Hello, here's chapter 43. Hope you enjoy it!
I do not own RWBY and make no monetary gain from this. Writing is for entertainment purposes only.
Quick recap of last chapter: Blake asked Pyrrha to the dance as her partner but it didn't quite work out. And now, the awaited day is finally upon us…
At the door leading into the ballroom, they were greeted by a smiling Weiss and Yang. From within, a slow beat mingled with a multitude of voices and laughter could be heard. Apparently, many people had decided to get the party started a bit earlier than the schedule said.
"Welcome," Yang and Weiss said in sync. "Refreshments are to the left. DJ will start in thirty minutes. Hope you enjoy!" The line was practiced, same many times already, but what struck Ruby the most was how her girlfriend matched Yang in enthusiasm. It was cute, and she didn't miss how much they both enjoyed being playful like that.
She's beautiful…
"Thanks. When will you be off?" Blake asked, breaking Ruby out of her reverie.
"In an hour," Weiss replied quickly. "By then everything will be in place. We're still waiting for some of the catering. Someone sent one of our orders of sandwiches to the wrong address so they're rushing to get here."
Reaching out with a hand, Ruby gently took Weiss' hand in her own and gave it a small squeeze. "I'll see you then." The smile Weiss returned in kind was dazzling, eyes filled with longing to spend the time with her.
As Ruby walked inside with Blake and took in the sight of the multitude of people and the lights, her stomach was filled with butterflies. She wanted to spend every minute of the evening with her Weiss, but she realized that even if she was missing her girlfriend, it wouldn't do to not enjoy the event to the fullest, so she had every intention to do so for the next hour. Not that Ruby was too sure about what that meant. Talking to people was a given, stressful as that could be, and she was grateful that Blake was next to her for support. With some apprehension, she eyed the groups of students hanging out closest to her.
I guess it's a good way to get me out my comfort zone. I was never good at small talk with strangers…
"Let's head over to the food, Ruby," Blake suggested and nodded to their left. Happy to have a semblance of a plan, Ruby agreed and followed. Hanging out by the punch bowl seemed like a good start.
In that manner, the student body and Ruby both found themselves having a pretty great time. With a glass of fruit punch and a plate of snacks in the company of a good friend, there wasn't much to complain about. Weiss had evidently had her in mind when she ordered the chocolate chip cookies she'd found near the snack buffet, and she made a mental note to thank her girlfriend later.
Ruby even managed to strike up a few brief conversations with some of the exchange students that meandered over to get their fill, so she was beginning to think that she was pretty good at this grown-up thing, even if Blake's presence was a sort of comfort blanket who would conveniently jump in when she wasn't quite sure what to say next. It got easier with each time though, slowly but surely.
After some time, she and Blake bumped into Neptune and Sun. "Hey guys," she greeted, remembering to give Neptune a second chance. She still hadn't fully forgiven him, but it would be petty to hold a grudge.
"Hey, Ruby, what's up?" Sun greeted.
"Not much. Kind of just waiting for Weiss. Are you looking forward to dancing later?" Ruby asked him, unsure of what to really say next.
"Yeah. Don't have anyone to dance with yet but I'm sure I'll find someone," Sun replied, looking wholly unconcerned.
For his part, Neptune shrugged and looked rather flustered. "I don't really know how to dance, so I'll sit that one out."
Ruby knowingly waved her plastic fork in Neptune's general direction. "I know how you feel, but Weiss will drag me up there. At least for the slower songs." She noticed Blake's raised eyebrow from the corner of her eyes and felt embarrassment bloom up in her over marking her territory like that.
He sent her a nervous grin at that. "Ah, yeah, Weiss. About that… sorry again."
Smiling at him, she just shrugged. "It's fine. I was pretty pissed to be honest with you, but that only lasted for an hour or so."
"Thanks. So, I heard you're the team leader, and two years younger than everyone else. Is that true?" he asked.
His attempt to change the subject wasn't exactly smooth, but Ruby didn't mind. "Yeah, that's right. It was actually just dumb luck that landed me here."
"Really? What happened?"
With that, Neptune and her started a long conversation about how they got into their future career, with Sun chiming in on account of being a fellow team leader. In turn, the conversation turned towards Haven academy and Mistrael in general. Jaune joined them after a while together with Pyrrha, while Nora dragged Ren around the room and talked animatedly with whoever's path she happened to cross.
Blake and Pyrrha looked rather awkward around each other still, but they didn't shy away from talking to each other. Ruby tried to not be overly worried and just leave them to their devices. At least they were smiling. The previous small exchanges at the breakfast table or during class has been sparse, to put it mildly.
"Ruby, did you grab the cookies towards the far end of the table?" Jaune asked her when there was a lull in the conversation.
"Yeah, I knew Weiss wouldn't let me down," she replied smugly.
Just then, with the party well underway, Weiss and Yang's duties were done for the night and both girls were approaching their little group, weaving their way through the crowd.
Ruby again took the opportunity to admire Weiss' white dress and how it complemented the girl. The dress was modest and hugged her features loosely. She was also wearing a pair of sandals with silver decals that made her feet and legs look adorable.
I just hope Neptune's learned his lesson. Probably, he seems like a nice guy once he's not after Weiss.
Maybe she was a bit too possessive, she wryly thought to herself. Though, perhaps that was fine; Weiss was too important to not be a bit protective over. In turn, a wave of giddiness rolled over her when she again noticed how Weiss' eyes drifted up and down her dress, drinking it all in and liking what she saw.
"Is everyone enjoying themselves?" Weiss asked as she approached. To Ruby's great joy, she slunk in next to her and wrapped an arm around her. A shiver of delight travelled up her back. She just loved that Weiss could do this in public now.
"Yeah, we're having fun," she confirmed and smiled at her cute girlfriend. "This is amazing."
"I'm glad," Weiss responded and planted a quick kiss on her cheek, making Ruby's heart skip a bit, a wide smile pulling at her lips.
"Told you there wasn't nothing to worry about, Weissy," Yang added as she began to sample the buffet, picking up a neatly cut BLT-sandwich.
While nibbling on their food and conversing, Ruby grew increasingly comfortable. Perhaps parties weren't so bad, after all.
Suddenly, the DJ hollered for people to gather on the dance floor. Students all around them began to exchange glances or talk to one another, the air now holding a certain nervous energy to it. Ruby felt a pang of sympathy well up in her for her fellow introverted classmates, who were shyly observing from the sidelines.
"Ruby, let's dance," Weiss said and held out her hand.
Well, I guess I'm doing this.
With building nervousness, Ruby extended her own hand and Weiss confidently took it. "Yeah, sure," she replied, not feeling quite as confident as she sounded. However, she recalled the advise Weiss had given her when they practiced.
"Blake, may I have the first dance?" Yang asked then, smiling fondly at her partner.
Blake looked baffled for a moment but her bewilderment was quickly replaced by a grateful smile, and she nodded and took her hand as they made their way towards the dance floors.
And as the music started, and all those friends and couples began to move to the beat, somehow, Ruby managed to overcome that anxiety and just let go, following Weiss' movements or seeking inspiration from those around her. Sure, her moves amounted to little more than swaying and bouncing around on the spot, but it did the trick.
Further away, Blake and Yang were dancing and it seemed like Blake was having so much fun, smiling and laughing as they spun around and quickly became the center of attention.
The songs replaced each other and Ruby lost track of time, so caught up was she in the good mood. Dancing together with Weiss was amazing. Each smile, each touch, each look radiated a sense of shared happiness that made her day.
They danced, took a break to talk to their friends, then danced some more. Ruby wasn't sure how much time had passed but it must've been over an hour. Her fear of dancing was all but gone and she was actually feeling pretty exhausted from the unexpected workout.
"Come on, let's take a break and catch some air," Weiss said once the next song came to a pause, having caught on to Ruby's need to rest.
Hand in hand, they made their way out to a balcony. The door was locked but Weiss fished up a key from a pocket and quickly opened it. Ruby shivered in delight from when the cool evening air hit her skin. Behind her, Weiss closed the door again to give them a semblance of privacy.
"Wow, it's pretty warm in there." Ruby leaned against the balustrade as she stared out over the Academy grounds. The gardens were ahead, coloured in the dim glow of the shattered moon. Lamps lit up the pathways and gave the solitary view an almost cozy quality.
Weiss hummed in reply, lightly touching her back.
"You've done a fantastic job," Ruby complimented, turning around to look at the multitude of people who didn't have a care in the world. "Look at how much fun everyone is having." Through the thick glass, the bustle from within could still be heard, but comfortably muffled. Ruby preferred the quiet if she was to be honest.
"Thank you. There was much more effort to planning everything than I had anticipated, but in the end I'm very happy with the result," Weiss replied, voice tinged with pride. "I would've wanted more dollies though, but Yang wouldn't let me." A wry grin graced her lips at that.
A slow dance came on and Weiss gingerly took her hands and wrapped them around her waist.
"You timed our break just for this song, didn't you?" Ruby asked, happy to comply with what her girlfriend wanted.
"Maybe I did," Weiss replied smugly, wrapping her arms around her neck.
They swayed together in time to the slow, melodic beat of a love song. Holding Weiss in her arms never ceased to be one of Ruby's favorite things in life, and she sighed and nuzzled Weiss' temple.
A giggled escaped her girlfriend. "I take it you're enjoying yourself?"
Ruby smirked. "Particularly right now." She planted a soft kiss on Weiss' throat. "Love you."
"Love you too." The arms against her upper back tightened their grip a final time before letting go when the song came to an end. Weiss took a step back and their eyes met, a stiff smile gracing her lips, before she quickly turned to look out across the balcony railing, her cheeks and the tips of her ears turning pink.
Catching on, Ruby realized that Weiss was growing nervous. Besides the more obvious signs, it also showed in her minutely stiff posture as she turned and how she busied herself with smoothing out a wrinkle in her dress. The lack of eye contact was another dead giveaway.
Not wanting to interrupt or push Weiss, Ruby simply stepped forward to stand next to her, looking out over the lawns and lands beyond. With the moon shining down, it was a very romantic view. She grasped Weiss' hand, stroking the palm of her hand soothingly with her thumb.
I'll just be patient until she's ready to say what she wants.
Ruby was more curious than worried, because she could tell that Weiss wasn't scared or acting like she had some bad news to bring up. Considering how special this evening was to them, that was of course even more unlikely. Thus, Ruby concluded that Weiss wanted to be extra affectionate but didn't know how to proceed for whatever reason.
"There's something I want to give you, Ruby," Weiss said softly after a minute of silence, eyes locked on some faraway spot across the lawns.
Ruby waited, trying to figure out what Weiss meant.
With a small smile and blushing cheeks, Weiss fished up a small rectangular box from a pocket. Finally, her shy blue eyes met Ruby's gaze. "You remember how I mentioned that I talked to Taiyang a while back about my plans for us?" She clutched the item to her chest.
"Oh yeah, that's right," Ruby squeaked out, both flattered and embarrassed. She would never forget the moment they'd shared on Patch, under a similarly clear night sky. The moment when Weiss had revealed how she viewed their future.
"I love you Ruby, and I want to be with you for a very long time. I told Tai as much… and my feelings have not changed in the slightest since then." There was a conviction in her voice, serious and intense, as she looked Ruby in the eyes, not blinking once.
Her words took a moment for Ruby to catch on to, but when she did, she began to smile as a amalgamation of love and tender care bloomed in her chest. "Weiss, I feel the same way. I love you and never ever want to be without you," she replied affectionately.
Weiss looked visibly lovestruck. She took a deep breath, like she was psyching herself up. "Tai saw that too. For that reason, he entrusted me something I think you'll recognise and said to give it to you when I felt that we were ready to make a commitment. It's not an engagement ring, but I want you to think of it as a promise of my intentions, if that makes sense?"
Ruby's heart skipped a beat. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Suddenly, her legs felt weak. She managed to nodd, not trusting her suddenly dry throat to vocalize an affirmation. Weiss opened the small box and Ruby just stared at the contents in bewitched silence. Twinkling softly, there lay her dad's and mom's pair of ruby necklaces.
She could still remember how she'd played with it when her mom held her in her arms, and how she'd batted after the red gem when her dad had leaned down to carry her. The pendants had always fascinated her when she was small, providing an endless source of amusement whenever she was held in one of her parents arms.
Her eyes grew misty, the familiarity and meaning behind the gift not lost on her. The necklaces had been proof of her parents love, and now Weiss wanted them to carry those same gems.
"I-if you f-feel the same way, Weiss stammered, " I'd be honoured if you would accept this gift so we could wear them together."
Ruby almost didn't know what to do, a part of her not quite able to comprehend that this was really happening. Happiness welled up in her and she was completely lost for words, so overwhelmed was she by the joy that all she could was to step forward and allow Weiss to carefully envelop her in a hug. She sniffled and pressed herself close, completely overcome with emotions.
Weiss was shaking slightly, and Ruby planted a soft kiss to the nape of her neck. She felt light-headed, giddy, confused and so happy she didn't know what she should do, all at the same time. "Yes, Weiss. Yes!" she finally managed to get out, her voice growing stronger for each syllable.
"I'm glad," Weiss whispered, letting out a heavy breath and hugging her back, noticeably relaxing. She wrapped her arms around Ruby and hugged back tightly. "I was so nervous."
Giggling, Ruby began to plant soft kisses along Weiss' neck and rocking her slowly in her arms to support her. She let the last kiss linger as she inhaled her girlfriend's perfume and once again thanked whatever deity existed that she had met Weiss.
Her girlfriend stood there for a moment, slightly lost, before snapping out of it and motioning for her to turn around. "Let me put it on, please."
"Of course," Ruby replied and turned around. She waited with bated breath, hyper-aware of every second as soft footsteps behind her came closer until Weiss placed a hand on her shoulder. Then she felt a gentle kiss on the nape of her neck before Weiss put the necklace around her back. The pendant had a surprising weight to it and the silver chain was cool to the touch. She looked down on her chest and again felt how tears began to sting in her eyes.
"My turn, she whispered. Ruby reverently took the pendant out of the box, feeling the familiar weight of it in the palm of her hand. Carefully, she swept Weiss' hair to the side, exposing her neck and planted a soft kiss there in return, before locking the slim silverchain in place.
A moment passed as Weiss gently touched the gem. "Ruby, may I have another dance?" she asked when she fully turned around, hand outreached.
Ruby carefully took her hand and intertwined their fingers. "I'd love to."
The next morning, Weiss woke up before Ruby for once. It didn't happen often, so she readily took the chance to admire the girl she loved, but not before she quietly leaned in and kissed her cheek. Ruby just continued to snore lightly, making her smile.
She accepted the necklace and feels just as strongly for me as I do for her. I'm the luckiest girl alive.
Affection welled up in her and had not she not been afraid of waking Ruby, she would've hugged her tightly against her in that moment.
Looking past her sleeping girlfriend, she found that the early morning light filtered in through the curtains and it appeared to her that the sun was just beginning to peek up behind the horizon. In other words, it was way too early to get up, which suited her perfectly. They'd stayed up late, even if they had excused themselves from the dance before most others, in order to be freely able to express the love they felt.
Weiss also spotted both Yang and Blake resting in their respective beds. She was glad Blake had been able to enjoy herself to her heart's content as well, dancing away like that and able to match Yang's skill. The ball had been a success by all accounts and she hoped it would be a fond memory for many students to look back on.
She wasn't sure when her friends had returned, but she felt no small amount of relief over her and Ruby exercising enough consideration to open a window and take a shower together before dressing themselves in the regular nightly attire. Her face heated up just from imagining Yang and Blake walking in on them at any stage of their lovemaking.
She wasn't sure exactly when it happened, but as she laid there and spent her time admiring Ruby mixed with recalling yesterday, her eyes dropped shut and sleep overtook her once more.
The next time she came too, it was from a light kiss on her cheek and gentle fingers combing through her hair.
"Weiss, wake up," Ruby whispered.
She opened her eyes and slowly stretched even as Ruby held her in her arms. "Good morning. Did you sleep well?" she replied with a yawn as she wiggled around in her girlfriend's nimble grasp. She wondered how long Ruby had held her like this.
"Yeah, but I'm still tired. Yesterday was so much fun," Ruby replied.
"But not too much," Weiss teased, smiling.
"Definitely not." Ruby giggled and leaned in for a quick peck. "The too much fun part happened after midnight."
Weiss' blushed, the memories still vivid and tantalizing in her mind. It had been an unforgettable evening and night. "I can't exactly disagree with that."
They spent close to fifteen minutes laying together in bed and exchanging light kisses and hugs. Ruby naturally took the opportunity to grasp at her rear again, something Weiss readily let her indulge in. It was nice to be appreciated in so many different manners.
Eventually, the next team member woke up.
"Good morning, Weiss, Ruby," came the drowsy voice of Blake from he other side of the room. Weiss wasn't sure she'd ever seen her friend so tired, hair tousled and dark circles under her eyes. Looking up, Yang was in no better state, still in her dress and sleeping like a log.
"When did you get back? I didn't hear you enter," Ruby asked. Weiss imagined she could hear the same hidden relief she'd felt herself earlier.
Blake blinked and looked at her Scroll. "Around 4. Yang and some others invited me to their dorm and drinks were brought up. We stayed up way too long."
Weiss raised an eyebrow, not quite believing her ears "Did you drink?"
Blake nodded. "It seemed like s good idea at the time. Now it's mostly all regrets." She flopped down on the bed again and groaned. "I'll try to get some more sleep in. Wake me up around lunch, please."
"Okay, I will do that," Weiss said, still in awed disbelief that how nonchalantly Blake had revealed that. She knew Yang had some experience with alcoholic beverages, but today she'd learned something new about her friend.
Looking at Ruby, it appeared her partner was as surprised as she was, eyebrows raised and eyes wide. They exchanged a look and Weiss simply shrugged, not wanting to wake her friend up further.
"Let's lay down again," Ruby urged in a whisper. "It's too early to get up."
"Yes, but let me just quickly check the time," Weiss replied. She grabbed her Scroll from the nightstand and noticed how the small notification light was blinking.
Turning on the display, it felt like her heart stopped for a second.
It was a message from her father.
*Insert dramatic music*
What a way to end a chapter, eh? And now they're pretty much engaged-but-kinda-not-but-they-promised-to-love-each-other-forever-thingy-oh-theyre-so-adorably-gay :)
I hope this chapter was enjoyable.
Reviews are appreciated, no matter how long or short they are.
