"Okay Class, what do we know about the impact of Dust on the human body?"
Weiss sighed heavily, her shoulders slouching as she leaned back. Dust Chemistry was a class she'd much rather not take, especially considering she was the next in line for the biggest Dust refinement company on Remnant. She already knew everything she needed to about elemental formulas in Dust by the time she was seven.
"Hey, Weiss?" Ruby whispered, drawing the Schnee's dwindling attention from the professor to her partner.
"Hm?"
"Can people burn from the inside out if you stabbed them with fire dust?"
Weiss huffed, "Don't be ridiculous. Fire needs oxygen to burn, and there wouldn't be sufficient oxygen in your body for the fire to combust. The only way such an event could happen is in the rare case you got fire Dust into your lungs; however, the stab wound itself would be more likely to kill you first, rather than the fire."
Ruby blinked, Weiss' words lost to her, "Uh.. Can you explain that to me in English?"
"Miss Rose," Ruby straightened up immediately as Professor Ebony called her name, silver eyes darting to the front of the class. The teacher was staring at her expectantly, foot tapping the floor. Ruby gulped, glancing to Weiss for help, who, in turn, only shrugged.
"Y-yeah?"
"Miss Rose! As knowledgeable as Miss Schnee may be, she is not your professor. Eyes down here from now on," she spoke softly. Ruby bowed her head in slight humiliation.
"Sorry…"
Professor Ebony was one of the nicer teachers in the school, being a mother of two. Her motherly instincts sometimes bled into class time, but nobody ever complained. In the rare case where it did, it was refreshing, maybe even comforting.
Weiss sighed. Being around such a motherly figure was rough at times. She liked to keep her walls up, and she'd become harsh and snappy with anyone who tried to talk to her. Professor Ebony had tried, on multiple occasions, to start a conversation with her before class, and she had been pleasant, but the idea of a pleasant mother made Weiss extremely uncomfortable considering her own was... not so keen on showing any form of kindness.
"As I was saying," The professor turned to point at a simple drawing of a body on the blackboard, "The human body is made up of two simple parts. The body itself"
She quickly drew a circle in the chest with blue chalk, "...and the soul.
"Everybody has a different soul, as demonstrated by the color of our aura. While one of you may have a green colored aura, another may have a red aura, or a blue aura. It protects us, helps us to unlock and bring forth our semblances. It is unique to every one of us.
"Now, you're probably wondering how this is related to the effect of Dust on our bodies," some students nodded at the statement, pens in their hands. Weiss looked over to Ruby, who was busy drawing in the corner of her book. The heiress frowned, handing Ruby the notes she had already written.
"If you're not going to pay attention, copy those down. They'll help you when it comes to revision." Weiss whispered, not taking her eyes off the presentation in front of her. Ruby's eyes gleamed with appreciation for a moment, opening her mouth to say something. Her jaw hung open, before deciding against saying anything. She began to copy the tedious amount of notes quietly, much to Weiss' relief.
"Dust is made up of several chemicals, as you know," Professor Ebony pointed to a crudely drawn shard of dust, before circling, "Dust Crystals are the condensed form of Dust. Dust Crystals cannot merge with the human body internally. However, they can be applied externally to heal wounds. A good example of this can be seen in Fire Dust Crystals, which can be cracked in half and used for cauterizing, or Ice Crystals, similarly handled to numb an area.
"Despite their beneficial purposes, there are still limitations and dire consequences to be considered, should the exposure to Dust happen in a less than ideal circumstance. If any of you ever get impaled by a Dust Crystal, you must immediately seek medical attention, even if your aura is still intact." The professor lifted a jar of powdered Dust from her desk, holding it up for the class to see, "Powdered Dust is fatal inside the human body. Its potency is not unlike the most toxic snake venom on Remnant. Please observe what happens when I take a few grains of this Fire Dust and dip it into this beaker of animal blood."
Weiss and Ruby both straightened up, intrigued, as the teacher showcased a beaker labeled as "pig's blood". She swung it around slightly, swishing the liquid in it from side to side, staining the glass red. She then set the beaker back down for a moment, picking up a pipette and using it to syphon the Fire Dust.
Carefully, she dipped the tip of the pipette into the blood, releasing the Dust briefly by squeezing. The blood boiled for a few seconds, before going still.
The class grew silent as they watched the professor pull out a silver dish from behind her desk. She picked up the beaker full of blood and gently poured it onto the dish. Instead of the liquid falling from the glass beaker the way it should've, a coagulated lump plopped down instead, hitting the dish like a jelly.
"Whoa," Ruby gasped, "That's so cool!"
Weiss hummed, folding her arms over her chest. She had never actually seen it in person, what happened when Dust interacted with blood. She had studied it down to the minuscule chemical reactions, but her father had made sure she never actually witnessed the experiments take place. Something about it not being a suitable place for children. Weiss never bought it.
"Professor? You only demonstrated powdered Dust and crystalline Dust. What about pure Dust?" A student called from behind her. The teacher bowed her head.
"Fantastic question. While it has been proven the most common types of Dust are fatal, the results of pure Dust on a human body have never been publicly released." She explained.
"Why? Couldn't scientists outside Atlas investigate it themselves?" Another voice. Weiss already knew that answer.
"Unfortunately, the only source of pure Dust comes from the Atlas Mountains. It is one of the rarest forms of Dust in existence, and it costs more than this entire school makes in a lifetime."
"Can't you get the Schnees to provide some?" Cardin's voice boomed from the back of the classroom, "We have the daughter of the owner right here, after all."
"I have a name, Cardin," Weiss growled, straightening her back, "And do tell me if I'm wrong, but I believe you're also a part of a wealthy family. Couldn't you get perfectly forged weapons for every student in the school?"
Ruby snorted at Weiss' response, sharing the same smug grin as her partner. The rest of the class began to chuckle lightly at Weiss' response. The Schnee could practically see the frustration growing on Cardin's disgruntled face. She was right, and Cardin knew she was right.
"You got a problem with my family, Schnee?!" Cardin yelled, standing from his desk. The class grew tense as they waited for Weiss' response, all eyes turning to her and Ruby in the front row. Ruby gazed at Weiss, ready to stand up for her if she needed to.
She didn't need it, "No, but you forget the Winchester family works for the SDC. I know that your family is a struggling business."
"Is that a threat, you bitch!?"
Ruby physically prickled at that, her silver eyes filling with protective fury towards the bully. She turned to face him, a snarky remark climbing up her throat with venomous intent. Her mouth was already open when she felt a hand on her arm, turning to look at Weiss in shock.
"Weiss-?"
"Don't bother," Weiss hummed, turning her partner around to face the front again, "He's not worth it. And stubborn, to boot. You'll only end up in a fight."
"But he called you a-!"
"I've been called worse," she voiced, sadly, causing a worried frown to flash across Ruby's face, "I'll be fine."
Ruby relented, settling back into her seat with a defeated look. She didn't like Cardin. He was always bullying people, getting under their skin and raging havoc. He always seemed to have a problem with Weiss, and it really got to Ruby.
Weiss would always allow Cardin to tear into her, mocking her family, her scar, anything he could get his hands on. Ruby had heard him muttering something about her several times in the cafeteria, but whenever Ruby would try to stand up for her partner, Weiss would stop her. It was always the same.
"Winchester, I recommend you learn to control your tantrums quickly, else I'll have to send you to Ozpin," Professor Ebony growled.
Cardin huffed, falling back into his seat with a grumble that Ruby couldn't hear. The rose themed girl eyed her partner again, scanning her features to try and get a hint of what she was thinking.
"Now, as I was going to say, I want all of you to write an essay on the chemical formula of powdered Dust, and why it interacts so critically with human blood. Human blood composition is to be found on the 48th chapter of your textbooks."
The final bell interrupted the teacher's words, signaling the end of classes for the day. All of the students stood up quickly, rushing to get to the door before anyone else. Professor Ebony quickly shuffled out of the way as the rush of students threatened to flatten her, holding up a sheet of paper in desperation.
"There'll be a quiz on this next week! Be sure to study!"
Weiss let out a heavy sigh, knowing she had a long night of writing ahead of her. She stood up from her seat and gathered her belongings. She stacked everything into a small pile before sensing a pair of eyes lingering on her. She blinked, turning, only to find Ruby staring at her. She narrowed her eyes.
"What?" Weiss asked, picking up her books and holding them in her arms. Ruby only narrowed her eyes more, before copying her.
"Why do you let him get away with it?" She asked, following after Weiss as she joined the group of students leaving the room. Weiss sighed.
"I already told you. I've been called worse, and I'd rather not waste my time arguing with someone who knows they're wrong," Weiss explained with a shrug.
"But doesn't it upset you when he calls you that stuff?"
"Upset me? No, not anymore. It used to, but I've learned to just ignore him. You should too." Weiss pushed her way into the hallway, Ruby following close behind. She could hear the surrounding kids already chattering about the event between the Schnee and the Winchester families in the hall.
"Are you sure?" Ruby asked once more. Weiss sighed, stopping her pace to stare Ruby dead in the eyes.
"Ruby. It's okay, I'm fine," she explained once more, irritation seeping in her voice before she calmed down again, "Now come on, let's go meet the others for lunch."
"Schnee!"
Weiss sighed as Cardin's voice boomed down the halls, causing Weiss to turn away and break into pace towards the cafeteria. Ruby looked back to the bully, noticing the rest of his team had joined him, before jogging to catch up with Weiss.
"Hey! I'm talking to you!"
"Weiss." Ruby whispered. Weiss didn't glance back, annoyance in her eyes.
"Just keep walking, Ruby."
"You'll regret humiliating me, Schnee! I've got eyes and ears everywhere!" he warned, as the pair left the building, heading towards their dorm to drop off their books before going for lunch.
Cardin growled, moving from the hallway to a nearby empty classroom, away from the growing mutters of the students around him. He swung the door open with a bang, letting the rest of team CRDL follow cautiously. His scroll in hand, he scrolled through pages of contacts with a single swipe of his finger.
Dove looked between Sky and Russel uncomfortably, folding his arms as he watched his leader cool from his temper tantrum, "Hey Cardin. Is all this worth it? I mean, she's just a Schnee-"
"She's not just a Schnee!" Cardin snapped back, shutting Dove up immediately, "She's a mouthy bitch who insulted my family and my honor! She's gotta pay."
The three members of his team crossed unsure glances as Cardin finally found the right contact. He jammed his finger against the screen, bringing the scroll up to his ear as the contact "unknown" came onto his screen.
"I need a job done."
"Cardin did what?!"
Yang's voice made Weiss wince, regretting telling her almost immediately. She took another mouthful of soup, shaking her head as Ruby retold the story of the events that unfolded earlier. Glancing up from her bowl, she could feel the group's eyes on her.
"It's Cardin," asserted Weiss, exchanging glances with the rest of her team and JNPR, who were staring back at her with various, different emotions on display, concern being the most prevalent of all facial expressions "I don't know why any of you are surprised. He's always had something against me."
"That doesn't give him the right to call you that," Pyrrha said from across the table, catching the heiress' attention.
"Damn right it doesn't!" Yang growled, her lilac eyes turning crimson as her anger grew. Jaune rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, well aware of what Cardin was like when he got mad.
"I say we break his legs!" Nora joined Yang on her feet, electricity sparking behind her cyan eyes. Yang smirked in agreement.
"Hell yeah!"
"Can you two calm down?" Blake said from behind Yang, pulling at Yang's shirt to get her to sit back down again, "Team CRDL isn't even here."
"Nora, that's enough." Ren ordered, the sparking gingerhead defusing the second she heard his words. Ren shoved a bowl of grapes in front of her, which instantly caught her attention. She threw one into her mouth, before flinging one at Yang, who caught it in her mouth.
"The annoying part was that he followed us into the hallway and made a show," Weiss grumbled, finishing her soup, "Honestly, he's such a dense buffoon."
"What did he say to you there?" Blake asked, golden eyes observing her with piqued interest.
"I don't know, nor do I care." Weiss grumbled.
"We left before we could hear what he had to say, but he wasn't happy." Ruby explained, biting down onto her third sandwich. Blake hummed, deep in thought, before burying her nose back into the book she was reading.
"I heard from a few students that CRDL has been banned from missions for the next week," Pyrrha said.
"Good, that's what they get for offending the best partner ever." Ruby folded her arms in a fake huff, checking Weiss to try and see how she reacted.
She smiled as she saw a hint of a grin across the pale girl's face. She smiled herself, before taking up her final sandwich and taking a chomp out of it.
"Anyways, change of subject:" Pyrrha finished her own lunch, tidying her tray, "We have another mission coming up!"
Ruby perked up from her snacking, mouth full, "Rwally? Sho shoon?"
A harsh smack to the back of her head from Weiss almost made her choke. She swallowed her food quickly in surprise, "Don't talk with your mouth full!"
Jaune chuckled nervously, "Y-yeah. Ozpin is sending us out tomorrow night."
"Wow, go Vomit boy and NPR," Yang stopped midway to catch a flying grape, chewing it quickly before swallowing it, "Where ya' going?"
"We're going to a village outside Haven to deal with some Grimm," Ren explained, laying his chopsticks onto his empty bowl. Ruby's eyes widened, her jaw dropping slightly.
"Mantle? Isn't that a day away?"
"Yeah, we're gonna be gone for a few weeks," Nora said, aiming higher for Yang to catch the grape, "Hey! Do you think it'll be beach season?"
"No Nora, the village is in the middle of a forest," Ren sighed, already sensing the excitement bubbling from his partner's aura.
"We were actually gonna go to Vale for the rest of the day," Jaune mumbled, glancing briefly over at Weiss, who ignored his attempt, "We were wondering if you wanted to come along?"
"It'll be fun!" Nora piped up, finally throwing the entire bundle of grapes into Yang's face, who yelped in surprise.
The blonde caught the bundle in her hand midair, a smile across her face, "Sure, I don't see why not! Blake?"
Yang bumped the feline's shoulder, however Blake's eyes didn't drift from the words on the page, "I don't mind."
"Weiss?" Jaune asked, hope lining his voice. Weiss looked up, catching the disappointment in Pyrrha's eyes at the idea of Weiss being his invite rather than her. She groaned internally. Jaune was so dense…
"I'll have to pass."
Yang looked down the table to their resident Ice Queen, hands pressing down on its surface, "Aw, come on Princess. Take some time off and hang out with us. I promise I won't annoy you too much."
Weiss huffed, folding her arms and cocking an eyebrow at Yang, "Now I'm definitely not going."
"Why do you not wanna come? It'll be no fun without you," Nora moaned, bringing out her signature pouting face. Weiss let out a dull groan, uninterested.
"I've got an essay to work on, and a quiz to study for," Weiss explained, standing up from the bench with her tray in hand, "Besides, I can't afford to go shopping this late into the month."
"Aw man," Nora pouted, deflating against the table.
"What about you, Ruby?" Pyrrha asked, noticing how the youngest watched Weiss in slight disappointment. Her head perked up immediately at the sound of her name, unsure how to respond.
"Uhh, I think I'll stay too," Ruby stammered, eyes lingering on Weiss for a minute, "To keep Weiss company."
Weiss looked at Ruby in bewilderment, a slight blush on her cheeks. Ruby always wanted an excuse to get away from Beacon, and she had left Weiss alone plenty of times before. Why was she staying this time? This was suspicious.
"I don't need a babysitter Ruby," Weiss remarked, hesitating at the edge of the bench as she tried to judge Ruby's reaction. Ruby laughed awkwardly, and Weiss swore she saw a red blush dust her cheeks for a few seconds. It made the Schnee's heart flutter in a strange way.
"I'm not babysitting you- I-I just... Have to do the essay too." Ruby quickly covered, struggling to force the growing, red heat back beneath her skin, "And I have no idea of what happened today in class."
Weiss cocked an eyebrow, not buying Ruby's stuttering excuses, "Uh-huh…"
"Aww, look at the two love birds," Yang remarked, watching the exchange between Ruby and Weiss with a smirk, "Goin' on a study date."
"Yang!" Ruby snapped, the blush breaking free and going rampant this time, "It's not a date!"
"Do what you want," Weiss finally replied, leaving to bring her tray back to the front of the canteen, "But don't whine at me when you regret it."
Weiss unlocked their dorm room with a click, Ruby's lack of personal space making her uncomfortable. She pushed into the room, clicking on the light to reveal their home for the past year. Ruby sauntered in with a loud sigh, immediately hopping up onto her bed to relax.
"Ahh, I'm exhausted," Ruby sighed, sprayed across her tilted bed as her muscles ached, "So, whatcha wanna do?"
Weiss sighed, pushing Ruby's hanging cape out of the way as she set out gathering her studying material from the locker, "Study."
Ruby frowned, leaning over the side of the bed so that she hung directly beside Weiss, "Okay, but what do you want to do when you're finished?"
"Ruby," Weiss growled, glancing to the side where her partner still hung upside down, "I told you before we got here, I'm only going to study."
Ruby watched as Weiss moved back across the room towards the desk they shared, a pout on her face. She pushed herself from the bunk, flipping and landing on her foot and knee with practiced perfection.
"But, it's early. Can't studying wait?" Ruby moaned, drifting over to the desk where Weiss had already settled. The Schnee sighed again, leaning back to look at her bored partner.
"You're not a child, Ruby, you can entertain yourself. I need to study for this quiz and get a head start on this essay," Weiss focused back to the task at hand, sheets and a pen already out in the open, "But you're welcome to join me in writing it."
"Eugh, not yet," Ruby groaned, reversing back onto her bed with a huff of air.
Weiss didn't react to that, dedicating her full attention to homework instead. Ruby huffed in defeat, reaching into her pillowcase and pulling out her journal. She opened it carefully, pulling the pen from its spine and reading over the page she had been staring at for the last few weeks.
'Operation ask Weiss on a date!'
Ruby sighed, biting onto the end of her pen. The page was practically empty. All her other attempts were scribbled out to the point of not being readable anymore. She had tried so many times to get Weiss' undivided attention, only for her plan to go sideways. The newest entry was the lone survivor of her criss-crossing, in plain view and as clear as day.
'Study date?'
Well, she had gotten to the point of being alone with Weiss, so that had to count for something.
She furrowed her brows, flipping back a few pages. Blake's handwriting filled the page, tips and tricks written along the lines. Ruby had read them over, studied them more than any test she had ever had in Beacon. Some parts were circled, some crossed out.
"Blake? Can I.. Um.. Talk to you about something?"
The faunus perked her head from her book. Ruby stood nervously at the side of her bed, fidgeting with her nail. Blake cocked an eyebrow, sitting up straight.
"What's wrong?" She asked, shuffling to the edge of her own bed to gaze up at her team leader.
Ruby shuffled awkwardly on the spot, eyes cast to the ground. Weiss had gone to the library to study for a few hours in peace, while Yang had gone for a workout at the gym. It was just the two of them in the room. She looked up and met Blake's golden gaze, waiting patiently. Her feline ears were perked and ready.
"How…" she started, gathering her courage, "How do you know if you like someone?"
Blake blinked a few times, surprised by the question. She tilted her head, a soft smile on her face, "It's Weiss, isn't it?"
Ruby's eyes widened in a heartbeat, blood rushing to her face at the suggestion, "Wha- ha- How did you guess?!"
Blake giggled softly, folding her arms as she moved down the bed, patting the spot where she had been for Ruby to sit down. The younger girl took the spot graciously, looking at Blake with an expression between despair and helplessness.
"How does she make you feel?" Blake asked, her voice soft and supportive.
Ruby hesitated, unsure of how to respond. She stared at her hands, trying to find the right words for what she felt. How did she make her feel? How could she explain it with what limited words she knew? The blush grew deeper on her face as she sat there trying to figure out how to go about it.
"Weiss… I don't know. She just makes me-"
"Happy?" Blake suggested. Ruby slowly nodded.
"Very happy, and my heart races whenever I'm around her," Ruby started to smile, slowly relaxing as her mind drifted, "She's pretty, and she's super nice under all of the ice. I have a crush on Weiss, Blake."
Blake brought an arm around Ruby's shoulder, "I know."
"How.. How do I deal with it? How do I make it go away?" Ruby stammered, eyes starting to water. Blake felt her heart clench, a wistful smile on her face as she watched Ruby's confusion only grow.
"You can't just get rid of it, Ruby. Love can't just be gotten rid of," explained Blake, gently rubbing the smaller girl's arm in support, "You should ask her on a date."
"Heh, yeah, right." Ruby wiped the tears from her eyes, straightening up again, "Weiss would never go on a date with me. She has a reputation."
"What about it?" Blake said, letting her hands fall back to her lap, "You should just give it a try. I bet you'd be surprised."
Ruby sighed, playing with the side of her cape, "How do I even ask her on a date? This is Weiss we're talking about."
Blake smiled, "Well…"
Ruby went back to the start of the page, tapping her pen against the first point.
'Get her alone and away from Yang.'
She smirked, drawing a quick check beside it. Part one, done.
Now for part two.
Ruby furrowed her brows, reading over the second line a couple times. This was the part that always got to her.
'Ask her out by inviting her to Vale.'
Ruby's smile fell. She didn't have the courage to do that, no matter how many monsters she could face, or Cardins she could tell off, this wasn't something in her reperteur of bravery. She would always freeze at the last moment and lose her resolve, along with her chance.
Moving back to her planning page, she stared. How do you ask the Weiss Schnee on a date without it sounding weird and creepy? She pondered for a moment, putting her pen to the page and writing.
'Miss Schnee, I have a proposition for you.'? Nah, too formal.
'Weiss I've had a crush on you for the past year, can we go on a date?' Nope, too forward.
'DATE ME WEISS.' Too aggressive.
'Some corny pickup line?' No, no. Weiss hated puns.
Ruby growled in frustration, throwing her arms around wildly like a child having a tantrum. This was way harder than what Blake had said!
Weiss glanced over her shoulder to the mumbling and muttering girl on the bed, her eye twitching in annoyance. Couldn't Ruby just be quiet for a few hours? Just for once? The silver eyed girl never caught her glare, too insistent at staring down at her notebook and making disgruntled noises at it.
Weiss sighed, turning back to her essay. She couldn't focus, her mind drifting off at every opportunity. Ruby's murmurings weren't helping much, each groan or grumble bringing her back to how defensive she had acted in Professor Ebony's class a few hours ago.
Why had Ruby been so eager to risk getting bullied by Cardin? Ruby always seemed to do that for her. She was always willing to risk her life, or put hers in danger to protect the Schnee. Once upon a time it used to annoy Weiss, and she'd snap back at Ruby saying how she could protect herself, and to stop, but Ruby never did.
Her mind drifted back to the fight against the Alpha King Taijitu the week prior, when Ruby had barreled into her and knocked her into the ground. Her face flushed at the thought, hands covering her face as she tried to hide the red shade growing on her pale cheeks. This wasn't right- she wasn't allowed to have feelings like this for Ruby, or even another girl.
What would her father think of her, if she did?
She could hear him now, "You are a Schnee, and Schnees do not engage in ANY sort of scandalous, homosexual behaviour. You will not be a disgrace to this family and its name."
She winced at the idea, sighing heavily. She had tried to date guys. Or really anyone who seemed fit for her father to approve. She had dated Neptune for a few months, but that hadn't been anything more than a fake friendship. They had nothing in common, and Weiss had held on until they practically didn't meet each other anymore. The relationship had died off on its own.
And then there was Ruby, and Weiss still wasn't sure how she felt about her. There was a spark that burned whenever Ruby was happy around her, or whenever she heard her quiet snorts while she slept, not to mention the way Ruby would bristle up when Weiss was offended, and how her silver pools would fill with a protective desire.
Gods help her, she had a crush on that dolt.
She shook the thought from her head, taking a breath and instead trying to focus on her essay. She would get this done, and then distract herself by studying for the rest of the night. That's how she always got rid of these useless emotions. Just shove her problems into a jar and store it deep inside her-
"Hey, Weiss?"
-Which would be impossible if said problem kept trying to talk to her.
"Yes?"
Weiss turned around to be met with Ruby standing beside her, practically sweating with nerves. Her mouth was open mid-sentence, forming into different shapes as she tried to force the words out.
"Uhm- give me a second," Ruby said, a blush slowly growing on her face. Weiss cocked an eyebrow, unsure what to expect from this show. Her own heart began to race as she slowly pieced some things together. This wasn't… a confession, was it?
"Use your words Ruby," Weiss grumbled, trying to calm her own beating heart down. Ruby gulped.
"S-so.. I was wondering if- if you wanted to- like you don't have to at all, this is only a suggestion and I wouldn't be-"
"Ruby!" Weiss interrupted the flustered girl's tangent, holding a hand in the air as a sign for her to stop. Ruby flinched at that, straightening her back straight and closing her eyes tight.
"Would you like to go to Vale with me tomorrow- just us?" She blurted out, the blush growing on her face. Well, she'd done it- now Blake couldn't call her a scaredy cat anymore, "You don't have to though! I know you wanna study and stuff so if you can't, it's totally okay!-"
"Ruby, look at me."
Ruby snapped her mouth shut immediately, opening her eyes slightly to find the heiress. Weiss was smiling at her, a gentle blush on her own face. Ruby almost choked on her own tongue waiting for a response, ready to run away and hide for the rest of her life. She wanted the heartbeat in her ears to grow louder so maybe she wouldn't hear the rejection she was about to get.
"I'd love to go with you."
Ruby stared at Weiss in disbelief, unsure if she had heard what she thought she had. Weiss was facing away from her, hand over her mouth as a blush grew deeper on her face, "You... Wait, really?"
"I don't see why not," Weiss hummed, turning back to her work again, "Just… don't make me regret it."
Ruby's eyes widened, her shocked face slowly turning into one of pure happiness, her silver eyes starting to sparkle. Weiss tried to ignore her, placing a hand under her jaw as her face began to warm up. She closed her eyes, trying to keep some of her walls up, but they were crumbling between her fingers.
Ruby let out a range of delighted chirps of happiness as she bounced around the room.