Chapter Seven:
Heiress and the Traitor
[Weiss]
Date: Monday, September 19th
Just a Kiss -Lady Antebellum
Just a kiss on your lips in the moonlight
Just a touch of the fire burning so bright
And I don't want to mess this thing up
I don't want to push too far
Responding to Reviews!
WhiteRosePlanter:I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint! I'm new to writing drama and action ;-;
LostNeko120:Hmm... Perhaps a second confession will be made?
Unnamed Stranger: (another below) Or, things can run smoothly~! Untiiill something else... .
(About My Princess - I'm not sure why it updated. I was reading through the sequel and was very dissatisfied with it, so I removed it. I guess it updated when I removed the chapter.)
Mayonnaise: I'm glad you like it!
"Weiss Schnee."
The world fell silent, she heard nothing but white noise. Was she dreaming? The silver-eyed beauty liked her, and she sounded honest about it too, unlike the countless other confessions Weiss had heard since she'd come of age.
'I wonder. . .' She turned her attention to Ruby's eyes, searching them for any source of desire or selfish want like everybody else did. They were genuine. . .
"Me?" Weiss whispered after a moment, feeling as though her heart had stopped beating as she processed the confession, "But, why me?" Thankfully, Ruby hadn't heard that part. She was confused, only men sought her out and that was simply for her name and social status. Ruby seemed to be different, and Weiss didn't really know how to comprehend it. Sure, she had her suspicions that silver-eyed beauty was into her, but she honestly hadn't expected them to be confirmed, or reciprocated.
She hadn't been trained for this sort of thing.
Ruby smiled nervously, the honesty in her gaze never wavering even in the slightest. "It may seem weird, but I really wanna learn more about you." She shook her head, seeming to regret her choice of words, "If you're not okay with that, then I don't mind. I'm sorry. . ."
Well, she wasn't good at asking someone out, that was for sure. Then again, she didn't exactly seem like the social type. Weiss let out a giggle and the light in Ruby's eyes dimmed, Weiss shook her head and stepped closer to the brunette, "You're bad at this," she whispered and Ruby averted her gaze, "it's cute." A pair of silver eyes glanced at her.
A thought struck the older woman and she smirked. "Although," Weiss stepped around to Ruby's side, "how do you know I'm not already in love?" She wasn't, she just wanted to tease the poor girl. It was simply a little test, if Ruby couldn't handle this, then she didn't deserve her affections.
This could also be an easy way to find out whether or not Ruby was a stalker, even though she had her doubts about that.
Ruby seemed to go rigid, her eyes glancing to the food tables before tilting her head downwards momentarily. "Um, y-you were flirting with me? A-and you said you didn't have a boyfriend."
"No," Weiss corrected, "I said Neptune isn't my boyfriend, I never said I didn't have one." She smirked, "And who is to say that I haven't a girlfriend?"
The brunette lifted her head and her eyes met with Weiss' as she stopped in front of her, Ruby fiddled with her fingers for a second before relaxing herself. "Well," she whispered, Weiss had to strain to hear her over the obnoxious laughter that had broken out, "I'm not forcing myself on you, if you're happy, then that's all that matters. . ."
'Wait, what?' Taken by surprise, Weiss' brows furrowed in confusion, "Pardon?"
Ruby forced a smile, but she sounded genuine when she spoke; "If you're happy, then I respect that you're in love with someone else. . . I would love to be your friend, but if you don't want me around, I'll leave. . ."
She was honest. If Weiss was truly happy with someone else, she would back off without hesitation. She'd settle with being a friend, but she'd be okay if Weiss didn't want that either. "You're serious." Weiss whispered in astonishment, "You would really do that. . .? Even if it hurts you?" Weiss already knew the answer that the woman would give.
"You're my friend," Ruby whispered under her breath, her eyes once again glancing in the direction of the food, "I want you to be happy. Whoever can make a smile come to your face must be a wonderful person, and I wish you the best." Ruby turned to leave, offering the heiress a soft smile before turning away.
"Wait!" Weiss stopped the brunette before she could leave, her heart leaping to her chest. Ruby looked back at her and the woman carefully walked up to her side, anxiety brewing inside of her. "Can I tell you about the girl I like?"
Ruby frowned, "You said you were-"
"I never said I was taken." Weiss corrected again, calming herself.
"Oh. . ."
Weiss drew in a breath and let it out slowly, "Anyway, the girl I like. . . She's happy, bubbly, and energetic, she has this talent where she always seems to bring a smile to my face." Ruby fixed her attention on her and Weiss offered her a warm smile, "I could be having the worst day possible, but seeing her just brightens my day, no matter what I'm doing. At first, I thought maybe she was a stalker, but she didn't even know my name. When she found out, she didn't seem to care about my name or my ranking." Weiss paused, considering her next words before speaking again, "She's humble, sweet, and respectful. She would give up her chance at happiness just to see someone else smiling."
Ruby was watching her carefully, hurt flickering through her eyes every now and then, but she was still listening. The dense dolt. . . "Oh, and her eyes are a color I have never seen before. They're unique, and they make her all the more special."
"What color are they?" Ruby asked, still clearly oblivious.
Weiss smiled, "They're an exquisite shade of silver."
Ruby blinked multiple times, obviously trying to comprehend Weiss' description. She shook her head, "Wait, my eyes are silver. You know someone else with silver eyes?"
Weiss sighed in exasperation, "Add dense to the list." Ruby furrowed her brows, and Weiss decided to take a mental step forward, "I was also wondering if she would like to, um, go out somewhere? Tomorrow, if we can?"
"Why're you askin' me-" Silver eyes widened and heat rose to Weiss' cheeks, she instantly looked away in embarrassment. Time stood still, almost seeming like neither one of them dared to take a breath. "You like me. . ."
"Did I not just say that?" Weiss muttered under her breath, her heart racing a mile a minute. She willed away the blush to look at the red woman again, "I don't know why, or how, but I felt that spark as well. . . Ever since, I literally haven't been able to get you off my mind."
"W-wait, you mean. . .Y-you felt the spark?" Ruby stuttered in surprise, astonishment and pure joy plastered to her face. "You're not lying? You really felt it . .?" Confused by her friend's reaction, Weiss chose to simply nod in response, waiting for the brunette to explain, "I-I'm sorry, it's just that my sister always used to tell me that I would feel some sort of spark when I meet, um. . ."
Ruby tapped her fingers together in embarrassment and Weiss let, "Ruby," the younger girl shifted her attention back to her, "You don't have to stop yourself in front of me. It's fine, I promise. . ."
"No," Ruby shook her head, "I'll tell you later. Oh, um, speaking of which. . . maybe we can discuss it tonight at your apartment? Considering you're already moved in." She was looking towards the food again. . .
That's right, Weiss had an apartment to return to tonight. This would definitely take some getting used to. She'd also probably have to rearrange her furniture, the men she hired to furnish her home probably just pushed everything anywhere and everywhere. Gods, she was not looking forward to that. . .
Though, she was looking forward to seeing her sister. Maybe she could help her out. 'Wait, Winter's coming over tonight!' She didn't want to say no to Ruby, though. She could squeeze in both meetings, she was trained to be a CEO after all. "Of course. . . Sounds great. Except, my sister is going to be coming over, so I'll let you know when she leaves."
Winter never did stay for an extended period of time, only ever a few hours. . .
"Can I give you my number?" The brunette asked, "That way you can just call or text me when she leaves if you still wanna talk in person." Sincerity shone in her silver eyes again and Weiss' heart fluttered, "If you're not comfortable with being alone in a room, we could sit in the lobby?" Weiss remained silent and Ruby's gaze glanced to the floor momentarily, "I'm sorry, I just want you to know that I bear no ill intentions. . ."
"I know you don't," Weiss smiled, "you had numerous chances to show your true colors, but you're genuine." Perhaps that's what Weiss liked about her. Ruby was sweet, trustworthy, humble, and real. Weiss had been around plenty of men who were simply lusting after her, she'd never given them a second thought and turned away. There was no desire, nor greed in Ruby's eyes.
She stepped closer to the taller woman, briefly getting lost in the smell of roses. Weiss clicked herself back to her senses, "Hand me your number when you leave, I can't be carrying out a slip of paper while greeting guests."
Ruby nodded, "Alright," she glanced over her shoulder, her eyes now wandering to the desert table, "what is this party for, though?"
So apparently Penny didn't tell her, "This is the city of Atlas' one-hundredth anniversary, all citizens of Atlas are welcome to join the party."
"What if you weren't born Atlesian?"
"If you're a legal citizen of Atlas, you're more than welcome." Weiss smirked, "Why? Are you going to tell me that you're an illegal immigrant?" Wouldn't that be something?
Mischief flickered through the brunette's silver gaze, the younger woman stepped closer. "Sure," she replied, her voice laced with amusement and playfulness, "I've illegally moved here from Vale and I'm I'm workin' for a secret agency and I have been assigned to whisk the beautiful, wealthy heiress off 'her feet and ride into the sunset." The woman added a dramatic bow and a smile came to Weiss' face.
"Well," she started, wearing a sly smirk, "consider me 'whisked', then." Her head snapped up at the sound of music drifting through the banquet hall, right on schedule! She looked back to Ruby and her heart fluttered, "Since the music has begun," Weiss held out her hand with a confident smile on her face, "would you like to join me for a dance, Ruby?"
Ruby blinked once, twice, and finally reached to take Weiss' hand. "Sure." She replied meekly, "I'd love to."
"Splendid!" Weiss grinned, pulling Ruby to the dance floor, "Relax and allow me to take the lead, okay?" Ruby nodded and Weiss slid her hand under the younger woman's arm, gently resting it on her hip as their hands interlocked.
Upon the contact, Weiss' heart fell to her stomach. So that's why she'd been eyeing the food table every few minutes. . . Weiss would have to do something about that later. Clearing her mind, she took the lead by gliding her foot to the left, Ruby immediately followed. It felt strange to be the one in the lead, but it was something she could get used to.
She lifted her eyes to meet Ruby's silver pair. A spark of electricity coursed through her again and her heart skipped a beat, it seemed as though those eyes had gotten brighter somehow. . .
"I want to ask you something." Weiss whispered after a moment, the two of them having fallen into a comfortable pace. Ruby seemed to have no problem gliding across the floor, she was a natural! Then again, she was wearing flats. "Do you have any siblings?"
"Just one older sister," Ruby replied with a tiny smile, "but she can be a pain in the ass."
Weiss giggled, "Yeah, I can understand that." She stepped back and lifted her arm, twirling her partner with a smooth gesture of her wrist. Their hands interlocked again and their pace sped up, "I have a little brother, and sometimes I swear he's Satan in disguise."
"Ah," Ruby shook her head, "you ain't met Satan unless you make my sister mad. Seriously, I think her eyes even turn red!"
Weiss let a dramatic breath of relief, "Yeah, that does sound scary. Let me guess, her hair can catch fire, too?" Ruby was easy to talk to, Weiss felt like she could open up around her, she didn't have to fear stepping out of line.
Ruby laughed, the sound was like music to Weiss' ears. "Wouldn't put it past 'er, to be honest! I cut her hair one time out of spite and I'm very surprised that she didn't turn to flame! She literally looked like the devil himself!" The brunette seemed to come closer, somehow keeping their tempo as they danced. Weiss glanced down to the brunette's lips, her heart rate picking up; she was so close that Weiss wanted to just lean in and- wait, no.
Though, her lips did look soft. . . Would it really be such a bad thing?
"Weiss," Ruby's teasing voice caught her attention and Weiss' eyes glanced up quickly, her breath hitching when she noticed the playful, knowing expression on her face, "what're you looking at?"
"Nothing. I'm just thinking." Weiss replied automatically, but Ruby just smirked and the stinging embarrassment of being caught struck her in the chest.
Ruby hummed, cocking a brow in amusement. "Thinking about what?" Weiss could feel her breath on her ear. "About kissing me?"
"No!" Weiss yelped almost immediately, heat rising to her cheeks. Of course she hadn't been thinking that! She'd only met the girl recently, why would she even consider kissing her? They weren't even dating, they'd only known each other for a week! That would be wrong! Then again. . . It would be fun to bend the rules a bit here and there.
Ruby purred again, leaning close and tilting her head ever so slightly. "You didn't say no~." Weiss' heart rate picked up and she was positive the color of her face matched Ruby's namesake now. She could feel Ruby's warm breath against her ear.
They'd stopped dancing.
'So, she's assertive.' Weiss noted.
"I wouldn't mind." Ruby smirked.
"I'm not completely against the idea," Weiss whispered honestly, one arm sliding around Ruby's waist as mischief flickered through silver eyes, "I actually kinda like it."
What?
Ruby giggled and her hand slid down to Weiss' hip, the other coming up to gently grasp Weiss' chin. The woman's mind became momentarily hazy, her eyes staring into Ruby's as the world started to go deaf around her, the scent of roses embraced her and she felt a sense of relaxation wash over her.
Ruby shifted forward, catching Weiss' attention with a playful smirk. Suddenly alert, blue eyes glanced around them for anybody looking in their direction; her fear and worries became nonexistent when she noticed that everybody was off in their own world.
The crowd and the music would keep everybody's attention off of them.
She moved her eyes back to Ruby, who reached up to tuck a lock of white hair behind Weiss' ear. parks of electricity flew through her at the contact, Ruby leaned forward, giving Weiss time to reconsider before slowly closing the gap. As their lips met, a warm spark of electricity raced through her and she could feel her heart trying to beat out of her chest.
Weiss' mind nearly shut off; Ruby's lips were soft and healing, she wasn't too rough and she wasn't at all timid. Her kiss was sweet. For a moment, she was at a loss for words. She didn't know how to describe this. . . Heavenly? Divine? Enchanting?
None of those were good enough.
It was. . . Perfect.
All too soon, Ruby pulled away and a pang of loss and loneliness twisted inside Weiss. She wanted that back. . . Before she could ask for another, the mood was broken. "Ruby?" The brunette briefly met her eyes before lifting her head in the direction of the entrance, her brows furrowed in confusion. "What is it?" Weiss asked shyly, glancing over her shoulder to follow Ruby's gaze.
Nothing. . .
Ruby went rigid and stiff, she almost appeared to be a predator waiting to pounce on its prey. "Ruby, are you okay?" Weiss glanced over her shoulder again, following Ruby's eyes to a tall, broad man with a black beard wearing a white and black tuxedo. He looked towards them and straightened his red tie, his attention lingering on Ruby for a split second before walking away.
"Where's the exit?" Ruby asked quietly as Weiss turned back to her, the brunette had locked her attention on Weiss now. She seemed apprehensive. . . Scared even. "I need to get you out of here."
"What's happening?" Weiss asked in response, "Who is he?"
Hesitation flickered in Ruby's silver eyes and guilt struck Weiss in the heart, she was practically trembling. "Weiss, please," the brunette pleaded, "I'll explain later."
The music came to a stop and Weiss stepped away from Ruby while the other dance partners took a bow, the two of them made their way to the far corner of the ballroom.
Once they were out of sight, she turned back to the silver-eyed woman. "I can't let anything happen to you." Ruby whispered, desperation clear on her face.
Weiss' brows furrowed, "Well first, you should start by telling me what's going on." She was getting a little bit tired of not receiving a proper answer from the woman, if she wouldn't tell her she would just figure it out herself. "Who is he? Why do I need to leave? What are you planning?"
"I didn't plan anything!" Ruby cried, glancing behind Weiss again. "Please, Weiss! They're here for you." Weiss' eyes widened and Ruby shook her head, heaving as she finally made her explanation; "They hold your family responsible for what happened with the faunus event-"
Another, slightly louder song came on in the background.
"My family?!" Weiss snapped, "Do you know what those filthy faunus have done to my family?! To the human kind in general!? We are being slaughtered by those savages! Several of my family members were killed and countless board members were executed because of them! They deserved what happened at that damned revolution!"
Ruby sighed, "So you're saying that innocent children and mothers deserved to die?" Her voice was soft, but sharp. "You're tellin' me that families deserved to be killed for what the terrorists are doing, just because of their race or affiliation?"
Weiss groaned, rubbing her forehead in irritation. This girl just didn't get it! "The families were full of bad people, those children would grow up to be liars, thieves, and murderers Ruby!"
"You don't know that! They could be forced into the system with no escape!" Why did that sound like she knew from experience?
"They would join by will! All faunus are the same, they're low-life rapscallions!"
"If all faunus are the same, does that mean you're just like your family, too?" Ruby hollered, the music causing their argument to fall on deaf ears to everybody except themselves. "Are all Schnees entitled, obnoxious, scheming assholes who only care about what's best for themselves?!"
Weiss fell quiet, Ruby's words repeated in her head like a broken record. When Weiss didn't respond, Ruby continued, "See?" She whispered tenderly, the tension from her shoulders ebbing away. "You're not like the rest of them. That means these people being murdered are most likely innocent, yet they're being pushed around, beaten, assaulted, and who knows what else, just for being alive, for being different."
"But, what about those executions and- and those murders?" Surely they had something to do with it, right? "If the faunus didn't do it, then who did?" Realization struck her and irritation stung her again. The cute, silver-eyed brunette she'd met at the mall was associated with those terrorists trying to bring down humanity. . . She'd kissed a criminal. "And how do you know-"
"Weiss, please, not right now." Ruby begged again, her voice cracking, "I'll explain everything tonight, I promise! Just let me get you outta here!" She looked up over Weiss' again and her eyes widened in horror. Weiss followed her gaze and rolled her eyes, there was nothing to look at. There were just two men and a blonde conversing, it was nothing unusual.
Of course the cute ones couldn't be trusted. . .
"You don't have to protect me from anything." Weiss growled, turning her back towards Ruby. Her chest was aching and it felt like her soul was being torn apart, but she had to keep her composure. "Consider yourself lucky I don't turn you into the authorities. Get your friends and leave, I'm not falling for your tricks."
That spark hadn't meant anything. . . She'd been fooled. Feeling a rush of heartbreak and betrayal flood through her, Weiss pressed her finger to her lips. The magic and sweetness of the kiss still lingered in her mind, battling the rage and hurt she was experiencing. All Ruby had wanted to do was distract her, right?
Ruby's voice cracked again when she spoke, full of regret and anguish. "This-this isn't a trick, Weiss! Please, you gotta believe me! They're gonna hurt you, or even kill you!"
Then again. . . She was trying to warn her.
All eyes turned to them and Weiss stopped dead in her tracks. Fantastic, now the brat has gotten everybody's attention. . . That's what she wanted.
Weiss turned around, "You're delusional." She muttered coldly, trying to ignore the ache in her heart when she noticed the fearful expression Ruby was wearing. Not making eye contact with her, she started away from the brunette. "I'm giving you one last cha-" Her gaze landed on a pair of black, polished boots.
She stopped dead in her tracks, eyes coming up to meet the barrel of a pistol aimed at her head. "Hello, Schnee." The man greeted kindly, "I'm afraid the party's over." He looked over her shoulder towards Ruby, "Say bye-bye to your little girlfriend, Reaper."
Time slowed down considerably and Weiss watched, frozen, as the man's finger descended to the trigger, her body ran cold and she could hear her heart pounding in her ears. She was at gunpoint. She was going to die.
"WEISS!"
She should've listened to Ruby. . . The entire time, she'd been trying to protect her and Weiss had been the one to cause a scene; she'd walked straight into her own death.
Hurried footsteps echoed from behind her.
"Leave her alone!"
She didn't want to die. . . 'No. I'm not- I don't-' Why hadn't she listened to her?
The man pressed down on the trigger and the gun reeled back.
"NO!"
A loud, deafening noise crashed through the room; a strong pair of arms grabbed her waist and something collided with her body, nearly snapping her out of her trance. Weiss felt herself falling, a weight landed on top of her. A warm wave embraced her, attempting to shield her from the rough collision to the floor, but it was too late; her head hit the floor and her vision went black, the rest of her body falling limp as her eyes closed.
There was a dull ache in the back of her head, she was regaining consciousness. Weiss saw red in her vision when she opened her eyes again, it looked like a swirl of red rose petals and it was spinning around her. Warmth enveloped her body, as if her soul was starting to intertwine with the red.
"Don't touch her! Stay away!"
Sound slowly began to return, but her vision remained too blurred for her to focus. Weiss could hear ear shattering screams and gunfire. A noise in the back of her head kept whispering that this was her fault.
Weight lifted up off of her slightly, staying close enough to cover her. Weiss' vision cleared ever so slightly and she could make out what looked to be a tall, broad figure standing above them.
"Get. Away. From her."
She knew that voice. It was Ruby. She was. . . She was protecting her.
"We always knew you would betray us, Reaper." The voice sounded distorted and hoarse, it took Weiss a long minute to register their words. "Might as well dispose of you both," Weiss closed her eyes again, unable to keep them open. The ache in her head had become too much. "The heiress and the traitor. He will be so proud. . ."
Weiss wanted to sleep. . . She couldn't keep her eyes open.
"How about a Mister Cerulean with his brains blown out?" An unfamiliar cocky voice said, but Weiss didn't have the energy to open her eyes and see who it was.
The noises began to fade again. She was so tired. . .
To explain what happened: Ruby tackled Weiss out of the way, and Weiss hit her head, which knocks her out. The red/soul thing will be explained in the next chapter. As for the action, I'm still learning how to write this stuff and TLaD is more or less my practice. So if anybody has advice, I'm willing to hear it!
~Dixie
