Summary: Weiss flirts with Ruby, but Ruby can't seem to take a hint.
Ninjas of Love Guide to Flirting:
How to Get Out of The Friend Zone
Chapter 1
Are you sailing on a friendship that you know will sink as friends? Do you feel stuck in a hopeless situation, as if you feel as though the roads have nothing but dead ends waiting ahead? Then you, my friend, better grab that seat belt and buckle up. This book is about to take you on a magical journey to flirting.
What exactly is flirting?
Flirt(v): behave as though attracted to or trying to attract someone, but for amusement rather than serious intentions.
Flirting is the emergency life boat that will save you from your sinking ship. It is the road map that will open up more paths. It is an essential skill to build up your relationship. It is not intended to be a family-friendly conversation; it will draw the line between platonic and romantic.
How do you flirt?
Be playful.
Be subtle.
Weiss marched through the school hallway with her head held confidently higher than yesterday. She had been repeating the phrase, be playful; be subtle, at the back of her mind since the morning. And today, she was going to put what she had learned into practice because she refused to hesitate any longer.
She added a fresh coat of eyeliner and wore clothes that weren't too revealing, but distracting enough to draw attention. She was determined to make this work; she was going to make the object of her affection, Ruby Rose, aware of her deep romantic interest.
"Hey, Weiss!" Ruby waved enthusiastically with a glowing smile that made Weiss' heart crash like thunder. One way or another, Ruby will find out how she made Weiss' heart do all sorts of acrobatic tricks. "I wasn't expecting to bump into you today!"
"I must be lucky then." Weiss leaned against the wall and added more charm into her suave smile. Towards the end of the first chapter, the guidebook had mentioned that smiling was a vital part of flirting. To flirt well, you must smile well, so Weiss gladly showed off one of her best assets.
Ruby giggled, and Weiss felt her heart soar higher than Blake on catnip. She wondered if Ruby was catching onto her intentions, but it was too early to judge.
"Did you study for Professor Port's test tomorrow?" Ruby asked. Weiss caught those silver eyes roving down her body, and she held her breath. Was her mind making up desperate wishes, or did Ruby just check her out...?
"I did. Would you like to study later in the day together? It's better to be over prepared than under." Weiss held herself back from adding an innuendo. She reminded herself to adhere to the guidebook. It was too early to jump ahead.
"Oooh can we?" Ruby pleaded, her eyes twinkling at the idea. Weiss saw how those silver eyes gave her another once over, and her mind immediately jumped to the conclusion. Ruby was definitely checking her out. "There are some things I'd like to review with you."
"We can review the material as long as you'd like. I don't mind staying overnight in the library with you."
"We can't stay after closing hours!" Ruby laughed at Weiss' silly idea. "We'll get into so much trouble."
Weiss was not the one to break rules, but she'd break them in a heartbeat if it meant getting Ruby to laugh like that again. "We'll just have to hide better. So, I'll see you later then?"
"Sure! I'll see you soon." Ruby's gaze wandered over Weiss one last time, and Weiss saw how Ruby tenderly bit her lip. Their eyes met and held, and Weiss' head started spinning with all sorts of conclusions. Was her feelings finally being reciprocated? Was Ruby flirting back? The guidebook had mentioned lip biting in the middle of the first chapter. "Hey Weiss? I've been wanting to tell you something…"
"Yes?" Weiss said fervently, dying to know what Ruby wanted to tell her. Her heart could explode with how fast it was racing. Was this going to be the moment she had been waiting for? Was this going to be a confession?
"Your shoelaces are untied!"
Weiss double blinked. "What?"
"Your shoelaces are untied," Ruby repeated again, her finger pointing down. "You should lace them up before you trip on them later!"
"Oh." Weiss knelt down to tie her laces together. "Thank you."
Ninjas of Love Guide to Flirting:
How to Get Out of The Friend Zone
Chapter 2
Getting tongue-tied? Flirting requires your whole body. Give your mouth a break, so you can give your body some action. Let your body do some talking too.
Physical contact.
When I say physical contact, I don't mean the aggressive 'Wham and Bam' kind. Save that intimacy for the honeymoon. You can convey your attraction for a person by using one of your senses: touch.
What does that mean? It means you can flirt without the need to speak. Yes! You read that correctly! That's what I meant by letting your body do the talking. Common examples of touch, including, but not limited to, hugging, forearm touching, 'accidental' shoulders or thighs grazing, and playing with hair.
Be confident with what you're doing, but also be mindful. It is very crucial to read the atmosphere because physical contact may cross some boundaries. If the person of your interest shows signs of discomfort, then it is best to switch tactics. Tone it down a few notches. Not all hope is lost if physical contact isn't working out for you. Jump to chapter four to build your points back up.
Fifteen minutes earlier than their planned meetup time, Weiss found Ruby already occupying a table in the library. She opted for the vacant chair next to her instead of sitting across like she normally would.
"Hello Ruby," Weiss flashed a charming smile at her. She sat down close enough to be near her, but not too close where it could get in the way of studying.
"Hi Weiss!" Ruby seamlessly flaunted back a winning smile of her own. It didn't matter whether they were as wide as the ocean or as tiny as crumbs. Of all the smiles Weiss had collectively received in the past, she loved her partner's smiles the best.
"How's studying going along?" While Weiss was pulling a textbook out of her backpack, she angled her foot until she deliberately touched the side of Ruby's shoe. She gauged her reaction and drew the courage to further her risqué advances when Ruby didn't withdraw.
"Super boring." Ruby exaggerated a pained groan, and Weiss found it nothing but cute. Ruby could stuff cupcakes down her throat and Weiss would still find it adorable. "Other than that, I'd say it's going well. Can I ask you a few questions?"
Weiss briskly nodded. Ruby could ask for anything she wanted, and Weiss would gladly cater to all her needs. "Go ahead."
"Do you remember how Professor Port talked about Goliaths?"
"I do." Weiss leaned into her elbow bearing a large smile. She allowed herself to encroach into Ruby's personal studying space because… Well, who wouldn't want to look at someone this desirable?
"He mentioned it'll be on the test, but the textbook doesn't cover much about Goliaths."
"You're right, the textbook barely skims over it," Weiss agreed. "However, there are plenty of anecdotes from huntsmen and huntresses written in there. We are supposed to take their stories into account and learn from their experiences."
"Oh!" Ruby immediately understood what Weiss had meant. "That makes a lot of sense. So, where do I find these anecdotes?"
"Let me see if I can find it..." Weiss jumped at the opportunity to scooch on closer. She purposely let their thighs touch and flipped passed the section numerous times to stall. She was hoping Ruby would catch onto the subtle hints that she was sending.
"Oh wait, I think you just passed it! Go back a few pages."
Weiss clicked her tongue when her efforts were too discreet to notice. She decided that her next move would be even bolder. "Ah, yes. Here it is. I'll be happy to answer any other questions you have for me."
"Not a question but…" Ruby trailed off midway, and Weiss arched an eyebrow once she noticed Ruby had been staring at her rather than the book, not that she was complaining or anything. She loved receiving attention from her partner-slash-crush. "You smell nice. Did you do something different today?"
Weiss made a desperate attempt to salvage her brain because the acknowledgement left it scattered. She did add a spray or two of her favorite perfume, but she wasn't expecting Ruby to make a comment about it.
"I always smell nice," Weiss deflected the question. She mentally patted herself on the shoulders for not reducing into an ineloquent, blubbering mess.
"Well…" Ruby then smiled. Weiss wanted to lock up that smile and throw out the key because her smile was too criminal to be around in. "You're right about that."
A silent pause later, Ruby jumped back to studying and Weiss was thankful for the brief intermission. She used this time to recollect her thoughts and build up the courage for her next plan.
"How do you study like that?" Weiss asked, enacting her next move.
"Study like what?" Ruby tilted her head at the question. Her short, red hair fell to one side of her shoulder, and Weiss pushed herself to commit to her plan. She refused to get cold feet at the last second.
"Doesn't your hair get in the way of studying?" Slowly, Weiss reached over and hooked Ruby's wild bangs behind her ear. She wanted her partner to get a different perspective of studying, but also, and most importantly, she wanted an excuse to touch her intimately like this. Chapter two of the guidebook taught Weiss to be bold with her physical touches, so she gladly followed it to the tee. When Weiss pulled away, she purposely let her fingers brush across Ruby's skin. She hoped to leave a path of scorching fire and her heart racing to infinity. "Doesn't it feel better when it's out of the way? That's why I tie my hair up."
Weiss watched those pretty lips lift into a lopsided grin. She held her breath and wondered if Ruby was feeling the same electricity she was feeling.
"It definitely does feel better. I can see why you tie up your hair everyday. Thanks, Weiss!"
That was it.
'Thanks, Weiss'. And then Ruby went back to studying.
Her partner didn't flinch with embarrassment or let out a startled squeak.
But that just meant Weiss needed to try harder.
Ninjas of Love Guide to Flirting:
How to Get Out of The Friend Zone
Chapter 3
Don't be afraid to take your game a little higher if the person of your interest is enjoying the light touches. Chapter two was only the groundwork of a starting point. So, if you're feeling a bit more courageous and daring, do it. Just do it. By all means, think outside the box. There are thousands of ideas out there for you to experiment.
Move forward.
Be bolder than you were in chapter two.
Never reveal your cards too early, that was a lesson Weiss had learned from her father while growing up. But today, she was going to dump that lesson into the incinerator because her father's advice was absolutely garbage in her situation. She had searched through the dark corners of the internet and discovered that the internet dwellers offered better advice. Who knew there were so many ways she could show her affection to Ruby? While most of them were… racy, some were actually sound.
"Ruby, you got a little something right here." Across the lunch table, Team JNPR watched in stunned silence as Weiss did the unthinkable. Weiss had leaned over, wiped the cupcake frosting off the corner of Ruby's lips, and proceeded to lick the cream from her own finger. "Mmm, it's sweet. Like you."
"Thanks, Weiss!" Her very scandalous advance passed over Ruby's head as Ruby smiled brighter than a blinding sunlight. "We can't let any of that good frosting go to waste!"
That was… not the reaction Weiss was hoping for. She thought Ruby would blush, or act a little more embarrassed. She wasn't expecting Ruby to behave so nonchalant after that. However, Weiss didn't let that setback discourage her. Instead, she used this failure as a means to step up her game the next day.
In some aspects, Weiss could see how frosting licking could be viewed as platonic. Friends licked frosting off of each other all the time. But she wasn't going to repeat the same mistake as yesterday. This time, she decided to go over the top. After roaming through the deepest, darkest depths of the internet again, Weiss decided she wasn't going to lick her own fingers. She planned to lick Ruby's.
"Ruby, you got some chocolate on your hand."
"It's kind of everywhere," Ruby laughed at the sticky mess she had made.
"Let me get that for you."
Weiss took one of Ruby's hands and wrapped a finger between her lips. The creamy chocolate melted onto her tongue, and Weiss could taste the perfect balance between sweet, bitter, and Ruby. She never broke eye contact with her partner as she carefully wrapped every single digit, one by one, with her tongue.
She licked in between the finger spaces and thoroughly sucked the remaining chocolate off of Ruby's knuckles. However, she wasn't finished quite yet. She grazed her teeth lightly against Ruby's skin and ran her tongue on the palm of her hand. Heart racing with how much her partner was fixated on her, Weiss did it slowly as she tried to look undeniably attractive for the person she was crushing on.
"Weiss…?" Entranced, Ruby watched Weiss until the very end. Her finger was released with a soft pop, and Weiss didn't dare to look anywhere else but her. "...Are you hungry?"
"...What?" Weiss dropped Ruby's hand back down to her side and blinked. "What makes you think I was hungry?"
Ruby tilted her head. "Well, you were licking the chocolate off of my hand. Why else would you lick it?"
Weiss gaped at her in disbelief.
Ruby wasn't this oblivious.
Was she…?
Ninjas of Love Guide to Flirting:
How to Get Out of The Friend Zone
Chapter 4
Don't stress too much if the whole concept of touch isn't working out for you. It's not the only form of flirting in your arsenal to up your A-game. You can also stick to the classics.
Pick-up lines.
Now, I know what you're thinking. They're corny, they're cliche, but they are effective. You need to know how to use it, when to use it, and what to use. Sounds complicated? Then it's a good thing you have this book to guide you through.
Weiss crossed off frosting licking and finger sucking from her list. If Ruby wasn't swooned by her physical display of flirting, then that left Weiss with a few choices. According to chapter four in the guidebook, sticking to the classics would be her next beneficial move.
"Hmmm…" Juggling between the options, Ruby scanned through the sweet confectioneries that were stocked on the shelves. "What should I get? I'm thinking about getting one of those nutty caramel bars. Oooh, how about those crispy wafers covered in dark chocolate? They look amazing! What do you think I should get, Weiss?"
Weiss pretended to search through the aisle long and hard. There was already a candy she had in mind. "How about this?"
"Skittles?" Ruby was surprised at the choice but didn't object. She trailed after Weiss to the cash register. "I didn't know you like Skittles."
"Only when I'm in the mood." After paying for the item, Weiss tore a small opening at the corner. She popped one of the many Skittles into her mouth and rolled the fruit-flavored candy around her tongue. Without averting her gaze from Ruby, she put on one of her best smoldering smiles. "I've got Skittles in my mouth, want to taste the rainbow?"
"You bet I do!" Ruby grabbed the entire packet of Skittles and dumped half of its content into her mouth. "Mmm," she hummed happily, "I definitely do taste the rainbow. Good choice, Weiss!"
Weiss didn't know whether she should be disappointed that Ruby completely missed the message behind the pick-up line, or disgusted that Ruby inhaled half of the packet like a glorified garbage disposal. But like all the other failed attempts, Weiss didn't let this discourage her from trying again the next day. If the first time didn't work, then the second time's the charm.
"Do you like heavy metal? Cause I can teach you how to scream."
"Sorry, Weiss. I'm not a heavy metal fan. Truthfully, I think Blake might be. Maybe you can teach her how to scream!"
Weiss refused to give up the next time she used a pick-up line. Third time's the charm, that was how the saying went, right?
"Roses are red. Violets are fine. You be the six, and I'll be your nine."
"Compared to you, you're dressed to the nines and I'm a total six. You look fantastic today!"
Fourth time's the charm because everyone needed a contingency plan.
"Do you like raisins? How do you feel about a date?"
"I don't like raisins, Weiss. Dates are gross too."
Fifth time's the charm, and Weiss was steadily losing hope.
"Feel this shirt."
"Wow, Weiss! This is a nice shirt!"
"Want to know what it's made of? It's made of —"
"Let me guess, cotton!"
"Ruby, no—"
"Polyester?"
"No, it's—"
"Don't tell me! It's rayon!"
"It's girl—"
"It's wool! No, no, wait. Wool doesn't feel like that. Hm, nylon? I think that feels like nylon."
"Girlfriend material! It's girlfriend material. My shirt is made out of girlfriend material!"
"...What kind of material is that? Is that a new synthetic fabric?"
"Oh my god."
Weiss struck a wooden match and lit the guidebook on fire. She tossed the burning book into the trash can and watched the flames reduce the book into ashes. Considering how Ruby was denser than a holiday fruitcake, the guidebook served no use to her. If something as obvious as finger licking and pick-up lines were not working, then she needed to go with a direct approach.
Confession.
She would have to confess to Ruby.
"I like you."
Staring at her own reflection in the vanity mirror, Weiss scowled. Did that sound too aggressive? She didn't want to scare Ruby away with her confession. She wanted Ruby to be flustered, not threatened.
"I like you, Ruby." Weiss practiced again. No, that wasn't right either. She didn't like how she was hunched over like a candy cane. A confession should always be confident, so she cleared her throat and tried it again. "I like you."
Hm, that was slightly a little better. But it kind of sounded too nice. What if Ruby misinterpreted her confession for something… platonic?
Weiss shut that thought down because it made her skin crawl. This was Ruby she was planning to confess to. If her crush didn't catch on to all of the other flirts, then surely she would respond to her confession with 'I like you as a friend too!', and what a terrible nightmare that would be.
"I love you," Weiss loudly declared in front of the mirror. The straight-face she tried so hard to keep broke as she buried her face into her hands with embarrassment. She couldn't bear to look at herself in the mirror because her confession was cringey in all kinds of ways.
But Weiss strived for perfection, so she forced herself to practice again. "I like you!"
"Uhhh…"
Weiss shrieked and spun around. To her horror, she found Ruby standing right behind her with a sheepish look.
"It's not what it looks like," Weiss blurted in her own defense. "You see, I was… Uhh..."
Weiss was stumped. She couldn't come up with a justifiable excuse because she honestly didn't know what to say. How much did Ruby hear?
"S-Sorry, Weiss! I didn't mean to intrude on your self-love."
"Self-love...?" Seeing how Ruby glanced between her and the mirror was all Weiss needed to confirm her suspicions. "You're misunderstanding. I'm not narcissistic, if that's what you're implying. I was —" As much as Weiss wanted to clarify the situation, she stopped herself because she came very close to revealing something she wasn't meant to.
But Ruby, her beautiful but dense-as-a-cabbage partner, had a sudden realization. "Are you trying to confess to someone?" How Ruby could pick that up but not a single one of Weiss' flirts was beyond Weiss.
"No…" Weiss tried to lie.
Much to her dismay, her beloved dolt saw through her lie. "I can help you."
"H-Help me?" Weiss choked out.
"Yeah." Ruby nodded several times. "Just pretend that I'm the person you have a crush on. "You can, uh, think of me as your practice dummy!"
Weiss was screaming inside her head. How could she play pretend when she was actually crushing on her! This darn, selfless dunce was killing her in more than one way, but that damn adorable smile of hers made Weiss give in.
"Fine." With a heavy sigh, Weiss dragged a hand down her face. This was not what she had in mind, but she rolled with the punches. "The person I'm attracted to has trouble reading the clues I'm giving them. What do you recommend I should do?"
"I'd be straightforward," Ruby replied with an easy smile. "What you practiced earlier was perfect. As long as you tell them how you really feel, it'll work out. So, lay it on me!"
Weiss dragged out another sigh as she caved into Ruby's insistence. She couldn't believe she was actually doing this.
"Fine."
The air around Weiss changed instantly once she locked eyes with Ruby. She swiftly closed the distance between them and backed Ruby into a nearby wall. Ruby stuttered out a high-pitch squeak, but Weiss didn't bat an eye as she propped herself against the wall with a hand. Weiss leaned in closer, and closer, so close that if she moved a single foot more, their bodies would touch.
"I like you, Ruby."
Never tearing her eyes away either, Ruby wet her lips. "That was… um." Her voice suddenly dropped several decibels. "...P-Pretty good."
Weiss arched an eyebrow at the honest feedback. "Really?"
"Yeah," Ruby said quietly with a nod. "It was really, really good. Hah, so good that you almost had me convinced…"
Weiss stared at her with a thoughtful look. If Ruby said her confession was that good, then maybe she didn't need to practice anymore. All that time spent in front of the mirror finally paid off.
"Soo…" Ruby curled her lips into her mouth as she broke the silence between them. They didn't take on a new position as Weiss still had a hand against the wall beside Ruby's ear. "Who do you like?"
"What?" Weiss almost malfunctioned from the question thrown at her. Why did Ruby want to know who she liked all of the sudden?
"Who do you like…?" Ruby asked again, but much shyer and more subdued than the previous. "C-Cause," she noticed Weiss' puzzled expression and tried to explain herself, "you know… We're best friends, and best friends tell each other everything…"
Weiss didn't want to read into it too much, but was Ruby… jealous? Her gut said yes, but Weiss had her doubts. It was a little hard to believe that Ruby, the person who Weiss had been pining, was showing signs of jealousy.
But, what if — and this was a really huge what if — Ruby was actually jealous?
Weiss chewed on her lip. Was this the golden opportunity to tell Ruby how she felt? She didn't want to jeopardize her friendship with Ruby, but she also didn't want to leave her feelings unheard.
"Y-You don't have to tell me if you don't want to!" Ruby blurted out in a rush when Weiss took too long to answer. "It's your privacy. I'm cool with anything as long as you're, um, happy."
The advice from the guidebook tolled like bells in Weiss' head, and Weiss decided to take the shot. She couldn't succeed unless she tried.
"Do you really want to know who I like?" Weiss braved another step forward. If she could hear Ruby swallow from how close they were, then surely the same could be said the other way around.
"...if you're comfortable…" Ruby did a small shrug as her voice was mostly muffled by her mumbles.
Weiss didn't know which was more endearing: Ruby pretending and failing to look uninterested, or Ruby avoiding eye contact. "I'll give you a hint." She reached up and pushed a few small strands behind Ruby's ears. Her nervous heart was palpitating, but she didn't show any glimmering indication of it. "She has short hair."
Weiss' heart flipped when she saw Ruby lose her train of thoughts for a split second. "T-There are a lot of people with short hair," Ruby stammered.
"Then, how about I give you another hint?" Weiss stiffened her resolve after tasting a sample of Ruby's flustered reaction. She trailed her fingers down the side of Ruby's cheek in a long, feathery stroke. Slowly, the tip of Weiss' nails scraped lightly against the skin of her neck, and Weiss tapped gently on her throat. "She's deadly with a scythe."
"W-Well…" Ruby risked a glance and got caught in Weiss' seductive gaze.
"Who else uses a scythe at Beacon? I can only think of one on the top of my head."
Ruby gulped, and Weiss felt her throat bob against the pads of her fingertips. "Um…" She opened her mouth but failed to provide an answer.
"I'm happy to spell it out for you if that's what you prefer. Would you like it in writing? Or…" Weiss skated a finger up with slow deliberation and pressed it against Ruby's lips. "...would you prefer it in tongue?"
"C-Can I… uh, take t-tongue? F-For clarification purposes."
Who was Weiss to refuse that?
So, she happily spelled it out for her.
Whiterose Free-For-All Prompt: Oblivious
You can check out a compilation of prompts written by different authors on A03. It is under Whiterose Free-For-All by TheGreatWeissShark.