So, I forgot to update my story yesterday… and, for once, I actually have a reason for my lateness: I went home at 10 o'clock… Band practise, bruh.
I apologize for those of you who've waited. Really, I do. But as soon as I got home, all I could think of was which PJs I should wear.
Here's the chapter, hope you enjoy~
"... What?"
Ruby's weight shifted entirely to one foot - her right foot. Meanwhile, her left foot traced circles on the wood-tiled floor; the floor she was currently looking at, as opposed to the girl in front of her.
She bit her lip, unsure of what to say.
So she started to walk.
"I'll explain on the way," she muttered.
Her footsteps were so loud compared to Blake's. In fact, she could only hear the girl's footsteps because she was listening closely.
She wondered if it had something to do with Blake having another pair of ears, or if she just walked very quietly.
Her eyes found two things - the same plain dark-colored floor... and her shoes. Red black shoes.
It wasn't interesting.
But it was safer than looking at Blake.
"Ruby?"
She couldn't fight the blush growing on her face - couldn't stop it.
She knew Blake deserved answers.
She shouldn't keep the band member in the dark.
"Yang... had told me what to do in these types of situations," she began, looking up when the elevator door was in front of her only to press the button and look back down again. In the corner of her eyes, she saw Blake, standing there, looking at her expectantly.
So she continued.
"If there are boys or girls who tried to... force themselves on me. Even if it's a short kiss, Yang told me if I'm not comfortable with it even the slightest bit-"
That was when she finally looked into a pair of amber eyes. They were filled with many emotions, understandably. But the most revealing and notable was the shock.
"-I should always push them away. Always." She let a few seconds passed without words, knowing the bassist needed to fully digest this information first before she continued. "Yang told me that, countless times. It doesn't matter if I'd known them for years. It doesn't matter if they looked shady and could hurt me."
A beat of silence passed, she needed to gather a semblance of strength to finally admit the last part.
"It doesn't matter if they're my closest friend." Silver eyes watched as the eyes of gold slowly but surely widened in a wave of emotions. "If I don't want them to kiss me, then I will push them away."
Blake spoke, after a long while. Ruby couldn't blame her for being at lost.
"Then... that means..."
A ding.
The elevator door slid open.
Ruby went in without a word.
Shortly after, Blake followed.
The view of the wood-tiled floor was replaced with a metallic-tiled one.
Ruby pushed the lobby button, earning another 'ding' in response.
She sighed.
"That's not all."
There was rumbling before she felt herself going down.
This was the only time Ruby wished elevator music still existed.
As annoying as they sounded - they were better than what she was currently dealing with; suffocating silence.
She hated the silence.
She knew Blake was waiting for her to say something - to tell her more about what happened, but...
She was just... embarrassed.
But I need to tell her, the strong-willed part of herself declared. She NEEDS to know.
So Ruby spoke.
"I don't think Weiss realized it, but... right before she kissed me, right before she told me to close my eyes, I... I saw her... I looked at her. Blake, she... I knew that look. I've seen that look a couple of times. I knew what it meant. Yang had warned me about it. I knew, Blake."
She repeated that last part - only with much more emphasis.
"I knew."
The door opened.
Ruby walked away from the suffocating box.
She stopped.
Blake hadn't taken a single step.
She looked back.
Blake looked...
She looked bewildered.
"You... You let her kiss you."
Heh.
Yang really did have such a smart girlfriend.
She didn't bother trying to hide her blush. What was the point, anyway? If Blake could figure out her letting Weiss kiss her, then she must know why as well.
"I did."
It felt so... relieving to say that.
"I could've pushed her away the moment she leaned towards me," she stated. "Heck, I knew what she wanted to do the moment she told me to close my eyes. But I did it anyway." She sighed deeply. "I knew the look she was giving me, Blake."
The bedroom eyes.
That was the kind of eyes Weiss had.
That was the look Weiss had given her.
That...
That was the moment Ruby knew her feelings were returned.
It was obvious from the start, now that she thought of it.
The way Weiss had treated her... the way she had called her 'Rozē' in that beautiful, soft Atlesian accent.
It was obvious from the start.
Ruby was just too naive - too thick - to notice it.
"Ruby... I'm not mad at you... if that's what you think."
Her head snapped up.
Blake had taken a few steps without her notice. She was now only a foot away from her.
Silver eyes searched deeply into a pair of gold-like eyes.
True to her words, she found no resentment, no anger, no fury... nothing of the sort.
Instead, what she found made her glad.
Because there was a deep level of understanding in her eyes.
"Let's go," the older girl said, circling one hand around her shoulder, dragging Ruby closer towards her as she began to walk. Ruby nodded as she hummed in response, following along. She didn't know exactly where they were going, after all, other than they were going to somewhere where they could have dinner together. "And Ruby?"
She looked up. "Yeah?"
"Thank you."
"Thank you."
The blonde stopped just a shy away from fully exiting the lobby. "For what?"
"For telling me," Weiss elaborated, wishing with all her might that the girl wouldn't be able to see her pink cheeks.
Yang gave her a toothy grin. She looked exactly like Ruby. It... comforted her.
"It's no problem, Weiss. You deserved to know, after all."
That was the second time Yang had called her using her real name.
Weiss found herself smiling. And it wasn't a fake smile.
"C'mon, then, we don't want to be late for our dinner date, correct?"
Weiss stared at Yang with a raised eyebrow and a hint of a smile, then turned to leave the building.
She heard Yang's infectious laughter shortly after - and also her rather loud and boisterous footsteps.
"You're right, My Love~" Yang teased in a singing voice once she was walking next to Weiss. The heiress took notice of her limping from her previous injury, and made sure to walk slower than usual. "We wouldn't want to miss our... special date, wouldn't we, Honey."
"No," she replied, her dry voice a stark contrast with Yang's much more... dynamic one. "That would simply be horrible, Sweety." Yang barked in laughter. And soon, she herself couldn't help but let out a few chuckles as well. "What did you plan for this date, Dear?"
And with that, they walked to wherever Yang planned to take her, doing this weirdly-fun roleplaying thing.
They talked about any and all things - ranging from how nice the weather was and what would they name their first child - obviously imaginary, of course. She was still seventeen. She'd just begun to like Yang, how could she even like her that way?
Slowly, the knots in her shoulders loosened, and she found herself smiling more and more easily. And breathe more easily. And say things without having to worry about anyone judging her.
Huh... Maybe she was beginning to understand why Blake liked this... doofus of a blonde.
Sure, she was air-headed, thick-skulled, too confident for her own good, and had a very low sense of humor, but...
She was also kind in her own way and wiser than she would let anyone think... Not to mention caring, perspective...
And her smile...
It was... it was Ruby's smile.
It made her think about Ruby.
... It was strange to think that the girl knew what was about to happen. But, at the same time, Yang's words had really hit her.
If she didn't want to be kissed, then she should push the offending one away.
She should always push. Always.
Yet...
When it came to Weiss...
She didn't...
Because... because she liked Weiss.
She liked Weiss as more than just a friend.
And that... that was almost relieving.
Almost.
She remembered the day where the two sisters had burst into the room unannounced.
She remembered seeing them assessing the situation; and Neptune's very horrible one.
She remembered what they had done afterward.
She remembered Yang's words, far too vividly for her own liking.
Ruby... did you bring your emergency pill?
She didn't like what she heard. Not one bit.
She needed to know.
"Yang?"
The blonde in question blinked. Up to this point, they'd called each other using pet names such as 'Baby' or 'Deary'. She must notice they were going to talk about something serious - serious enough to momentarily stop their 'play'.
"Yeah?"
She swallowed and was momentarily stricken with fear. Fear of knowing the answer.
But this had something to do with Ruby.
So she needed to know.
"Why... does Ruby have those pills?"
"Why... do you have those pills?"
Ruby flinched in panic but tried not to show it to Blake. Instead, she gave the older girl an easy-going smile. "What?" Fishing out the small bottle of pills in her hoodie and showing it to the noirette and asked, "You mean these ones?"
Blake looked uncertain; torn in what she should say.
Ruby gave a hearty laugh to ease her.
"It's okay to ask, Blake." She fiddled with the cap of the bottle, looking at it with too many emotions. "Well, I guess I started having those attacks not long after my mom died."
She could feel Blake flinching at what was obviously a sensitive topic. "Ruby-"
She gave the older girl a stern, but understanding look and Blake closed her mouth.
"I'm not bothered by it anymore, I've moved on," she said with a somber smile, knowing those sweet old memories were just that; memories, but relishing it, being glad that they were made at all.
"What... exactly are they for?"
Ruby could hear another question that Blake didn't need to ask. Why did it work on Neptune?
"It's for my anxiety. I used to need to take them every day, but lately... I've been needing them less." At Blake's questioning glance, Ruby shrugged. She herself didn't know why, but hey, she wasn't about to look a gift horse at its mouth.
"But Neptune doesn't have anxiety," Blake argued.
Ruby pondered for a moment - trying to think of an answer that would satisfy the untold question.
"Did he seem nervous right before a show?"
At that, Blake's head tilted to the side, and one of her ears perked down. Wow. Cute. Ruby could see why Yang would want to date Blake.
"Yeah, but, don't all of us?" the noirette pondered, then her face turned into a more thoughtful one. "But, now that you mentioned it, yeah... he always sweats and stutters more than any of us."
Ruby nodded slowly, taking in the information. After a while, she asked another question. "And after a show, does he appear more tired than he should be?"
Blake looked bewildered. Very bewildered.
"... Yeah."
"And does he have trouble sleeping?" Ruby proposed with a more confident tone. She knew what Blake would say.
"Yeah, he mentioned it a couple of times, how did you-"
"What about having trouble paying attention?"
"Yes... That too." Ruby stopped walking. Blake, after noticing she was no longer walking, stopped as well. The older girl turned to look at her. "Ruby?"
"Blake... Are you sure Neptune's condition isn't anxiety?" The other musician bit her lip and looked away, obviously unsure. The brunette sighed. "Well... It's all up to him, I guess." She began walking again. After she passed Blake, she heard very light footsteps - it was obvious who they belonged to.
Seconds later, Blake was in front of her again, as she was the one who knew where to go. However, after looking at the familiar scenery, she smirked.
"We're almost there."
"We're almost there."
Weiss raised an eyebrow at Yang's words, before looking around the vacant area. A pang of nervousness shot through her - the heiress was worried about where she was and how she would go home.
"Where exactly are we going?"
"You'll see~" was the teasing response. She should've known the brute wouldn't give her a proper answer.
She rolled her eyes and asked half-jokingly, "Are you trying to kidnap me?"
"... Maybe." That did not calm her nerves at all.
Weiss squinted her eyes and looked around.
There was something about the vacant place that seemed familiar...
"Have we... been here before?" Yang's chuckle caused her to tilt her head. "We have, haven't we?" It was more of a statement than it did a question.
Yang turned to look at her, then made a zipping sound as her fingers went through her mouth. The message was clear as day; Yang wasn't going to tell her anything.
She sighed deeply. Why she came along with Yang on this 'date' was beyond her. She should just stop right now and demand the brute into telling her what exactly was she planning and threaten to leave if she wasn't given any answers.
Yes. That was exactly what she should do.
... Too bad she was too tired to - as Sun had once put it - 'give zero fucks'.
Weiss diverted her attention back to Yang's leg - more accurately, her injured one. She squinted, trying to find if there were any limps or strains or... something.
"How's your leg doing?" asked the heiress. She was only a little concerned for the idiotic brute. Yes, only a little.
Yang looked down to see her own leg and swing it around - kicking air - as she grinned. "Pretty good, actually. You did a good job banging it up." Weiss was about to thank her when she said, "Thanks, Weiss, I know it must've cost you... an arm and a leg."
Weiss groaned. Very deeply. Very painedly.
The 'gag' was so bad it rendered her speechless.
She looked into Yang, hoping her eyes would convey just how much she wanted the girl to say no more of this monstrous, dangerous, horrible excuse of jokes.
It appeared she didn't convey enough of her feelings towards Yang's type of 'humor' - either that or Yang did notice her suffering, but chose to carry on regardless - because she said, "I really do thank you, though. Without it, I could never stand to be."
"Yang. Stop." Weiss choked on her words. She was positive that she would empty her stomach's content if Yang said any more.
"Oh, you want me to stop?" For a moment, she was thankful that her message seemed to be getting through to her thick skull... but she soon realized that was not the case when she saw Yang's eyes, and what lies inside it. "Prove that you want me to, then... Bend on one knee."
Weiss blinked.
Yang paled; horrified.
"Alright, so, that's not exactly a leg pun, but it still works."
"No, Yang... No, it doesn't." She might not like puns in the first place, but even she knew the lines between puns who worked and ones that did not.
They dwelled in silence - save for the clacking of her heels and the brute's boots.
Unfortunately, the silence eventually was broken.
"Hey, Princess?" She only hummed in response. "Guess what happens to the girl who fought with her boyfriend with wooden legs?"
"... Yang..." Her tone was threatening and cautious. "Don't you-"
"She broke it off!"
"Dammit Yang!"
"Dammit Yang!"
"... I assume your sister has made a terrible pun again?" Blake's voice was littered with cautiousness and incredulity, her face a mixture of confusion and amusement.
Ruby sighed and shook her head. She showed Blake the article she'd found on her phone; namely, ones about her being the new member of Blake's band.
"None of this would've happened if it weren't for her stupid plan," the brunette complained in a mutter. She blushed a little and looked away when the older girl laughed, possibly because of her so-called 'cute' whining even though she wasn't that adorable and others were just overreacting.
"Yes, but her 'stupid' plan is what saved us from getting backlashed by the media." Blake's tone was filled with not even a hint of offense, yet Ruby still flinched anyway.
"I-it's not that I don't want you guys to be okay," she assured as she raised both hands. "It's just," she frowned, "now people think I'm special."
"Are you saying you're not?"
Ruby could only chuckle and say, "Of course I'm not." She gave Blake a smile that she could only pray was cheerful enough. "I'm just me."
"Then why does Weiss have feelings for you?"
Crap. That was a good point, she realized as her cheeks slowly become warmer, their color turning into her name - both first and last.
Silver eyes narrowed in thought as she half-consciously began fidgeting.
"Eh," she said, trying to be dismissive. "It must be one of those 'two weeks and then it's gone' crushes."
"Oh, really?" asked the older girl.
She replied with a cheerful "Yep!" Her grin slightly faltering when Blake looked at her as though she was forgetting a very obvious piece of the puzzle. She didn't know why Blake was looking at her like that, she wasn't missing any point.
"Then why does Weiss keep on talking to you for six months?"
Oh.
That was a good question.
"We're friends. We talk to each other," Ruby tried to reason.
"But not every day." Ruby noticed Blake had stopped, and when looking forward, she realized why.
They were at their destination.
A very familiar destination.
"You're taking me to Adel's," Ruby stated, more towards herself than towards the noirette, smiling.
She then sensed pressure on her shoulder, soon recognizing it as Blake's hand. It was warm. It relaxed her.
She looked into the pair of gold-like eyes.
Those eyes stared back with a sense of great knowingness.
"Ruby," she said, her voice deep and a little raspy. "You are special. And don't ever think otherwise. You're special to Yang, you're special to me, and you're special Weiss, even if you think otherwise."
Ruby's eyes were wide.
Her jaw hung open.
And maybe there were the beginning of tears in her eyes.
She took a breath and opened her mouth to speak-
-but a buzzing accompanied by a tune cut her off before she could even begin.
Blake looked apologetic when she grabbed her phone.
"I'm so sorry, Ruby, but I have to take this. You go on inside, I'll be there in a few minutes."
Ruby nodded numbly, a little curious as to who was calling Blake and what the call was about that it made Blake walk away just a shy away from the entrance door.
As she went into the familiar place, noticing how empty the restaurant was, all she could say was;
"O... kay."
"If I don't want them to kiss me, then I will push them away."
Always remember that, everyone. Consent matters. Also, you should remember that exact phrasing because in the future chapter... those exact phrasings will be important. Very important. So... remember that, alright?
If you re-read back in when Weiss kissed Ruby, you'll notice that I put hints of how Ruby knew she was about to kiss her. I've planned this from the start, so it's nice to see that things are slowly piecing together.
Hmm… I wonder what will happen next. Well, actually, I do know what will happen next, but you don't… Poor you. You can check out my P*Treon and get early chapters (sort of like RT's First Members, but way cheaper.) So go check that out.
See you guys next week!
