If you know paintball or understand most of the terms by far, congrats! You don't need to read this! You can scroll ahead to the chapter. Enjoy!
But if you don't, I suggest you continue reading this before you dive in.
I probably should have added this in the first chapter, but it slipped my mind until someone brought it up. Here some paintball terminology that will hopefully be helpful to you non-paintball folk.
All of these are in my words, so if you all want a more detailed description, I suggest looking them up. Same goes with any term I may not add on here that may pop up in the reading.
Marker= the paintball gun
Mag= the paintball cartridge or magazine (like a normal gun)
First Shots= special paintballs meant for long distances, typically used with any .68 caliber marker (.68 is the standard barrel diameter and paintball size)
Hopper= a canister connected to the marker that holds and automatically feeds paintballs into the marker (usually the big thing on top of your stereotypical paintball gun, which is not what Ruby or Weiss use)
Flank= an area in which the proceeding team can breach without being detected immediately by the opposing team (if used as an action (i.e flank left), usually means go left)
These are what will commonly appear in the reading, so I hope this helps! Enjoy the chapter!
Today was a slow day at the office. Weiss had four meetings that were back-to-back, which was not a good choice on her own half. She was what could only be described as an overworked office potato, if that was even a thing. She was mentally and physically drained, and she still had six more hours until she got off work.
"Weiss, why don't you go home? Go take a nap or something, you look awful." Coco entered into Weiss's office with another mug of coffee. This was Weiss's fifth cup today, and Coco promised herself that this was the last cup she would bring in for the day. "Seriously, all this coffee isn't going to help you now. You need to sleep, especially after four back-to-back meetings."
"I'm fine, I'll be fine," Weiss slurred as she took the mug from her assistant's hands.
"Nope, you don't look fine. Besides, don't you have another date today? You don't want to go straight after work and look like absolute crap. Go home and sleep, Weiss. I'll even set an alarm for you to wake you up." The brunette took Weiss's scroll and set an alarm for an hour before the date, which left her at least three hours of sleep. "See? It's all good. Now go home, I'll handle whatever's left here."
Weiss seemed hesitant, only because she never went home early. She felt more drained than this, but those days she had nothing else to do. She had nothing to come home to. Now she was dating someone. This was going to be her seventh date, and she refused to be late and look the least bit presentable.
With a sigh, Weiss gave up and took her coat and belongings, thanking Coco as she walked out of her office.
As soon as she got into her car, she found herself in bumper-to-bumper traffic. This was one of the many reasons she hated living on the west side, but she couldn't be bothered to move out. She never had the time for it.
"Come to think of it, I don't think I spend that much time at home at all," Weiss mumbled to herself. "Only to sleep."
She really was a workaholic. With a loud yawn, the traffic started moving, and within the next thirty minutes, she made it home and flopped onto her bed. She set her phone out on her bedside table, dropped her coat and bag, and drifted off into a deep slumber.
Weiss had to admit, she was really thankful for Coco. The alarm went off, and she felt energized enough for the rest of the day. She had another game today with Ruby, and then their date would commence. That had become their typical meetup, and Weiss was sure to enjoy each one.
Grabbing her paintball gear, she prepared her hair in a side ponytail and got into her car. On the way there, she got a chain of texts from Ruby. Most of them were a bunch of memes and silly pictures of her dog, the rest were rants about paintball markers. Weiss didn't understand the majority of what she was saying, but she still enjoyed reading through the texts at every red light.
By the time she arrived, she noticed that there were fewer vehicles than what she was used to seeing. Only a few yards away, she saw Ruby already running up to her car.
"Hey Weiss!" Ruby exclaimed as the CEO got out of her car. "How was work?"
"Exhausting. My assistant made me go home early to sleep." Weiss grabbed her gear and walked with Ruby to the field.
"Coco, right? That's sweet of her. Did you have a lot of meetings?"
"Four of them. Back-to-back." Despite the tired tone in her voice, Weiss continued to smile as Ruby held her hand.
The younger woman tittered. "Wow, Weiss, that's crazy. Were they boring?"
"More than you could imagine."
"I bet. Well, the boredom shall cease now that you're here!" As they reached the preparation tents, they loaded their magazines and cleaned their markers.
"So, what's the game today?" Weiss asked.
"Magfed Capture the Flag. I'll bet you noticed the small amount of people."
"Magfed only?" The CEO made a noise of realization. "That makes sense now. I was somewhat confused about that."
"So how long have you had Myrtenaster?" Ruby queried, still focused on her gun.
Weiss looked up and gazed at Ruby, who turned her head to face Weiss. "You remembered it's name?"
"Well, yeah!" The brunette grinned proudly. "Myrtenaster is the first BT TM-15 I've ever seen in person. Hehe, I'm somewhat of a marker geek."
"Nothing wrong with that." Weiss loaded her magazine into her marker and started filling the rest of her mags. "I've had this marker since I was a child."
"Really?" An eyebrow arched in question. "If that's the case, how have you not played any magfed games before?"
The businesswoman shrugged. "I suppose they weren't very common then. At least in Atlas."
Silver eyes suddenly lit up with excitement. "You're from Atlas? Oh wow, I've always wanted to go there! I heard the snow fields are so fun to play in! And then there's also Argus' paintball conventions!"
Weiss shrugged again and cocked her head. "I'll admit that it's fun, but you have to be careful you don't get lost. Especially in large events; many of my teammates have nearly died of hypothermia. They wandered too far."
"Whoa, that's scary. But we should totally go together! I know I wouldn't get lost if I have a veteran like you!"
The older woman hoped Ruby didn't see the blush on her cheeks. She tried to hide it with a smirk. "You flatter me. Dolt."
Ruby received a flick to the forehead and dramatically stumbled backwards. "What'd I do?"
Before she knew it, Weiss started walking off with her gear prepared. Ruby rushed to finish filling her mags before sprinting to catch up with Weiss. "Weiss, wait! Don't leave me!"
As the two met up with the rest of their team, the referees went to each team and handed them their armbands. Ruby and Weiss ended up being the blue team, Ruby being slightly disappointed by that.
"Awe man," the young woman grumbled, "I'm always on the red team. Oh well, guess it can't be helped."
Weiss tittered and helped Ruby gather up the other members of the team. Of course, Ruby was leader once again. Weiss knew Ruby was a better leader than she could ever be, but that didn't bother her. Ruby was humble and kind about it.
"Alright peeps, let's get this game going! Any first shot users? I know you are, Weiss," Ruby said as she looked around the group. One other person raised their hand, revealing the sniper rifle hanging behind their back.
The leader smiled and clapped her hands together in joy, seeming very ecstatic about a sniper joining their team. "No way, is that a Carmatech SAR12C? Holy crap, that's amazing!" With a bright grin, she rubbed her hands together. "I've got a great plan for you. Weiss, do you mind going to the front lines with me?"
"Don't mind at all," Weiss responded easily.
"Right, so how many people do we have here? Six? Seven?" Ruby muttered something unintelligible that only the ones right next to her could hear. "You'd think that I'd be able to count after graduating at seventeen..."
"Seven people counting the both of us, Ruby," Weiss informed.
"Thanks, Weiss." The young leader stared at the ground for a moment before looking back up at her team. "Here's the plan: Weiss and I will take the front and hopefully mow down their front liners. We need a pair to back us up and a pair to defend against those who pass us. If you have an open lane to the flag, take it. Doesn't matter who or where you are, if you got a shot at getting to their flag, do not hesitate."
A young man raised his hand. "What if they get past our defense?"
"Miss Sniper here-"
"It's May," the sniper interrupted.
"Miss May will snipe 'em down." Ruby fixed her gaze on the sniper. "The field's pretty hilly, so I doubt finding a good perch will be a problem."
With less than a minute remaining, the captain briefed the plan once more, divided the pairs, and waved at the referee on the side. Both teams were now ready, and the referees started leading them onto their sides of the field. Ruby wasn't wrong about the field. Weiss immediately noticed the abundant amount of hills there were as well as wooden pallets and plastic tubes for barricades.
Ruby checked her watch and nudged Weiss gently. "You know what time it is."
"Ten seconds?" Weiss questioned, a smile forming under her mask.
"You ready for this?"
"To fight along side you? I've been ready for a very long time."
The captain winked and prepared her marker. "Atta girl."
Horns blared and paintballers sprinted for the nearest barricade. Weiss followed Ruby to a wooden wall in the center flank, a dozen yards out from their flag, the support pair running after them. Ruby turned her head and saw May all the way in the back, poised on a tall hill close to their flag.
"Sniper in position. Ready to get crazy?"
Weiss nodded. "Let's do it."
The two stood up and sprinted further down the field, splitting left and right to take out other players. The respawn for each team was set to the side of the field beyond the boundary lines. Each player had three lives, as told by the referees. Weiss knew she and Ruby would have to move quickly if they were to beat the respawned players across the field and to the flag.
About ten minutes went by when the white and red pair were about a few yards away from the flag. Two opposing players and one of their own were out, Weiss still had her three lives, and Ruby was down to two.
"Weiss!" Ruby waved her hands to get Weiss's attention, in which she was able to get in less than a second. "You take the flag, I'll cover you! It's all on your command!"
The businesswoman nodded back as she looked beyond her wall of protection. The lane was clear, and she only had a few short moments before the other team realizes and closes it up. She looked at Ruby and signaled her to charge, leaving her wall and sprinting to the flag. With the flag in hand, Weiss made a mad dash towards the center, Ruby following after her as she cleared the way for her teammate. Weiss cleared the center of the field when the rest of her teammates opted to help out, and by the time the horn blared, Weiss had made it to the end of their side.
Gradually growing louder, Weiss heard her name being called for an extended length of time. She turned her head to see Ruby rushing towards her with her arms open wide. "Weiss! You did it! We won!"
After nearly being toppled by her excited partner, Weiss returned Ruby's hug and smiled. "Yes we did. This is our, what, third win in a row?"
"Yup! Ready to go out now? There's this one movie we should totally watch together, I think you'd really like it!"
"Alright, sounds good. When and where do you want to go? I can pick you up if that's okay," Weiss suggested as she removed her mask and made her way to the tents.
Ruby followed closely behind, her mask in hand and marker in the other. "Yeah, you can pick me up, that's fine; I'll pay for gas if you need me to. Maybe around six? Then we can go to Vale Theater and get some dinner afterwards."
"Good plan." Weiss checked the time on her scroll. It was 4:46 PM. She had plenty of time to go back home and shower. She started feeling gross in her sweaty paintball clothes. "I'll see you then."
"I'll be waiting!" Ruby grinned as she watched Weiss proceed towards her car. Weiss winked back, unable to contain the wide smile on her lips.
Ruby Rose was certainly different than anyone Weiss had dated before, and in all the best ways possible. The young woman was unpredictable, peppy, energetic. She definitely didn't seem out for her wealth or power, unlike the others she had dated before. Ruby was a nice change of pace from all of them, and Weiss had a good feeling that Ruby might just be the one person who appreciated her for who she really was rather than a CEO or a tycoon.
To be brief, she liked Ruby. She took a fondness towards the girl and only wanted to be closer. Ruby was an incredible, talented woman, who wouldn't want to be?
But were they officially a couple? They had gone on several dates prior to this one, so is it too soon to consider each other girlfriends? Maybe it was too soon to think about it, they've only gone on six dates-seven after today. Weiss would have to wait and see.
It was only going to be a movie and then dinner. Probably a casual, laid-back restaurant. Nothing too fancy. Don't overdress. No need to overdress.
"How the hell do I always end up in this situation?"
Weiss was torn. She never wanted to upstage Ruby, but in their most recent dates, she might as well have. Ruby usually dresses in jeans, a graphic t-shirt, and a flannel. Stylish, trendy, and very casual. Weiss, however, usually dressed in slacks and sometimes a button down shirt, normally accompanied by a blazer or cardigan.
Thirty minutes ago, Weiss had called Coco to help her decide. All of her suggestions were denied by the CEO, and Coco eventually gave up and watched Weiss pace back and forth in her closet.
"Honestly, Weiss, how do you end up in these situations? It's easy to solve!" Coco reached for the black t-shirt and white jeans sitting on her bed. "Just wear these, tuck in the shirt, and put a belt on. Bam! Casual, simple, and stylish! What more could you want?"
"But it's too simple!"
The brunette groaned and shook her head in disappointment. She grabbed Weiss shoulders, halting her from her pacing. "Put the clothes on, Weiss."
"But-"
"JUST PUT THE DAMN CLOTHES ON! YOU'LL LOOK FINE JUST DO IT!" Coco shoved the articles into Weiss's arms and marched her into the bathroom.
Minutes later, Weiss came out looking quite fine, according to Coco. "See? You look great! Now you won't upstage anyone and still look hella awesome!"
"I suppose," Weiss murmured as she stared at herself in the mirror. "What about my shoes?"
"Oh my God, Weiss, why do you make everything so difficult?" The assistant rummaged through Weiss's closet and pulled out a pair of black checkered Vales (Vans). "You're wearing these and you have no choice. Now put them on and skedaddle."
"This is my apartment."
"And you're running behind, get going! Don't want to keep her waiting!"
As Weiss slipped on the shoes, Coco led her out the door and locked it for her after handing the businesswoman her purse and scroll. "Now go have a great time! Don't stay out too late!"
"Go home!" Weiss called out as she swiftly walked down the hall. "I'll see you tomorrow!"
She heard Coco say something unintelligible, completely disregarding it as she entered the elevator. Looking through her bag, she grabbed her keys and readied herself for the short sprint to her car. The door slid open, and she rushed out of the small room and through the garage to get to her vehicle. The car unlocked with the press of a button, and she threw the door open and closed it as quickly as she had entered the vehicle. It was 5:47. She could make it.
The white VMW pulled out of the parking lot and drove up to the exit of the garage, waiting for the next car to pass by before entering the road. Weiss anxiously tapped the steering wheel as she waited for an opening that seemed to take forever to come. Finally, a large gap between cars allowed her onto the road and to her first red light, which wasn't very far from her apartment building. In fact, she might as well have driven a few yards.
The businesswoman groaned as she checked the clock on the dashboard. Three minutes had gone by, and Weiss couldn't afford to lose any more of them. She quickly drove down the streets to the north side where Ruby lived, passing cars while staying within the speed limit. Not long later, Weiss saw Ruby standing outside of the building, her attention focused on her scroll. Weiss pulled up into the front and rolled down the passenger side window.
"Hey dolt, are you going to get in or what?"
With a smile, Ruby looked up from the device in hand and quickly stowed it away in the pocket of her jeans. Weiss noticed how nicely she cleaned up this evening. Ruby was wearing a crimson red button down t-shirt-half tucked into her pants, half un-tucked-black jeans, and a pair of combat boots.
"Hey Weiss!" The young woman opened passenger side door and sat down rather uncouthly.
Weiss couldn't help but notice the sparkle in Ruby's eyes. "You look really nice, Ruby."
"Awe, really? Thanks, I actually tried tonight." Ruby giggled and strapped in her seat belt.
"But you never had to try. I think you've always looked beautiful."
The blush on the red-clad girl's face was undeniable. "You're too kind. You look beautiful too!"
The CEO stared at her clothes for a moment and shrugged. "Coco chose my outfit. I wouldn't say it's beautiful..."
"Weiss, I don't think you give yourself enough credit. I bet you'd look amazing in anything."
A white eyebrow arched. "Anything?"
The brunette nodded back. "Anything."
"So if I were to wear-hmm, let's say a bright colored tracksuit, small glasses, and flip flops-"
"You'd be absolutely stunning. You could totally make it work, and then it would trend like crazy." Ruby grinned as she watched Weiss shake her head with disbelief.
"Well, I believe we have been here for far too long. We wouldn't want to miss that movie, now would we?" Weiss flicked Ruby's forehead lightly, the younger woman yelping in surprise.
"What was that for?"
"Because you're a dolt." The silverette pulled out of the parking space she was in and drove onto the road, taking the both of them to the Vale Theater. Ruby turned on the radio, tuning in to a pop station that Weiss wasn't opposed to. She giggled as she listened to Ruby sing every lyric of a couple of popular songs, singing along in her head as she focused on the road.
After a few more songs and boisterous laughs, they eventually arrived at the theater. Both girls exited the vehicle and made their way to the entrance of the large building.
"Weiss, you can go ahead and wait inside. Maybe get some snacks or something, I'll get the tickets." Ruby pulled out her wallet and proceeded towards the line. "I'll totally pay you back for the snacks."
The CEO shook her head. "There's no need for that, it's alright. Do you want a soda?"
"Yes please! Thanks, Weiss!"
Weiss entered the building and immediately hopped in line before it got too long. The businesswoman pulled out her wallet from her purse and waited for the person in front of her to finish ordering. Even though they'd be going out for dinner after the movie, Weiss didn't want Ruby to be upset by the underwhelming size of the popcorn. But she didn't want Ruby to get full on something as unhealthy as popcorn and not have a proper meal.
"I can help whoever's next in line!" The cashier cheerfully called out.
Just as Weiss stepped up to the counter, she made the decision. She placed her orders and got them almost immediately, slipping her credit card inti the chip reader. When she finished taking her card, she saw Ruby jog up to her with the tickets in hand.
"Large popcorn? You know me so well!" Ruby pecked Weiss's cheek and smiled. "Thanks, Weiss!"
"N-Not a problem, Ruby." She tried so hard to keep her composure, but the blush on her cheeks said otherwise. "Let's go now."
Ruby nodded and received the bucket of popcorn from Weiss, taking her hand in her own as they headed inside the theater. It didn't take long until they found their assigned theater, only to find it nearly packed. The two looked high and low for a couple of seats that were sat together. Weiss felt a slight pat on her arm, turning her attention to the source—which was Ruby, of course.
"We can get those two seats up there," Ruby suggested as she pointed to one of the higher rows.
Both of the girls went up the staircase and carefully entered the row, being sure not to hurt anybody else in the process. They took their seats, Ruby letting out a relaxed sigh. Weiss was acutely aware of the hand remaining on her own.
The theater lights started to dim, and people in the theater started cheering. Clearly the two had come on an opening night without realizing. Maybe Ruby did, Weiss had no idea what they were going to watch. Regardless, if all the people are cheering this loudly and enthusiastically, then it was bound to be a great movie.
Especially with Ruby by her side.
"I can't believe you finished the whole bucket and still have the space in your stomach to eat dinner."
After the movie had finished, Weiss and Ruby went to a casual diner close to Ruby's apartment. It was called Oum's, a homey and humble diner that served some of the best burgers in Vale. It also happened to be Yang's workplace.
"It's called metabolism, Weiss!" Ruby sang as she browsed the menu.
A redhead walked up to the table and looked between the two. "Are you two ready to order or do you both need some more time?"
Ruby looked up and smiled at the waitress. "Hi Pyrrha!"
The redhead giggled. "Hello, Ruby. Do you want your usual?"
"I don't know. While I do want my grilled cheese, I'm kinda craving for a good burger. Think you could hook me up?"
With a nod, the waitress smiled brightly. "Consider it done. And what about you, Miss?"
"I'll have the Mistralian strip, medium rare," Weiss replied in a formal matter.
"Of course. Now, is it okay if I ask you something?" Green eyes stared into icy blue ones, and Weiss could feel herself getting nervous for some odd reason.
"No, not at all. What is it?"
"Were you there at that one morning game? If I recall correctly, I shot Ruby first, and then you must've shot me soon afterwards. Was that you?"
Weiss nodded in reply, green eyes becoming gentler. "Ruby has told me how great you are at offense."
The redhead chuckled and shook her head. "I suppose I am, though I think I do need more practice."
"Nonsense, you are great at your game." Weiss saw the waitress reach her hand out, Weiss taking it gladly.
"Pyrrha Nikos at your service."
"Weiss Schnee. Pleasure to meet you, Pyrrha. I do hope we can play together again." Weiss sent her a kind smile as the redhead nodded back.
"I do too. Pleasure to meet you, and it's good to see you again, Ruby. Now allow me to get those orders into the kitchen and I will return soon." Pyrrha took the menus and disappeared behind the front counter.
"Later, Pyrrha!" Ruby called out with a wave.
"You two are close?" Weiss brushed a few strands of hair out of her face as she waited for Ruby's response.
"Yeah, mostly because of Yang. When she started working here, I remember visiting her almost every evening after work just to support her." The younger woman tittered as she rested her head on her hand. "Meeting her coworkers was inevitable over the period of time of visiting. I know that Pyrrha is Yang's boss, Ren is one of the cooks, and Nora is a waitress like Yang."
Weiss sighed, her smile fading slightly. "All of your friends are conveniently within your vicinity. I wish I had friends like yours."
"But my friends are your friends! You'll get to know all of them in time, I promise you. You already know Yang and Blake, and you're dating me, so I can guarantee that all of these guys will be your greatest friends!"
The businesswoman couldn't help but chuckle quietly at Ruby's bold prediction. "You're too much sometimes."
"That's not always a bad thing, is it?" The paintballer smirked and winked, receiving an eye roll in response.
Not much later, the two received their meals and tucked in. Weiss noticed Ruby glance at her every so often and smile. It went on long enough for Weiss to eventually ask.
"Why do you keep looking at me like that?" She wasn't annoyed in any way, just curious.
"Wha are you balking aboup?" Ruby's mouth was filled with fries and burger meat.
"Don't speak with your mouth full, Ruby."
Ruby swallowed and repeated her sentence. "What are you talking about? I'm not looking at you in any way."
"Don't lie either, Ruby. I know when you're lying. You always fiddle with your hair whenever you lie."
"No I'm don-" Ruby looked at her fingers and realized she was already twirling a few strands of red-tipped hair. "Oh...I do. Huh."
"Why were you looking at me like that?"
"I dunno, you just seemed so peaceful. You look so cute when you're focused without realizing it." The brunette smiled, and Weiss knew she would never be able to stop her heart from fluttering every time she saw that smile.
Pyrrha swung by with a pitcher of water in hand, filling up the near-empty glasses on the table. "Are you both enjoying your meals?"
Both girls nodded and smiled, continuing their dinner as the waitress continued on with her business. As their meal came to a close, Ruby decided to order a pie for dessert last minute. Weiss wasn't too fond of that, but shared the pie with Ruby anyway.
When the time came to pay, both had argued on who would pay the bill, Ruby refusing to split it and pay for the whole meal. Weiss didn't want to sap all the money out of Ruby and offered to pay, using her wealth as a reason to pay. She was turned down by Ruby, and after five whole minutes of lingering on the subject, both came to the agreement of Ruby paying.
"Besides, I asked you out, I pay for it all," Ruby said as she and Weiss walked to her car.
"I payed for the snacks," Weiss stated bluntly.
Immediately, Ruby pulled out her wallet. "I can pay you back, how much do I owe-"
Weiss gently held the paintballer's hands and shook her head. "I told you, Ruby, you don't need to pay me back for that. There's really no need."
"But it's only fair..."
"You're too sweet for your own good, Ruby." The CEO rolled her eyes and pulled her keys out of her purse. She unlocked the car, and both girls got in rather quickly.
Instead of the ride being filled with more pop songs and delightful singing, the sound of the motor running as the car drove was the only thing filling the silence. Neither one of the girls said anything as Weiss went down the quiet roads. Weiss glanced over at Ruby to see her leaning towards the window, silently watching the world go by as they kept moving forward.
Many people were walking out on the sidewalks. The sun was starting to set, and night had come. The nightlife city was awake, and Weiss smiled as she saw the civilians laughing with each other, many in groups or couples on the streets. It was the beginning of summer, the perfect time of year to be out and about the city with friends and family.
Weiss pulled into the front of Ruby's apartment building, Ruby unbuckling her seat belt as Weiss put the vehicle on park. As Ruby left the car, Weiss unbuckled her own seat belt and got out quickly. She wanted to be closer to Ruby. She wanted to know that whatever was going on between them could work. That they could be in an actual relationship. "R-Ruby!"
Ruby turned around before she reached the door. "Yes?"
"I...When can we..." Weiss struggled to gather her thoughts, and Ruby giggled and moved closer to the struggling CEO.
"You're really silly sometimes, Weiss."
Before Weiss knew what was happening, she felt a warm pair of lips press against her own. Ruby's eyes were closed, her hands finding their way to Weiss's long, alabaster locks. Weiss found herself melting into the kiss, closing her eyes while wrapping her arms around Ruby's neck. She grabbed fistfuls of dark, red-tipped hair and gasped as the kiss grew into many passionate kisses. Weiss, suddenly feeling a warm sensation between her legs, panted as Ruby pulled away with sparkling silver eyes.
Panting as well, Ruby smiled and held Weiss's hands. "Do you maybe want to...you know...should we go inside?"
Weiss locked her car and let Ruby swiftly lead her into the building, knowing that things between them would never be the same after tonight.
Oooooooooh, y'all know what this means! Hope you enjoyed the chapter!