I can't believe I said this fic will be 4-5 chapters long. . .
Ice Flower's next chapter is in the works! I just returned from a week-long vacation and this is as good as I can get at the moment.
"I-I like you. . ."
Her silver eyes stared into a bright yellow pair and Ruby began to fidget when she was met by silence, her crush simply staring at her with an expressionless look. "I really like you. . . " Ruby repeated herself, nervously wringing her hands behind her back and scraping her boot across the grass below her feet. "So I was just wondering if. . . Maybe you'd be my girlfriend?" She whispered, her heart cracking when her crush frowned at her in disgust. The pale-haired girl suddenly cackled and Ruby shrunk away, tears pricking at the edges of her eyes.
The girl had never laughed directly at her before. . . She'd never looked at her like that, she'd always been nice and kind towards her. Considerate of her feelings, being there for her when she needed a friend, and offering her friendship when Ruby first started school at Signal. She'd supported Ruby's dream of becoming a huntress and had been impressed when Ruby presented Crescent Rose to her. Her kindness was what made Ruby fall for her, and she knew Aryl was bisexual so surely she'd be willing to give her a chance, right? After all, they were best friends.
"Me? Be your girlfriend?" Aryl wiped the tears from her eyes and chuckled at Ruby, causing the thirteen-year old's heart to ache. "Ruby. First of all, you're a bit too young for a girlfriend. Second of all, who would fall in love with somebody like you? You're struggling to get by, and you don't even have a mother! I also know your father is hardly ever around. Not to mention, your childish dream of becoming a huntress like those stupid books is a bit ridiculous."
Her words were the final blow to her heart. Tears started to roll down Ruby's cheeks and Aryl scoffed, "Oh grow up, Ruby. So I don't like you, big deal. You're not going to get everything you want."
The scenery changed and Aryl faded into nothingness. When she opened her eyes again, she was at Beacon.
Ruby was standing at the docs, facing the school and twirling a rose in her hands behind her back. She knew it was a stupid thing to do since, well, her last name was Rose. . . But it was a white rose! White for Weiss and a rose for her. She'd been more drawn to white roses here recently, linking them to her and Weiss. Maybe Weiss would catch on. . .?
She heard the familiar click-clack of high heels and she glanced up, her heart swelling with affection when she laid eyes on Weiss approaching her. The older girl was wearing her combat attire, having clearly just finished up a training session. She didn't seem to be in the best mood, though. . . Her heart skipped a beat when Weiss' icy blue gaze glanced up to look at her, Ruby offered her a smile and her partner returned it. Weiss came to her side, "So what did you call me out here for?"
Ruby almost forgot how to speak, but quickly recomposed herself. "I just wanted to talk, if that's okay with you."
"I suppose I could spare a few minutes," Weiss hummed, "I remember when we were all sitting here watching the sunset. Not as grand as the sunsets in Atlas, but it was beautiful."
"You're beautiful." Ruby almost said, tearing her eyes away from Weiss. "Yeah, it was. . . You look like you're in a bad mood, though, why?" She asked, turning her full attention to her partner. "I want to see you smile, I want to hear you laugh. . . I don't like it when you're upset, it hurts me."
Weiss groaned beside her and rubbed her forehead with two fingers, and Ruby knew it would be a long story. "It's just that Jaune has been asking me out constantly all week! I swear he's tried to get me to attend a silly date with him at least five times in the past two days! I just- Ugh! What does Pyrrha see him?! He's a desperate boy who can't take no for an answer!" Ruby sighed, listening to her crush complain about her close friend's annoying attempts to woo her. Maybe now wasn't the best time? She could wait a few more weeks, couldn't she? But what if somebody else comes along and manages to win Weiss' affections. . .? It was very possible, seeing how beautiful the girl was and how many rich boys attended the prestigious school known as Beacon. "Anyway, Ruby, what did you want to talk about?"
Before Ruby could respond, a faint sound caused the world to begin fading to black as her senses awakened. Well that was a trip down memory lane. . .
Bzzt.
What in the world was that sound?
Bzzzt.
It sounded like a scroll. . .
Bzzzzt.
It was definitely a scroll. . .
Ruby's silver eyes blinked open and she squinted to adjust them to the bright lights in the room, "What?" She whispered groggily, reaching up to rub her eyes. When her vision cleared, she found herself starting at an unfamiliar beige ceiling. She sat up, expecting Weiss to be laying beside her, still fast asleep. She was alone. . . Confusion struck her again when she realized she was laying on someone's couch.
"Afternoon!"
Eh-?
She glanced over her shoulder and frowned, slowly returning to reality. She was in Mistral, staying with her father and his new girlfriend. She wasn't at home. . . "Holly," she greeted quietly as she shifted to face the middle-aged woman, "good morning."
Holly smirked at her, "It's twelve in the afternoon, you slept in." When had she fallen asleep anyway? She felt rested, refreshed, and ready to go, but her body still ached a little bit. "I know you just woke up," Holly handed her a bowl of potatoes, "but I need some help, would you mind peeling these for me?"
"Sure." Ruby shrugged tiredly and took the bowl from her, requesting a cup of coffee as she started to slice the skin off the potatoes. "Where's Dad?" She asked, glancing up to Holly as the woman clicked the television on and flicked to the news channel.
"He went to take care of things at the store, he requested that I stay back and make sure you don't try to run off again." Holly smirked at her, "So, how do you feel?"
Ruby raised a brow, "I just opened my eyes. I feel like crap." She replied quietly, glancing back down at the potatoes. Plus, my Princess isn't with me. It feels strange to be waking up alone. It'd been a while since she'd taken a mission that kept her away from home for a long period of time, she'd been taking the ones that had her home by midnight. She'd wanted to spend as much time with her fiancee as possible before Weiss took over her family's company.
Holly cast her a small smile, reading her expression. "Don't worry, you should be able to leave here soon. You look like you had a good rest."
She smiled weakly and handed a peeled potato to the woman, "Yeah, I feel better. When did I fall asleep?" Ruby asked as Holly clicked the television on, "I apologize if I was in the way. . ."
"I'm not sure, really," the elder woman hummed, "I came into the living room yesterday afternoon and you'd already passed out on the couch. How long has it been since you'd had a good sleep?"
"Since the mission," Ruby sighed, "ugh, I still hurt all over! I can't wait to get home. . ."
Holly switched the channel to the News, "Speaking of which, do you know if your fiancee received your letter?" Ruby perked up at the mention of her beloved, the grogginess she was feeling flew to the back of her mind. She shook her head, replying that she'd asked about it and the letter hasn't been sent yet. Holly frowned, "You could just give her a call?" She suggested and Ruby sighed.
"I lost my scroll during the mission."
"Why don't you use mine?" Ruby glanced at the woman in surprise and the woman gestured to the kitchen, "I don't mind! It's on the table. Give her a quick call."
"Thank you!" In a fury of rose petals, Ruby had bolted from the couch and grabbed the scroll. She dialed Weiss' number and took a seat at the table, waiting almost impatiently to hear Weiss' voice. Two rings in and the call was answered, the smile faded from her lips when a man answered. Strange. . . "Hello, I'm Ruby Rose. I was wondering-"
Beep.
"What?" Ruby whispered, "They just hung up. It wasn't even Weiss. . ." She tried calling again, only for it to return to the homescreen. "It's like there's no signal," she muttered as she set the scroll down, "Weiss never leaves her scroll unattended, much less allow somebody else to use it, it took her years to trust me with it."
"Hey, Ruby?" Holly called from the living room and the young woman returned to her, "Do you know anything about this?" Ruby glanced at the holographic television and frowned as a familiar mansion came into view.
The camera switched to Jacques Schnee and Ruby felt irritation prick inside of her at the sight of him; he was wearing what was supposedly a proud smile, but all Ruby saw was the malicious smirk he was hiding beneath.
"What do you have to say on your daughter's engagement?"
Ruby frowned in confusion and leaned closer to listen, narrowing her eyes and waiting to burn the man's words into her brain. He'd never approved of her relationship Weiss, he'd tried many times to discreetly get rid of Ruby and often tried to talk Weiss into leaving her. It was always something about the company, saying how their marriage would taint their name.
"I've got to say, when Liam came to me wanting my blessing to marry my daughter, I was quite surprised!"
Jealousy boiled inside of the young woman, "Who the fuck is this Liam?" She seethed, her silver eyes burning into the screen. And why is he marrying my Weiss?
"Once they marry, the Schnee Company will be stronger than ever!" Of course it was about the company! What else would it be? He'd never cared about Weiss' happiness. . .
Annoyance flickered through the reporter's eyes, "I'm sure it will be. . . Where is your- Oh here she comes now!"
The camera turned to Weiss, who was approaching the scene. Her fiancee's long white hair was undone and cascading down her back like a waterfall, a sight Ruby herself rarely ever saw. Weiss' dress was a simple midnight blue, causing the color of her hair to pop and stand out even more. Looking closer, Ruby noticed that the jagged scar across her eye had been covered, made to look as though it'd never been there in the first place. Why did it look like she was dressed for a date. . .?
"Ms. Schnee, we're all dying to know! How did he propose?"
If she had not already had Ruby's full attention, she did now. Yes, how did he propose? Judging by her fiancee's response, she'd be able to tell lies from truth. Weiss wouldn't just forget about her within the span of four days, would she? They'd been together for five years, there's no way Weiss could've hid the truth from her that long.
Unless she could . . .
Ruby never had a clue of what happened while Weiss was in Atlas, she'd always return home closed off and quiet. She wouldn't tell her anything, she just insisted that she'd be alright. Ruby felt her heart tightened inside of her chest, waiting for Weiss' response felt like an eternity.
She seen something briefly flash through Weiss' eyes through the television, but Jacques cut her off before she could speak. "He invited her out to dinner, and beforehand, he had the staff decorate their table for them. He proposed in front of the entire restaurant." Relief washed over Ruby like a wave. Weiss wasn't cheating on her. . .
The crimson-haired woman took a second to examine her fiancee, watching as the forced smile fell from her face and her light blue eyes glanced towards the ground. "Yeah, it was. . . Breathtaking." Lies.
She wasn't happy. All of this was simply for a rise in status, to keep them at the top. Realization dawned on her when she read the pain in her partner's eyes, "I- I've got to go." Ruby muttered, "I need to get to Atlas. She needs me." It made sense now; the letter didn't even leave Mistral, and the call she'd made had been blocked.
They didn't want her contacting Weiss. . . The mission, the Grimm, the arranged marriage. . . It'd all been set up; the system had been rigged into a solo mission, lying about the size of the nest. Had she not been desperate for one last hunt with her fiancee the plan would have worked, she would be dead. Well, I'm not dead.