yelled, watching him with wide eyes. "What're you doing?"
Weiss giggled when Zwei gave them an unrepentant glance before running to smell the sides of the pool, jumping out of the fountain after several seconds and rushing to a nearby tree. Watching the dog race away, Ruby chuckled and shook her head - strands of brunette hair falling across silver eyes.
"That's not my dog."
Weiss burst into laughter at the comment, her eyes meeting Ruby's.
"Don't look at me - he's not my dog either," she replied with a smile.
When Ruby unexpectedly took ahold of Weiss' hands, her breath caught in surprise. Her initial reaction was to pull away in case someone was watching, but those adoring silver eyes prevented her from reacting upon instinct. They were alone here anyway - there was no reason they couldn't share this moment...she just wished their gloves weren't getting in the way of her feeling Ruby's soft palms.
"You know...you're really pretty when you smile…" Ruby said softly, her cheeks blushing ever so slightly at the words.
"Thank you…" Weiss whispered back, feeling her cheeks heat up from the compliment. She was never sure how to accept such words of praise, especially from someone she could write ballads about.
"And even prettier when you laugh."
Opening her mouth to respond, she found no words to say. There was something about the way Ruby was looking at her right now - with an intense affection flowing towards her - that she wasn't sure how to answer.
"Weiss, I..."
Pausing, Ruby briefly turned away as the flush on her cheeks deepened in color.
And, just like that, understanding hit Weiss like a bolt of lightning on a calm day - appearing out of nowhere, with no warning. The dots connected, the stars aligned, and everything suddenly made so much sense.
So much horrible, horrible sense.
Please don't say what I think you're going to say, she silently begged Ruby. Please don't put those words out into the world.
"Ruby, you don't -"
"Weiss, I love you!"
Weiss froze - the words stopping her breathing instantly. Even without oxygen, her heart pounded loudly in her ears, as if trying to jump right out of her chest.
Don't say something I can't return...
Having shouted them in her nervousness, Ruby was now blushing even more furiously. Looking at the ground for several seconds, she collected herself before turning silver eyes back to Weiss.
"Weiss...I'm in love with you…" Ruby said quietly, her eyes determined as her hands gripped Weiss' tightly, refusing to let go.
This should be one of the happiest moments of her life. She should be laughing, hugging Ruby, crying tears of joy…
This should be one of the happiest moments of her life. And it absolutely was, but it wasn't.
Her heart felt like it had been ripped in two - one half dying while the other thrived. There was something so wonderful, magical, powerful about those words...
Ruby fidgeted nervously in the silence, but when Weiss opened her mouth to respond, only a small, strangled noise slipped out.
"You don't have to…"
She cut off Ruby's forgiving words with a kiss, dropping Ruby's hands in favor of grasping two fistfuls of her coat and pulling them together. Feeling Ruby's hands slide behind her back, Weiss wrapped her arms around Ruby's neck and pulled herself up on her tiptoes to deepen the kiss.
She kissed Ruby as passionately as she could - as if Ruby might evaporate before her eyes at any second, as if this moment was so fleeting it could be taken away from her in a flash. She wanted to be the only one Ruby ever said those three words to. She wanted to be the only one those silver eyes ever looked at this way. She wanted to be the only one Ruby ever kissed.
Because she loved Ruby too.
But she could be none of those things, and she could say nothing in return. It wouldn't be fair. She could only hope that her lips could somehow communicate her feelings - that Ruby understood how deeply Weiss cared. How much she wished they could remain like this forever - that their lives weren't pulling them apart…
When they finally broke apart, breathing large puffs of air into the cold, Ruby looked down at her so...lovingly...that she felt her heart swell painfully. And when Ruby smiled, there was no sliver of pain in her eyes; there was no disappointment…
Ruby did know. Even if Weiss hadn't said it, Ruby knew.
What are you doing, Weiss?
She jumped when something brushed against her leg, looking down to find Zwei sitting beside her foot. He stared up at her expectantly, his tail wagging back and forth across the snow.
"He uh…" Coughing when her voice came out raspy from emotions, she tried again.
"He looks like he's ready to go."
"Aww Zwei - you know how to ruin the moment, don't ya," Ruby replied, playfully nudging her pet with the toe of her boot. "Guess we have to do what the dog wants, don't we?"
When Ruby offered her hand, Weiss paused for just a second before accepting it. They walked out of the park hand-in-hand - not a single soul in sight as they made their way back to Ruby's home. They walked as slowly as their feet would allow, dawdling in every sense of the word as they attempted to fill every possible second with each other, enjoying the isolation they'd been temporarily granted.
It was as if the universe had decided that this would be their moment, and theirs alone.
Ruby didn't release Weiss' hand until they reached the apartment door, and even then she only did so to retrieve a set of keys from her pocket.
"Do you want to hang out tomorrow?" Ruby asked while unlocking the door and pushing it open, releasing Zwei so he could run into the apartment for a drink of water.
"Yes, but don't you have practice?"
A long time ago, Weiss had memorized Ruby's practice schedule so she would know when to expect the girl to be busy. The lapses in communication had been far too disconcerting otherwise.
"No practices until next year," Ruby replied with a shake of her head. "We'll have our wrap up meeting and clean out our lockers in a couple days, but that's it!"
"Oh...then yes, I would love to 'hang out.'"
There would probably be some errands to run for her mother first, but she should be free at some point during the day.
"Cool - just text me whenever!"
Having just earned the unexpected surprise of no more track practices, Weiss smiled. That probably meant Ruby would have more free time that they could spend together over the next few days. Which meant Weiss should do her best to clear her schedule.
Her breathing suddenly slowed when Ruby leaned close to her, the smell of rose-scented shampoo washing over her.
"Soo...think I could get a goodnight kiss?"
Weiss instantly sputtered at the unexpected...and absurd...question.
"Night? It's not even dinner time yet!"
"Yeahhh...but if you give me one now, I think it'll tide me over. I think," Ruby replied, her eyes twinkling with joy. "Unless you want to come back when I'm about to go to sleep and give me one then?"
Rolling her eyes at the second suggestion, Weiss leaned forward and gave Ruby a long, passionate kiss - allowing her lips to linger a lot longer than she should have.
"Goodnight," she whispered, breathing the words into Ruby's mouth before backing away with a blush.
"Goodnight, Weiss," Ruby responded before quickly leaning in and stealing another kiss - laughing as she jumped into the apartment when Weiss swatted at her. "I'll text you in a bit!"
With a smile still on her lips, Weiss shook her head at Ruby's antics and made her way to the elevators. When she stepped into the first elevator to arrive, however, her smile dropped.
She wished that the feeling Ruby filled her with wouldn't fade so quickly. She wished it would linger like an imprint, providing enough happiness to last her the car ride home. But as soon as she left Ruby's side, anxiety and helplessness returned. She knew why, but didn't want to admit it to herself -
The number of days they had remaining could be counted on less than two full hands now...
Stepping into the ground floor lobby, she was so caught up in her thoughts that she almost walked right past Blake and Yang.
"Hey, Weiss."
"Hello, Weiss."
The greetings brought her eyes up in surprise - finding the two girls standing directly in front of her.
"Oh, hello," she replied, trying to add a polite smile, as well.
"You and Ruby just get back?" Yang asked cordially.
"Yes, we took Zwei for a walk."
"Ah…"
An uncomfortable silence settled over them after that statement, allowing little room for more pleasantries.
"Anyway, I hope you have a good afternoon," Weiss said before stepping around them, deciding it would be best for her to take her leave.
The glance they shared didn't go unnoticed by her, but she chose to ignore it as she passed by and pushed open the front doors. They were probably upset at her for lying to them yesterday, and denying she knew who they were. Hopefully, they would forgive her one day...
She was already to the sidewalk when the sound of the front door opening and closing reached her ears.
"Hey Weiss, wait up."
Just steps from the waiting limousine, Weiss stopped and waited for Yang to jog over to her. A couple of feet away, Yang stopped and shoved both hands into her front pockets in a gesture Weiss had seen Ruby do a thousand times.
"I hope you understand why I told her," Yang began, the pseudo-apology genuine but not pleading. "She's my sister, and I'll always look out for her...even before myself."
"I understand," Weiss replied with a nod.
And she did. If she'd been as close to Winter as Ruby was to Yang, she could imagine doing anything in the world for the girl - even if that meant telling her something she might not want to hear...to protect her.
"I guess you guys got it all sorted out though?"
"Yes, we sorted everything out," she replied, sidestepping another lie, knowing Yang wouldn't approve of how they'd sorted it out. But Yang nodded in acceptance of that answer - in some respects, just as gullible as her younger sister.
"Good...but I've wanted to talk to you for a while now...about Ruby and...what the two of you have been doing."
"We're just spending time together," Weiss replied, hoping Yang couldn't tell that the two of them had been lip-locked just minutes before. But her comment earned her a disbelieving glance.
"Maybe I don't come off as the smartest person in the world, but please don't treat me like an idiot."
Weiss' mouth fell open in dismay, surprised by the unrelenting tone in Yang's voice.
"I don't think you're an -"
"Weiss, she thinks the two of you are dating!" Yang broke in, skipping any back and forth in favor of getting straight to the point. "She thinks you'll leave him."
Whatever innocent act Weiss had been trying to maintain dissolved immediately.
"I...but I can't do that."
"What are you doing with her then? Is this just some weird fantasy you're fulfilling before you're married or what?"
Yang had both hands on her hips now - the posture demanding a truthful answer.
"No! No - I...care about her. A lot. But I can't just do whatever I want." Weiss tried to be as honest as possible while still skirting around the real issue.
"Why not?"
The question was asked so genuinely...as if Yang couldn't come up with a single reason why Weiss would marry someone she didn't want to. It was actually quite remarkable how both Yang and Ruby were almost confused as to why Weiss had to do this.
Some built up frustration leaked out when she answered - frustration at her family, at the world she'd been raised in...at everything.
"Because!" she said, throwing her hands out in exasperation. "People like me don't have that luxury."
The words came out wrong - she knew it the instant Yang set her jaw.
"Right...as opposed to people like us, who run around doing whatever the hell we want."
"That's not what I meant…"
"Then what do you mean, Weiss? Are you saying that your duty to be the banner girl for your family means you can't love who you want?"
"That's exactly what it means!" Weiss shouted, tears suddenly welling in her eyes.
What did Yang know about the pressure to maintain a family name? What did Yang know about the weight of responsibility to carry on a legacy built over generations and generations of hard work and sacrifice?
Yang thought that Weiss could just tell her parents to call off the wedding? That she could tell them what she wanted to do? She'd never been successful in accomplishing a single thing her parents were against. She couldn't even cut her hair if her mother didn't want her to.
Taking several deep breaths, she tried to calm herself while Yang stared at her - taken aback by the sudden outburst.
"It's not my decision to make."
Her voice was hollow - dead - the acceptance of her fate shining through. And Yang's face fell in disappointment.
"If you're just messing around, you need to stop right now. Ruby doesn't deserve to be toyed with like that. You're just going to break her heart...and from the looks of it, yours too."
Yang took one step, like she was going to leave, but hesitated and studied Weiss with caring lilac eyes.
"Do the right thing, Weiss," Yang said softly. "Ruby doesn't see the future you and I both know is coming. Don't make me regret not talking to her myself."
This time Yang did walk away, leaving Weiss frozen to the sidewalk. She stared at the front doors even after Yang disappeared through them, and jumped when her driver touched her shoulder with a quiet 'Miss?' Snapping out of her trance, she got into the vehicle so she could be driven home - her mind in turmoil the entire way.
Was Yang right? Was Weiss using Ruby? She didn't feel like she was, but that didn't mean it wasn't true.
Did Ruby really think Weiss could stop the wedding and they could be together? Because she couldn't stop the wedding. She couldn't. Her parents would never allow it. They would do whatever it took to make sure it went through. If she so much as mentioned any reservations about the marriage, they would have her locked inside the house indefinitely.
Leaning back against the seat, she placed one hand over her heart as it beat with pain.
She'd never suffered anything as torturous as not saying those three words back to Ruby - the three words she felt every second they were together. The three words she knew to be true…
The three words she could never allow to escape from her lips.
She wasn't free to love whomever she wanted…
She couldn't fall in love with a stranger in a park and live happily ever after…
A fairytale, her life was not.