Weiss awoke to the feel of a body pressed up against her back. For a second she froze as she remembered she'd fallen asleep alone. She relaxed as the familiar scent of Ruby entered her nose, telling her who the unknown cuddler was. She felt the gentle embrace of the arm across her stomach and the hard knees pressed in behind her own. Even the gentle breath that fell across the hair at her back helped her relax as she knew that Ruby wouldn't ever lay anything but a loving finger on her.
In the midst of her contentment, she felt her stomach growl and she just slightly reacted by curling away from Ruby as if it would stop the sound from reaching her ears if she was awake. Luck was not with her as Ruby started quietly giggling as she tightened her embrace and moved so she could kiss Weiss on the cheek.
"Getting hungry?" Ruby asked in a whisper when Weiss turned her face to look at her.
"A little. I skipped lunch." Weiss stated with a slight smile. "Do you have any ideas?"
"I have a few…" Ruby suggested, leaning back down and placing her lips gently on Weiss's.
The two kissed slowly for a long while, eventually readjusting their positions so Ruby hovered over Weiss with the help of one of Weiss's hands while the other was threaded together with Ruby's and forgotten at their sides.
They broke apart just as gently as they'd come together. Neither one eager to break the comfortable silence of the room.
However, Weiss's stomach had no qualms with doing it for them and a rather loud growl made Ruby burst into giggles and Weiss's blush deepen in embarrassment.
"As much as I love kissing you, I don't think your tongue is the cuisine my stomach requires." Weiss joked as Ruby moved off of her.
"Fair enough. There's always dessert." Ruby grinned as she jumped up. "Now get dressed in whatever you want that's not my pajamas, and meet me in the workshop when you're ready!"
Weiss nodded and Ruby was almost out of the door before what she said registered.
"Wait! Did you say the workshop?" Ruby nodded excitedly in response. "Not the kitchen?"
"Nope! I have a surprise for you!" Ruby squealed eagerly.
"Can it wait till I have something to eat?" Weiss asked patiently. "I can make us something quickly if you want."
"No dice, Weiss!" Ruby giggled at the rhyme. "Just trust me, okay?"
"I trust you, Ruby." Weiss said seriously. "Are you sure it can't wait five minutes though?"
"Nope, it's already been waiting five minutes and five more would be pushing it." Ruby said before she disappeared.
"Sometimes, what that girl says gives me a bad feeling…" Weiss grumbled to herself as she pulled herself out of bed and quickly dressed in her usual outfit. She decided she'd leave her scroll as she noticed Ruby had left hers. After all, whatever Ruby had to show her couldn't take that long.
Weiss came out of the twisting dark stairwell to find Ruby standing and tapping her foot impatiently as if she'd been waiting for a while.
"What took you so long?" Ruby asked as Weiss closed the door behind her.
"I didn't want to trip down the stairs." Weiss replied. "Plus, I'm still not used to that staircase. It's kind of steep."
"Well, come on!" Ruby took her hand and almost pulled her across the room to the door she'd been kept from opening the day they'd cleaned. Ruby stopped at the door and turned and took Weiss's other hand so she was holding both her hands. She looked into Weiss's eyes for a moment before she blinked and looked down at their hands. "Do you trust me?"
"Ruby." Weiss found it almost ridiculous that Ruby was asking that again. But then again, she'd needed a great deal of reassurance that Ruby actually cared for her. Maybe this was Ruby's hurdle that she needed to overcome. "Do you trust me?"
"Of course!" Ruby answered with a vigorous nod.
"Then trust that my answer hasn't changed in the three minutes since you asked me in your room. And trust that it won't change unless you give me a very good reason to change it." Weiss replied. "I trust you more than I have ever trusted anyone on Remnant. That includes my father, who as I'm sure you know, I trusted with my entire life up until just recently."
"Okay… are you sure?" Ruby asked quietly as if she was expecting Weiss to pull some cruel joke out of her statement.
"I'm sure Ruby." Weiss replied. "I probably trust you as much as I trust myself. At times I might even trust you more."
"Really?" Ruby asked as if she didn't fully believe Weiss's words.
"I don't think I've ever been more serious, Ruby." Weiss replied before stepping forward and pressing a quick kiss to Ruby's cheek. "I love you and I trust you."
"O-okay." Ruby stuttered at the tone of Weiss's voice. Weiss really was serious, and everything she did pointed to the same conclusion. Her tone, her body language, and even her eyes had gone hard as she spoke. Hard, but not cold as they'd been when they'd first met. It was the look of resolve that spoke through in her tone that was more serious than Ruby had ever heard, even when she had informed her father of their relationship. Ruby nodded in acceptance of Weiss's response then repeated it out loud once more. "Okay."
"So what did you ask me to come down for?" Weiss asked kindly, feeling that Ruby's moment of insecurity had passed.
"Actually, can you close your eyes first?" Ruby asked glancing at the door at her back.
Weiss hesitated, but knew that whatever Ruby wanted to show her was waiting behind that piece of wood. She wanted to know what was so important that Ruby would want to keep it secret till the last possible minute, but it was Ruby's turn to trust that she hadn't made up her statement. Weiss closed her eyes and felt Ruby's hands leave her own.
Weiss stood still, simply waiting patiently before she heard the door click open and the hinges squeak only slightly as the door was opened wide. Weiss felt Ruby's hands take hers again and gently start pulling.
"Keep your eyes closed, I'll guide you, okay?" Ruby instructed and Weiss nodded her understanding. There was no reason to speak when this was most definitely Ruby's show.
Ruby walked her into the room and stopped her gently. She turned her and stood directly behind her before she applied a slight pressure to Weiss's back. After only two steps, Ruby pulled her to a stop.
"In front of you there are two steps that are about two inches high and eight inches long." Ruby informed her before she urged her to continue moving. Weiss carefully lifted her foot and felt her foot land on the short step. She readjusted her foot so it was completely on the step before she took the second step. Ruby continued to guide her three steps farther before she stopped again. "Okay, when I say, open your eyes."
"Okay." Weiss responded as Ruby adjusted her angle and stepped away again.
Ruby seemed to have gone to shut the door as the quiet click of the lock echoed in the silence. "Okay, now."
Weiss opened her eyes and froze. If Ruby's ceiling was beautiful, then what she was looking at was a god's collection. Countless art easels stood staggered around the center stage she stood atop of. Paintings of everything from nature to cities to flowery hills, and even a few of grimm all surrounded her, their brilliant colors and lifelike appearances making her wonder if they were actually photographs at times. But no, they were far more detailed than any digital device was capable of capturing.
"Do you like it?" Ruby asked nervously as Weiss turned to take in more of the art, her eyes darting from one painting to the next, as if afraid she only had a small amount of time to take it all in. But in a way, she did. There was so much that she could study a single painting and still not see everything it had to offer after a month.
Weiss continued to look at every painting she could, it was impossible not to. Just as she was turning back to where Ruby had initially directed her, she jumped as Ruby was standing directly in front of her.
"Weiss?" Ruby asked quietly. She was nervous. Weiss could tell by the way she bit her bottom lip and the way she wasn't making eye contact.
"Your mother painted all of these, didn't she?" Weiss asked quietly while she stepped closer to Ruby to offer some comfort to the girl.
"Yeah, she did." Ruby nodded.
"They're the most wonderful paintings I've ever seen." Weiss said honestly. "And I've been to every major art museum on Remnant."
"Really?" Ruby asked, her silver eyes fluttering as they made contact with ice blue. "You aren't just saying that?"
"No… I'm glad you brought me in here." Weiss smiled and gave Ruby a hug to show her appreciation.
"The only ones allowed in here are my family." Ruby spoke into Weiss's ear. "Dad, Yang, Qrow, and me."
Weiss remained quiet, letting Ruby say what she needed to. She already knew where this was going, but at the same time she was glad that Ruby could accept her the way she'd accepted Ruby. And that's when it struck Weiss. Other than her father and his business plans, there was absolutely nothing opposing their relationship. Everyone was supporting them. The thought that the only one going against them was her father made her blood boil, but Ruby's voice threw whatever anger she had out of her mind.
"I wanted to bring you here to tell you that…" Ruby hesitated as if she was afraid of putting voice the obvious implication. "Weiss, I love you…. And I want you to know that whatever happens, I'll always consider you part of my family."
"Ruby…" Weiss didn't know how to respond. It wasn't as if she didn't have a family of her own, but that seemed to make the fact that it felt like she was an orphan a hundred times worse. But Ruby herself, honestly and wholeheartedly accepting her into her family… it was almost too much.
Ruby felt Weiss's breathing hitch, then again as she tightened her grip. Ruby pulled Weiss closer, nuzzling her face into the crook of her neck, leaving a simple peck before she moved on so her mouth rested next to her girlfriend's ear.
"Shh…" Ruby whispered quietly. She would have spoken more, but it didn't seem that was what Weiss wanted. Ruby felt the difference in the way Weiss held her. It was only slight, but enough that she could tell their relationship had changed. At that moment, Weiss clung to her as if she were drowning. But it wasn't desperate. Not desperate, but so much more imperative. It was as if she literally needed Ruby to survive. Her arms clung tight, but at the same time were loose enough to remove if Ruby wanted to. She didn't.
Ruby felt her shoulder grow damp over the following minutes as she slowly started to rub circles on the heiress's back. Weiss slowly stopped shaking and released Ruby. Ruby didn't step away, only leaning slightly so she could look Weiss in the face.
Weiss's eyes were red from the tears they'd just finished shedding and her cheeks were decorated with the trails they'd left. But beneath her eyes and nose, her lips were stretched in the happiest smile Ruby had ever seen on her face. It wasn't large, but there was no denying the happiness she exuded as she parted her lips.
"I love you so much…" Weiss's voice cracked and a fresh set of tears started flowing down her face. "And I'd be honoured if you'd agree to be part of my family as well. Even if we're not as close as your family, we never turn our backs on each other."
"Really?" Ruby asked quietly.
"Of course… can I tell you something?" Weiss asked quietly in return. Ruby nodded and Weiss gave her a quick peck on her lips before she continued. "I was worried when I woke up this morning and you were gone. Yang and Blake helped me calm down even though I knew there wasn't a problem. Its just that yesterday a lot of stuff happened and I was afraid it was a dream."
"It wasn't a dream, Weiss." Ruby spoke seriously and happily. "My entire family knows about us now."
"And I'm really happy about that, but what I meant was that I was afraid I'd dreamed about yesterday, but what made me really realize it wasn't just a dream, was Yang." Weiss said. Ruby seemed slightly surprised so she continued. "Yang is still Yang, but this morning she didn't treat me like her teammate. She treated me like a sister. And that's when I realized it was real. Yesterday was real, our relationship was real. I realized it was the most real and amazing thing that you've given me and keep giving me. I just wish I could give you the same."
"You already do, Weiss." Ruby replied. If her smile was already glowing bright, then now it was shining. "Every time you kiss me, or smile at me or hold my hand. Every morning when I wake up to find us cuddled together or when you wake up and wait for me to wake too. Even your quiet laugh that sends tingles up my spine tells me that you love me in a thousand different ways. Even when I met your family… well okay, bad example, but your sister was nice. The way she smiled at you told me that all she cared about was your happiness. That's why she's bringing you the contract. Because she knows how you feel and all she wants is for you to live the way you want to."
Weiss leaned in to Ruby. Their soft lips met briefly before Weiss moved to deepen their kiss. Ruby's tongue met hers and Weiss couldn't hold in her moan that slipped out as her heated body reacted to the taste of her girlfriend. Even Ruby's heart beat that Weiss could feel through their embrace seemed to speed up to a point where she simply thrummed with the energy of their passion.
Weiss broke out of the embrace before she lost complete control of her senses. Her breathing was coming in rapid gasps that had nothing to do with a lack of air and everything to do with the way Ruby watched her even while her chest heaved up and down with her heavy breathing.
"We should stop." Weiss breathed as she finally managed to control her gasping. Ruby nodded and stepped back but not too far away.
"I guess… do you want to take a look at some of the paintings then?" Ruby asked, looking for something to distract them. "I'll show you my favourites."
"Okay." Weiss nodded. They had only gone a single step when Weiss's stomach growled. "Maybe we can get something to eat first and come back?"
"Oh! I almost forgot!" Ruby spun around and pulled Weiss over to the table that sat at the edge of the raised platform. "I made us supper and I thought we could eat here."
"That sounds nice." Weiss nodded and allowed Ruby to guide her to the chair on the left. She quickly sat opposite Weiss and pulled two covered plates out of a basket that was hidden on the other side of the table.
"My mom used to make this for me because it's my favourite food." Ruby said excitedly, she pulled the covers off and a cloud of steam rose out from the plates as they were unsealed. Ruby dropped the lids back into the basket and pulled out a candle that she placed to the side of the table and lit. "Now close your eyes for a minute."
"What's the surprise this time?" Weiss asked as she obliged. The light she saw through her eyelids vanished and a moment later she found herself shifting as the smell of the food started to reach her nose.
"Okay, open them." Ruby spoke quietly and Weiss once again followed the directions. The overhead lights were all off but dozens of spotlights illuminated every painting around them. The platform where they sat lay in complete darkness save the ambient light of the spotlights' reflections and the flame burning from the candle on the table.
Weiss looked down at her plate where she recognized something that bore a similar resemblance to a meal she'd expect from one of her chefs back at her parent's main estate.
Ruby was watching her reaction and smiling. It was tempting to just start eating, but regardless of everything that had happened, she was still a Schnee. And she'd been raised with good manners if nothing else.
"Thank you Ruby. Everything looks so wonderful." Weiss said, once again looking around at the room.
"I'm glad you like it." Ruby replied silkily. "Let's eat before it cools down too much."
Weiss smiled and took up her utensils. She was surprised that the dish actually tasted better than its presentation suggested. In fact if it was anyone except Ruby, she'd offer to hire them as a personal chef. But since it was Ruby, Weiss knew all she'd ever have to do was ask.
"I had a little help… is it good?" Ruby asked cautiously and Weiss realized that the younger girl hadn't actually taken a bite yet.
Weiss nodded since she was chewing, and smiled for a moment. Ruby got the message and started to eat as well.
Ten minutes passed in the relative silence of their meal. The steady spotlights unwavering on the paintings surrounding them as the flickering candle grew steadily shorter. In that time, not a single other noise could be heard from the rest of the house. It was as if the two were in a completely different world where only they existed amongst the beautiful canvas surroundings.
Weiss found herself taking in the beauty of the paintings in her field of vision as she ate, but soon found something much more enchanting, yet also more beautiful to study. But she kept her eyes shifting so as to avoid staring. By the time the two had finished, Weiss found that at some point she'd started to simply watch Ruby. The way her jaw worked on the food and the way her hair shifted when she made the tiniest of movements was hypnotizing.
"So did you like it?" Ruby asked, snapping Weiss out of whatever thoughts she'd been having. She quickly looked down at her plate to find it was empty.
"It was exquisite Ruby." Weiss complimented. The smile that reappeared on her girlfriend's face was more than enough reward.
"I'm glad…." Ruby sighed in relief. "I wasn't really sure about the sauce but he said it would be perfect."
"That reminds me you said you had help." Weiss prompted.
"Yeah. I came upstairs to make something but you were sleeping so I was about to ask Blake." Ruby said. "But then I heard Uncle Qrow got home early and he's the best cook in my family so I asked for his help and it turned into a surprise when you didn't wake up!"
"I haven't met him yet, have I?" Weiss said thoughtfully as she simply enjoyed the conversation between them that seemed to have returned to normal.
"No. But he'll be here tomorrow so… darn, I forgot." Ruby suddenly looked around as if frightened.
"What's wrong?" Weiss mirrored Ruby's looking around, but for what she didn't know.
"Whatever you do… take my lead around him. Otherwise he can be a bit… difficult." Ruby chose her words carefully as if she couldn't decide on which ones she wanted to use.
"If you'll remember, so am I." Weiss joked and Ruby's smile popped back.
"Well, if that's the case, I'll leave you to get to know him then." Ruby joked back. Even though Weiss knew it was a joke, she wasn't entirely comfortable with the idea.
"I'd hate to keep him away from you since it will be the last day of break. Why don't we all do something together?" Weiss suggested, trying hard not to sound uneasy.
"I think that's what he planned anyway." Ruby dropped the joke. "He said he wanted to test our team's combat effectiveness."
"What exactly does that mean?" Weiss asked hesitantly.
"Remember the front yard?" Ruby asked as her silver orbs met Weiss's. "That."
"I see." Weiss nodded. "Is there-"
"Nope!" Ruby chirped. "But that's tomorrow, right now I want to show you my favourites!"
Weiss laughed as Ruby pulled her from her seat and started pulling her around the room to her favourite paintings. It wasn't long before the romantic mood returned as each painting Weiss looked at was more beautiful than the last. Yet whenever she looked away from them as Ruby explained a reason she liked it or what it meant to her, Weiss took in the love that seemed to pour from the younger girl. There was no other way to describe the way she laughed or almost cried when she was explaining the paintings or what she remembered about her mother when she was working on them. Weiss payed careful attention to every word Ruby spoke, hoping in the back of her mind that maybe, one day, she'd be the one to draw such poetry from the girl before her.
"So this is the last one and then we can do whatever." Ruby said as she pulled Weiss up to the last painting. It was dark, but not in the sense of color. The white that covered most of the painting depicted a snow-covered world. But within that world the one who caught Weiss's attention was the single young beowolf in the center of a clearing between trees.
At it's feet fell the shadow of the setting sun that seemed to be coming from off the left side of the painting, but beneath the shadow, Weiss could feel more than see that the dark brush strokes hid something much more sinister.
But try as she might, Weiss couldn't look away. The forest behind the creature was silent and peaceful in the dying light. The snow on the ground appeared mostly untouched, and the bits hanging onto the branches of the trees glittered in the last rays of the sun. But always, as it was the center of the image, Weiss's eyes were drawn to the shadow of the black creature with the bright cherry eyes.
"What do you think?" Ruby asked as she stood silently at Weiss's side.
"It's honestly terrifying." Weiss couldn't find a better or more appropriate word for the intensity of the art that kept her rooted to the spot.
"It is." Ruby agreed as they continued to take in the intricacies of the art. "This is one of a small number of paintings I never saw until after mom died."
Weiss simply nodded. She could tell why her mother had kept it hidden. More than being simply terrifying, the very atmosphere around the canvas seemed tainted. Evil almost.
"I was only ever allowed to visit this gallery. Not that I knew there were other paintings, but I was never really curious to find out." Ruby spoke as if speaking of another's history. "The room on the top floor… the one across from the window… it has more of these."
"More? Like of the same painting?" Weiss asked curiously. Even the concept of more of these terrifying images existing within that very house sent a small chill down her spine.
"There is only one copy of each painting. But the more we've been learning at Beacon, the more I'm starting to be unsure of my own assumptions." Ruby replied. "This painting… has a feel the others here don't."
Weiss nodded her head. She knew exactly what Ruby meant, but didn't have the word for it. "It feels…"
"Evil… hateful… malevolent… but not quite…" Ruby tried to find the word as well and failed.
"It feels almost like the emerald forest." Weiss commented, the feeling oddly similar to the initiation just before she and Ruby found themselves surrounded.
"Yeah… almost." Ruby agreed quietly, deep in thought.
"Have you taken a close look at the eyes?" Weiss asked, noticing for the first time the depth of the painting. Specifically the cherry red orbs that seemed so lifelike even through the obvious strokes of a brush. She moved to lean closer and Ruby caught her shoulder before she could move.
"Don't." Ruby ordered seriously. "My Uncle gave me one warning when I told him about these paintings. He said to stay far away from them."
"Then why do you have one here?" Weiss asked, leaning away and tearing her eyes off the canvas to look at Ruby. Her face seemed troubled yet calm.
"I convinced him to bring it down for me under the condition that I let him seal the rest into the studio." Ruby explained.
"Seal…" Weiss mumbled as a possibility struck her. She shook it off after short consideration. It was far too unlikely a scenario. "So she made these in that room upstairs?"
"Yeah, all her stuff is still exactly where she left it up there. The only thing missing is one of her brushes. At least, that's according to dad." Ruby replied. "Anyway, do you want to look at more of them? Or do you maybe want to go upstairs and cuddle?"
Ruby nudged Weiss's arm suggestively and Weiss couldn't help the laugh that came with Ruby's randomness.
"Cuddling sounds like I'm your stuffed animal." Weiss laughed as she let Ruby lead her back to the door. She took one last glance at the painting. It's aura seemed to bleed into the surrounding darkness but vanished after only a couple inches. Barely noticeable if it were to exist outside of her head. She pushed the thought away and flicked Ruby on the nose as she tried to sneak a kiss.
"Hey!" Ruby complained as she recoiled from the surprise. "What was that for?"
"For leaving me alone all day." Weiss picked the first reason she could think of.
"Oh… were you lonely without me?" Ruby asked expectantly.
"You think I can't handle being on my own for a day?" Weiss asked in response.
"Hmmm…" Ruby honestly gave it some thought. "You were definitely lonely."
"I wasn't lonely." Weiss stated firmly. "I just… missed you is all."
"You're the best, Weiss!" Ruby giggled and this time Weiss allowed her to steal her kiss. "But were you surprised?"
"I can honestly say I was." Weiss replied. "Now it's my turn. Who do you prefer? Large police man, military official, or Jaune look alike?"
Ruby almost choked as she started laughing. Weiss opened the door of the room and led them out, allowing Ruby to lock it while she calmed down.
"What on Remnant are you talking about?" Ruby asked as her giggles died down enough for her to form words.
"I'm asking which movie we should watch next." Weiss stated as she pulled Ruby so she hooked her arm through the heiress's. Weiss led them toward the stairs as Ruby gave her question some thought.
"Well, I'm not quite sure… what movies are you talking about?" Ruby asked hesitantly.
"Come on, just pick one." Weiss said with a sigh. "Since when do you care as long as we end up cuddling?"
"Well…" Ruby's hesitation was met by a skeptical look from Weiss and Ruby's blush gave her away. "Fine. Jaune look alike. Is that satisfying to your majesty?"
"Careful about the royalty jokes." Weiss warned as they headed into the dark stairwell. "Otherwise this princess might just feel like having fun during the movie."
"W-what?" Ruby asked. As they were currently ascending, Weiss didn't answer. But once they reached the top of the stairs, she stopped Ruby and whispered into her ear.
"I-I-I… um…" Ruby stuttered as Weiss opened the door and led them into Ruby's room. "Uh…"
Ruby stood by the door while Weiss sat down on the bed. She watched Ruby's red face and smiled at her successful ploy.
"Go get the popcorn while I get changed again. I already have the movie downloaded so we'll watch it like we did yesterday, okay?" Weiss asked, hoping her voice was enough to make Ruby think she'd forgotten about her threat.
"Um… s-sure thing, Weiss!" Ruby disappeared out of the door, leaving a trail of petals in her wake.
Weiss smiled as she dressed herself in Ruby's pajamas again. Ruby shouldn't worry so much. I wasn't being serious. At least… it was mostly a joke….
