Chapter Six:
Radiance
[Ruby]
Date: Monday, September 19th
Angel Eyes - Love & Theft
She likes whiskey with her water

She starts dancing when the stars come out
She ain't your typical preacher's daughter
She'll leave you dreamin' yeah ain't no doubt


"Ruby, you look amazing!"

The woman glared at her reflection in the mirror and disgust swelled inside of her. She was wearing so much makeup that she felt like she could be mistaken for a clown, "I feel like a fool." Ruby replied to her friend as calmly as she could, trying not to let her disapproval show. Penny was excited for the party, she'd gone all out and insisted that Ruby should look her best. Not wanting to disappoint her, Ruby had reluctantly agreed. But had she known she would look like this, she would have politely declined her friend's offer.

Penny scoffed as she approached her side, fiddling with a hair bow before facing the mirror. "Oh psch, you'll only have to wear it for a few hours." She hummed, turning to face the mirror and tying the pink bow into her hair. "Didn't you make the skirt, anyway?" She asked, gesturing to the black and red outfit Ruby was wearing.

The red woman sighed, "Yes, I did," she crossed her arms, relaxing herself before continuing, "but I was talkin' about the amount of make-up you put on me."

Penny smiled at her from the mirror, "Come on, you look great!" She said, whirling around on her ankle to stand in front of Ruby, "But, I do not wish for my friend to be uncomfortable. Wash it off, Weiss would find you pretty either way."

"Wha-?!" Ruby yelped as Penny sat her back down, "Weiss?! What does she have to do with anything?!"

Penny handed the woman a pack of make-up remover, "Everything!" The redhead checked her watch and cut Ruby off before she could speak, "We have approximately four hours before the party!"

Ruby rolled her eyes and opened the packet, "I don't know why you want me dressing up and looking fancy. I won't be talkin' to anyone."

Of course, Weiss would be there and probably would wish to speak to her. Maybe Ruby would be able to hold a conversation this time without getting embarrassed, she didn't want to humiliate the older woman by accident. Then again, with her luck, she would spill the entire fruit punch bowl all over the heiress. It'd probably be red and she'd be wearing a white dress. . .

A laugh came from behind her, "You'll be flirting with Weiss, so you need to be looking your best, Ruby! Who knows, you could even score a date! That is, if you don't end up kissing her."

Flirting? Well that was definitely almost just as bad as knocking fruit punch all over the woman. Wait, did she say kissing?

"What?!" Ruby shrieked, fumbling with the object in her hands before it slipped between her fingers and hit the floor. Replaying her friends' words in her head, a red blush crept its way up her neck and she briefly choked on her own breath. She would take Weiss despising her for staining her expensive white dress over accidentally kissing her. At least then she would have a small chance to redeem herself. . .

Pulling herself back together, Ruby spun her chair around and silver eyes met with Penny's green pair, "You're dead." She said under her breath.

Penny smirked, "Now, now, what would your new girlfriend think if she found out you killed your best friend?"

"She's not my girlfriend, Penny! Hell, she ain't even my friend!"

"Not yet! Wait. . . Oooh!" Penny stopped and tapped her chin thoughtfully, "I bet she would absolutely love your pierced tongue-" She shrieked as the brunette lunged forward, "Ruby!" The redhead leapt back, narrowly avoiding the younger girl as she reached to grab her again.

"Penny, get back here!" Ruby shouted as her friend bolted out the door, "Hey! I'm not done with you!"

"No!" The redhead yelped as she raced to the door, Ruby trailing right behind her. "I'm right and you know it!" She laughed, kicking the bathroom door shut before Ruby could run through.

The brunette growled in humiliation as she pushed the door open. "No! I wouldn't kiss her!" She yelled, hoping she wouldn't disturb her neighbors. Penny laughed from somewhere in the apartment.

"Of course you would! You would say 'hey you're really pretty' and then kiss her! You know you would!"

"I would not!"

'Oh Gods, what'd I do to deserve this?' Ruby followed the sound of her best friend's voice, embarrassment tearing at her chest all the while. 'Please end me now.'

Before she could locate her friend, a knock came at the apartment door and Ruby released a loud sigh. It was more than likely one of her neighbors complaining about the noise and threatening to report her. . . Thankfully she had to leave for a party in a few hours, then Penny would return home and the apartment would be dead silent. She'd be safe from her friend's relentless teasing, too.

Knock knock knock.

"One second!" Ruby called, marching down the hall as quickly as she could, Penny came out of her hiding place behind her. "I can hear you!" She yelled back at her friend, who only laughed in response. She grabbed the handle and opened the door as calmly as she could, she frowned when she noticed a tall blonde boy standing in front of her wearing a nervous smile. "Um, hello." Ruby raised a brow.

"H-Hi!" The boy greeted, "I'm Anxiety."

Well that's one way to introduce yourself.

"Uh," Ruby blinked, "Nice to meet you?"

The boy's eyes widened, "No- I mean, my name is Jaune! Jaune Arc! Not Anxiety! I, uh, my girlfriend suggested that I stop by and drop off these cookies, so here."

"Oh, okay. . ." Wanting to get the interaction over and done with so that she could leave, Ruby took the box and stepped back to shut the door, "Thank you."

"Wait, what's your name?" Jaune asked, stopping her before she could close the door. Ruby sighed and slid the door open again, "I told you my name, so it's only fair that you tell me yours. Unless you don't want to, that's fine, too."

Ruby smirked, "The name's Depression," she chuckled when he rolled his eyes, "sorry, I'm Ruby."

"Welcome to Beacon Apartments, Ruby!" The boy smiled, glancing behind her, "Oh is this your roommate?" He asked, gesturing to Penny as she walked up to take the box from Ruby.

Ruby shook her head, "She's just my friend." She placed her hand back on the handle, "Anyway, bye Jaune!" Before he could respond, she stepped back and flicked the door shut, turning back to face Penny. "Well he was awkward. . ." She muttered, glancing at the box as her friend opened it. A wave of anxiety and caution hit her like a freight train.

What if the cookies were poisoned? Before she could stop herself, the question slipped out; "How're the cookies? Are they spiked?"

The redhead sent her a ridiculous look, "What? Why would they be poisoned?"

"Just being cautious," Ruby smiled nervously, "um, let's put them up for later, ey?"

"Okay, I guess." Penny shrugged as Ruby flipped the box shut and picked it up, scanning the kitchen for a place to set it. With a grunt, the brunette set the box on top of the stove and opened the fridge, "Is there anywhere to put it?" The redhead asked, Ruby hummed her response and grabbed the box, sliding it in. "Are you sure they'll be okay in there?"

Ruby heaved a sigh at her friend's questions and turned to face her, "Were they freshly baked? Warm?" Penny shook her head, "They'll be fine." The brunette stood up and dusted her legs off, "Alright, how long until the party?"

"Uh," Penny glanced at her watch, "three in a half hours."

Ruby sighed, accepting her fate. "We should finish gettin' ready and head on over there."


[Weiss]

"Are you positive you don't wish to have your friend join you?"

Weiss tilted her head back slightly to look at her personal assistant, she offered a tiny smile to the younger woman and fixed her eyes on the mirror again. "I'm sure." She replied, clipping a snowflake accessory into her hair and turning to face the ginger. "Byzan, are you sure you don't want to attend the party?"

Purple eyes glanced at her in surprise, the woman stuttered and stumbled over her words; "Well, I-um, I thought we weren't-? What about- Are you sure this is a good idea, Ms. Schnee?" Byzan asked in sheer confusion, obviously trying to process the question she'd been asked.

Weiss placed a hand on her hip, "Of course it is, you all are the ones who decorated the banquet hall for the party, aren't you? You deserve a rest." Byzan opened her mouth to protest and Weiss held up a hand to cut her off, "My father isn't here. I suggest you should take the offer, who knows when my father will give you a day off again."

"If you insist," Byzan smiled slightly, "thank you, Ms. Schnee."

Byzan had come to work for the Schnee family when she was barely a teenager, Weiss had later learned that her mother had succumbed to an unknown disease and her aunt had taken her in. She'd been here ever since, and over time, she'd noticed a few things about the younger woman she found intriguing. Weiss wouldn't really call her a friend, but she knew that she would keep her secrets if she told her, therefore she'd come to trust the redhead.

"Speaking of a break," Weiss turned away from Byzan, who lifted her head to look at her again, "how is your aunt's retirement going?"

The question seemed to take her assistant by surprise again, but she didn't hesitate to answer. "Um, well Myst told me she said she's finally gotten to visit Menagerie."

Weiss raised a brow, meeting her assistant's eyes through the mirror. "Menagerie? Isn't that. . .?"

Byzan chuckled, "Yeah," she said carefully, "but she's always talked about an old friend she had growing up. Said the guy moved to Menagerie after his home in Vale was destroyed, so she went to see him after she retired."

'Vale.' Her mind flashed back to Ruby and a small, giddy smile formed on her lips, remembering the brunette's deep, but adorable accent. Did all people from Vale have an accent? She would assume so, but none of them would be as cute as Ruby's. Weiss' heartbeat quickened. She would be seeing her again today, and then tomorrow when she was finally moving into her apartment. She'd be around her more often. . .

She would hear her laugh, she would see her smile and the sparkle in her eyes whenever she got really enthusiastic, she would see her stammering and giggling as she attempts to flirt, followed by the wild blush that comes to her face when she thinks she's humiliated herself when it was probably the most adorable thing in the world.

Her assistant giggled from behind her, "So, Ms. Schnee. Who has you smiling like a little schoolgirl experiencing her first crush?"

"That is a horrible comparison." Weiss grumbled, "Anything but that."

"Very well," Byzan shrugged, "you're smiling like a woman who's just about to walk down the aisle."

"That's even worse. . ."

The redhead laughed again as Weiss readjusted her tiara, willing the blush away from her face. She had to keep Ruby out of her mind for the time being, as disappointing as it was. . . "But, seriously, Ms. Schnee," Byzan was smiling at her, "I've never seen you smile like that before. So tell me," she propped herself up on the chair, clearly having become comfortable in Weiss' presence now that she was being friendly, "who's the lucky guy? What does he look like?"

Weiss shook her head and turned to face Byzan, "I can't tell you, I must protect their identity." She smirked and clasped her hands together, "I suggest you run along and tell the rest of the staff that they'll be attending the party. I'll start letting everybody in."

The redhead nodded once and quickly left the room. Weiss examined herself in her reflection briefly before making her away out of her bedroom and towards the banquet room.

"I hope to see you there, Weiss."

The only thing Weiss was looking forward to about this party was seeing Ruby. That is, if she could find time to talk to her. . . She knew very well that relatives would show up at the celebration and other people would wish to speak to her about business matters, which was one of the many things she dreaded. Of course, she loved organizing the event and setting everything up, but that didn't mean she enjoyed interacting with the obnoxious people who would most definitely be there.

'Ruby.' A tiny smile came to her lips. 'Seeing her would make today much better. . .'


[Ruby]

Only forty-five minutes to the party and she was already wanting to leave; Penny had left with General Ironwood (who had revealed to be a tall, broad man with greying black hair and stern blue eyes) and Ruby had retreated to the far corner of the room alone.

Everybody surrounding her were high-class, important people and everyone knew everybody and their ranking. Even from her spot in the corner, she could hear folks talking about their businesses and a few conversations Ruby would have been better off not hearing. She also had to make sure that none of those women, such as Myst or even her sister, were present.

Why did she even agree to come? She knew she'd end up alone, and she couldn't exactly mingle with these people. She was a piece of furniture at this point. Ruby let out a sigh and leaned against the pristine white wall behind her, closing her eyes momentarily before opening them to scan the room. Noticing something move to her left, she turned her head and caught sight of a man with silvery white hair approaching Weiss.

A tiny smile came to Ruby's lips at the sight of the woman and she released a relaxed sigh. She couldn't force herself to look away. 'She seems so proud of herself.' She thought, having seen the wide smile Weiss was wearing. The heiress turned around when the man acknowledged her and the smile dropped just a bit, Ruby frowned and pushed herself off the wall, groaning in annoyance when a large, bulky man moved in front of her and blocked her view.

An indescribable, yet familiar, emotion washed over her and the brunette moved closer to Weiss' location, setting herself within earshot of the woman. Good, she could hear and see her, now she just had to listen for- no. She shook her head and reeled herself back into reality, pushing her instincts down and turning to leave.

"Einen schönen Guten Abend euch Onkel Richard." Ruby paused in her tracks when she heard an angelic voice speak a foreign language, one that she mentally detected to be German. Her heart almost stopped in her chest and she silently turned around, her breath caught in her throat. It was Weiss. . .

The man, assumingly 'Richard' smiled back at the woman and replied; "Diesen wünsche ich euch ebenfalls, my dearest niece." His accent wasn't anywhere near as stunning as Weiss', it was more gruff and hoarse than anything. "Where is your father?"

Weiss, on the other hand, seemed to carry a melodic, alluring tune. Ruby stepped closer when Weiss' voice easily slipped back into the English language, sounding just as beautiful as before; "He was called away on a business trip, he should be back around early November. I have been left in charge of the company until then."

Richard's grin widened, "Is that so? Herzlichen Glückwunsch! How is it so far?"

"Stressful," Weiss replied with a deep, reluctant sigh, "but I'm managing." Judging by the sound of her voice, she wanted the man to leave. Ruby knew the tone all too well, but some people just couldn't take the hint. Weiss suddenly glanced in her direction and a spark of electricity rolled through Ruby, she offered a tiny, meek smile and the heiress responded with a warm grin. She turned back to focus her attention on Richard when the man spoke again.

"Well, I'm sure you'll do just fine," the man turned his head and smiled nervously, "I have to go, my wife is calling for me." Weiss just nodded her response and Richard quickly walked away.

Ruby quietly walked up to take his place, watching the man disappear into the crowd. "Well hello," she glanced over her shoulder to see Weiss smirking at her, "do you need anything?" Weiss asked as Ruby faced her with a wild blush creeping up her cheeks. The mischievousness in Weiss' eyes caught her attention and an awkward grin came to her lips, Weiss knew she'd been watching.

She'd been caught red handed.

The brunette giggled, avoiding the woman's eyes, "I just, um," she looked at her, "I wanted to see you."

Weiss chuckled, "That's cute," she purred playfully before taking a step back, "well, now you've seen me!" Ruby nodded her quiet response, trying to keep her eyes from wandering. "What do you think of my outfit?" Weiss asked, giving a quick twirl and stopping to face the blushing woman again.

Was she giving her permission to ogle her?

Ruby scanned her up and down, her heart rate increasing in her chest as she took in the sight of the older woman. "You look. . . Wow, just wow. . ." It was all she could say; she was breathtaking! Weiss was wearing a baby blue dress that faded into a white gradient with small snowflake patterns around the hem and sleeves. Her eyes landed on ruby red earrings and a diamond red necklace, complementing the white and blue.

She was the definition of radiance. . .

"Thank you," Weiss blushed, "I suppose you're not too bad on the eyes yourself, little Rose." Blue eyes examined her for a brief second, "So who helped you dress?" The heiress smirked and Ruby rolled her eyes in response, "I'm sorry, but you came to a Mall with an old sweater and jeans. It's clear you don't have any fashion sense."

Ruby placed a hand on her chest in mock offense, "You wound me! I got all dressed up and lookin' fancy for you, and you choose to insult me." She giggled and shook her head, "Penny helped me."

Weiss hummed, something flickering through her eyes momentarily at the mention of Penny's name. "That's nice of her," Ruby watched as her attention trailed to the crowd and the woman released a quiet sigh, "everybody seems so happy." There was an odd air around her, "Well," Weiss smiled, looking back to Ruby, "I suppose I did a good job decorating and planning it!"

The light in her eyes had left. . . Ruby didn't like that at all, she didn't like that smile. What was wrong? "Yeah, the party's great, I suppose," Ruby's attention never wavered and she slowly reached to touch the woman's shoulder, retracting her hand when Weiss stiffened and leaned away from her. "Are you okay, Weiss?" She asked questioningly, offering a soft smile when Weiss glanced towards her.

"Is Penny your partner?" Weiss asked carefully, panic still evident in her eyes.

"Huh?" Ruby's brows furrowed, deciding to pay no attention to what she was seeing. "What do you mean?"

Weiss drew in a shaky breath, "I mean, is she your girlfriend?"

Silver eyes widened and Ruby shook her head, her hands flailing. "N-no! I don't like her like that! She's my best friend! I mean, yeah, she's sweet, but. . ." The redness returned to her cheeks and she averted her gaze momentarily to gather herself again. She locked her eyes with Weiss' again and another wave of humiliation washed over her, "I have my eyes on someone else. . ."

The light faded from Weiss' eyes for a moment, "Oh. . . Really? Who? What does she look like?"

Ruby sputtered for a moment before clearing her throat, "Well, um, she's gorgeous to say the least. Every time I see her," she hesitated and calmed herself, electricity sparking through when she spoke her next words, "every time I see her, it's like my heart wants to beat out of my chest. . . I really, really like her."

She lifted her head and opened her mouth to say something, but she was cut off by Weiss. "Do you?" Weiss whispered hesitantly, "Tell me more."

The younger woman's face flushed and she started fiddling with the hem of her skirt, "I can't," she said, "you would figure out who it is. . ."

Weiss stared at her and Ruby bowed her head, refusing to make eye contact with her. "I promise I won't judge. . ."

Ruby cracked a small smile, "W-well," she started carefully, deciding to take a leap of faith, "she has the most beautiful blue eyes I've ever seen, it's like they're crafted from snowflakes themselves!" Her voice faded into a whisper as she spoke, silver orbs staring into the mentioned pair of blue, "Lookin' into them, it's like looking at the frozen ocean during a long, cold winter night and yearning for the first sunlight of Spring . . . When her eyes light up, it's like a child on Christmas; it's like the ocean has melted and has felt the warmth of the Spring sunlight. They're a whole new person. . .

"Her voice," Ruby giggled and tore her eyes away from Weiss', "oh Gods her voice. . ." Warmth flooded her chest, "it's so soft, melodic, and comforting, I will never get tired of hearin' it. She sounds like an angel sent from Heaven above! She even looks like one," she heard Weiss hum in acknowledgement and she met her eyes, her heart racing in her chest, "and when I first looked at her, I felt some kinda spark that I'll never be able to forget, and I don't wanna forget."

The spark she'd felt when their eyes met for the first time was something she'd never forget, it would always be at the back of her mind. "I always wonder if she felt it too," Ruby whispered after a second, "but I guess I'll never know. . ."

Weiss' gaze lingered for a long minute, seeming to process her explanation before she decided to respond. Realization flickered through Weiss' eyes and a shadow of a smile came to her lips, there were stars dancing in her eyes. 'Does she know?' Ruby wondered quietly, 'Have I gone too far?'

"Do tell," the heiress spoke again, her voice soft and laced with amusement, "what is her name?"

Ruby turned her attention to the opportunity that had just presented itself to her and a ball of anxiety grew within her. This was it. . . She could tell her, she could confess. But, what if Weiss rejected her? What if she ruined whatever kind of friendship they had? What if she never wanted to speak to her again?

'What if she gives me a chance?'

Hesitantly, Ruby moved to stand directly in front of Weiss. She could do this. . . She'd endured the training of a criminal and braved through it like a soldier, she could handle a bit of humiliation if she was turned down. Weiss seemed to focus her full attention on the young woman, waiting expectantly for her answer. Something told Ruby that she already knew somehow. Then again, she wasn't exactly subtle.

Ruby drew in a deep, shaky breath and readied herself. This was it. . .

"Weiss Schnee."


LOVE CONFESSIONS! -sobbing-
How do you guys think Weiss will take it? Comment down below!

Translations:
Einen schönen Guten Abend euch Onkel Richard - A wonderful evening to you, Uncle Richard.
Diesen wünsche ich euch ebenfalls - I wish the same to you
Herzlichen Glückwunsch - Congratulations