AUTHOR'S NOTE: Writing White Rose is fun so this is an anthology now. Also I'm writing Ruby as autistic because I can only think of four actually good canon autistic characters in media so I'll take any relatable character I can get.
I originally started writing this chapter as just dumb beach fluff (hell, my temp title for it was "Steppin' on a beach, doo doo doo doo"), but then it turned into quite possibly the most tender thing I've ever written.
Think it had a glow-up though, tbh.
Sitting down in the soft sands of Patch, Weiss couldn't help but giggle as gentle ocean waves tickled her ankles. She'd never been to a beach before. Atlas had always been too cold and frozen over to even have a beach, and by the time she'd gotten to Beacon and joined Team RWBY, things had been… way too busy for way too long, to put it mildly.
But now? Now they'd saved the whole damn world. They could do whatever they wanted and not have to worry about some world-ending threat hanging over their heads, so Weiss wanted to fulfill a childhood dream and go to the beach. It was long past time she got to sit back, relax, and have a new experience that wasn't life-threatening.
The feeling of the water against her skin was strange at first, but not at all unpleasant. The ocean water was warm in the summertime heat, light glinting off its blue waves to the point Weiss had to squint a little. Wind blew gently through the air, causing goosebumps to form and peach fuzz to raise on her body. It made things a little chilly, but it was a nice reprieve from what was otherwise a rather hot day under the midsummer sun. It was almost perfect, but one thing was missing.
"What's keeping her?" Weiss mumbled to herself, looking back at the cottage behind her to see no one in sight. She sighed and turned her head back to the waves, wiggling her toes a bit as the water splashed against her. As nice as this was, she wished Ruby was next to her.
As if on cue, Weiss suddenly found herself enveloped in rose petals and felt warm, strong arms wrap around her body. She turned her head to see her partner beaming at her, looking more relaxed than she'd seen in a long, long while. "Hi," Ruby grinned.
"Took you long enough," Weiss replied even as she smiled and softly kissed her partner's lips. Ruby scooted over to sit next to Weiss and happily nuzzled into her.
"Sorry about the wait," Ruby rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. "Got distracted looking for something."
"It's okay. I'm just glad you're here now," Weiss smiled and peppered her partner's neck with kisses. Ruby giggled at the sensation, and Weiss flipped around to straddle her. Holding her hands behind Ruby's head, she leaned down and planted kisses all along her lover's neck and collarbone, both of them laughing all the while.
Intimacy wasn't something Weiss had had any practice in, but being with Ruby helped her realize just how touch-starved she'd really been all her life. Fortunately for her, her partner was more than eager to help her make up for lost time. "I love you!" Weiss exclaimed as she continued to pepper her partner's neck with kisses. She was surprised how easily the words came to her, but it occurred to Weiss that loving Ruby just might be the easiest thing she's ever done.
Ruby held onto Weiss and flipped over, placing herself on top as she looked into Weiss's eyes. "I love you, too." She grinned when she saw the massive blush on her partner's face. "You had all the energy taken out of you pretty quick, huh?" Ruby teased.
Regaining her composure, Weiss shot back, "Well, you do know how to take my breath away." With a wink and a smirk of her own, she delighted to see the legendary Ruby Rose stammer through just as much gay panic as she herself often experienced.
"W-well, I-I mean, uh…" Ruby trailed off into the various incoherent mutterings typical of a young gay completely and utterly lovestruck. Weiss reached a hand to the back of Ruby's head and pulled her into a deep kiss, only to break it off an instant later. Weiss turned her head and spat sand out of her mouth. "The hell?!"
Ruby fidgeted with her sandy hair, frowning a bit. "Yeah, that'll happen when you lay in the sand," she shrugged a bit guiltily.
"You'd think I'd have learned that lesson back in Vacuo," Weiss spat again. "Bleh."
"You okay, hon?" Ruby chuckled. Weiss reached to her side and grabbed a canteen of water she'd brought with her, picking it up and examining it for sand. Once satisfied she wasn't going to get another mouthful of the coarse, rough and irritating stuff, she opened the canteen and pressed it to her lips.
After downing several large gulps, she lowered the canteen and let out a satisfied "ahh" noise. She raised a thumbs up to Ruby, "I'm good."
"Good," Ruby replied. She kissed Weiss's cheek and got back into her usual spot nuzzled into her partner's side.
Weiss leaned her head on top of Ruby's and the two clasped their hands together. She took a deep breath, appreciating the scent of both her partner and the salty ocean waters lightly splashing in front of them. She rejoiced in the calming sounds of the waves and the seagulls flying overhead. She could understand why Yang and Blake had chosen this spot to build their home.
"You look like you're enjoying yourself," Ruby noted with a smile.
"I've always wanted to go to the beach," Weiss said. "I remember seeing pictures of the ocean as a kid and thinking, 'I want to go there.' But we never did. I'd never even left Atlas until going to Beacon.
"So, yes," Weiss smiled, "I'm enjoying myself. It's nice to finally just live a little. Even better with you here." She turned her head and kissed Ruby's forehead, eliciting a happy giggle from the young Huntress. "So," Weiss started, "what about you? You look pretty happy yourself."
"I am," Ruby said. "I've always loved the beach. Aside from getting sand everywhere, it's sensory heaven. The sights, the sounds, the smells, the textures, it was one of the few places I could decompress growing up, especially here." Ruby patted the sand under her.
"Yang would bring me here when we were kids and I was feeling overloaded." She looked out at the waters in front of her, and Weiss's heart melted at the happily nostalgic look on her partner's face. "I didn't handle things quite as well when I was little. I can cope now, but then…"
Ruby took a deep breath and sighed. "Back then I was just confused and stressed out and always overwhelmed. But then Yang found this little beach away from the rest of the world, and since there weren't really any Grimm around, this was our refuge. A place both of us could just stop and breathe, away from everyone else."
Ruby reached down and palmed a fistful of sand. Raising her hand, she opened it and let the wind carry the grains where it may. "I'm glad she put down roots here. It might be a bit selfish, but I'm kind've glad this place can be all ours for real."
"It's not selfish at all," Weiss replied. Without the worries of a war to keep her preoccupied, Weiss noticed how Ruby seemed more prone to overload than she'd had since Beacon. If the ambience of the beach could help her relax, then that was something Weiss would keep in mind for future reference.
She may not have perceived the world quite the same way as her partner, but she couldn't deny she was right about the calming atmosphere. She was grateful she got to experience this with Ruby next to her, especially this particular place that was of such importance to her love.
Ruby suddenly snorted, "It's kind've funny, though."
"What is?" Weiss asked.
"So the Bees built a home here on the beach, but then they ask us to stop by and watch the new house for them while they go on their honeymoon."
"How is that odd?" Weiss's head tilted in puzzlement.
"For the most part? Not at all. Except for the fact that they went on a honeymoon to the beach in Menagerie. They left a home on the beach to go vacation to a different beach," Ruby chuckled.
"Well, they always did have a weird tempo," Weiss giggled. "Still, it's about damn time. Watching them dance around their feelings for years was pain."
"Oh my gods, yes," Ruby laughed. "Like, I might suck at picking up social cues, but even I could see it as far back as Beacon. I was about ready to grab a megaphone and shout at them to kiss already."
"Yeah," Weiss started, but stopped before she could continue. Her mouth tightened into a straight line and her eyes widened a bit in realization. "Ruby?"
"Yes, dear?"
"It took us even longer to confess." An awkward silence settled over both of them.
"Well, crap," Ruby blurted. "There goes that ammunition to tease Yang with."
Weiss deadpanned, "Team RWBY: the most useless gays in all of Remnant."
"Hey, we're not totally useless," Ruby objected, "we still figured ourselves out… eventually."
"And how many years did that take?" Weiss retorted.
"I…" Ruby went quiet for a moment. "Okay, fair enough." Another brief silence fell over them before being broken by intense laughter from both women.
"Ruby, I love you!" Weiss cheered. She truly did. For the first time in her life, she didn't feel lonely. Though they had only been together as a couple for just a few short months, already Weiss was confident it was a forever fall. More confident than she'd ever been in anything.
"I love you, too!" Ruby beamed. She quickly stopped and started to panic when she noticed tears fall from Weiss's eyes. "Weiss, are you okay? D-did I say something stupid?"
"W-wha, no!" Weiss quickly interjected. She brushed aside tears she hadn't even realized had formed. "You did nothing wrong. The opposite, actually."
Weiss gently took hold of one of Ruby's hands, bushed some sand away and brought it to her lips. She was grateful when she saw Ruby sigh in relief. "I'm sorry I worried you," Weiss said. "I'm just… so glad you're here. That we're here. Together."
"Me, too." Ruby brushed her hair to the side and pulled Weiss in for a small kiss. When she pulled back, she cupped Weiss's cheek in her hand and smiled. "I love you so much."
Weiss placed her hand over where Ruby's lay on her cheek. In perfect sync, both of them lowered themselves onto the sand until they were lying together under the warm July sun, both their auras engaged to protect from sunburn. Sure, sunscreen would've been simpler, but they were both too eager to get out onto the sand to remember.
As they lay together, eyes closed in the sand, their auras touched, and without a moment's hesitation began to melt together, bathing them both in a calm, pink glow. Their souls completely accepting of one another, they let the bliss of togetherness wash over them. It was the most intimate and intense affirmation of love a citizen of Remnant could perform, even beyond the ties of titles like marriage.
Once, the idea of experiencing such a love was so preposterous to Weiss it seemed little more than fiction. But here she was, laying on a beach that seemed just as fictional an idea to her once and allowing her soul to touch another's. The complete lack of doubt surprised her a little, but she supposed it shouldn't. Not when it was Ruby.
"My love," Weiss whispered, "I am yours." Waves splashed against their legs, the pace of the flowing water matching the easiness of their love.
"And by my soul, I will protect thee, just as you have always done for me." Weiss's heart skipped a beat and her eyes opened to look at Ruby. Brilliant silver gems greeted her, and Weiss could feel in her lover's aura the absolute confidence she felt, even as she spoke words so often used in traditional ceremonies, but most commonly ancient proposals.
It wasn't how Weiss had imagined such a thing. Once upon a time as a small child in a far too large manor, she'd on rare occasions dream of a prince that may come along to sweep her off her feet with a grand performance and a public display of his love. And yet here, with no one around but herself and Ruby, this smaller, more honest gesture was more perfect than any childhood fantasy could have ever lived up to.
Weiss spoke, "No matter how infinite the distance between, by our shared passion may our souls always be one, not to be unbound even by death." A blissful smile on both their faces, they gazed into each other's teary eyes, a peaceful certainty washing over them.
"Our soul is one," Ruby finished the ancient vows. Their foreheads pressed together, their eyes closed once more as they simply relaxed in each other's company. The rest of the world seemed to fade into a mere background, with even the beauty of nature paling in comparison to the peaceful joy in their hearts.
Time passed by in a blur, and by the time they opened their eyes, the day had already transitioned to a beautiful dark night. The light of the moon reflected off the water, bathing the beach in a pale blue light.
"Has it really been so long already?" Weiss wondered aloud.
"I guess so," Ruby said. "Do you want to get up now?"
"Might as well," Weiss shrugged. "Otherwise we'll probably be here all night." Ruby stood up, and the combined aura began to fade when touch was broken. Even still, Weiss could feel a part of Ruby with her, just as Ruby could feel Weiss. In the most literal way, they were a part of each other now.
Ruby gently took hold of Weiss's hands and lifted her up, both of them standing side by side in the late night sand. Their hands stayed clasped and they looked into each other's eyes.
"Rose," Weiss stated. Ruby tilted her head in confusion for a moment. "I was thinking about our surnames. Who would take who's name, or if we'd combine it or something. But I…"
Weiss looked out at the water, illuminated by the reflection of the moon. She took a deep breath before continuing. "All my life, the name 'Schnee' followed me everywhere I went. It defined me whether I liked it or not. But now…"
She turned her gaze back to Ruby, a look of tranquility on her face so beautiful it took Ruby's breath away. "I want this life to be mine. I want to be defined by terms I choose for myself. And if it's alright with you, I choose 'Rose.'"
"'Weiss Rose,'" Ruby smiled. "I like the sound of that."
"Good," Weiss Rose couldn't help but bounce a bit in excitement. She jumped into Ruby's arms, and felt her fiancée grab her legs to hold her up in the air. They leaned forward and engaged into a deep, passionate kiss. Their auras merged once more, casting a pink glow over the sand below them.
"I love you," they both whispered simultaneously. Still carrying Weiss in her arms, Ruby made her way back to the cottage on the beach, exchanging countless kisses with her love along the way. She opened the door inside, and reluctantly lowered Weiss back to the ground so her fiancée didn't hit her head on the doorframe.
Stepping inside ahead of Weiss, Ruby halted in her tracks when she realized what she'd forgotten. "Hey, Weiss?"
"Yes, my love?"
"Remember how I got held up earlier?"
"Yes?" Weiss raised an eyebrow, curious where this was headed.
"Well, I was looking for something. Then I found it, but kinda forgot to bring it out earlier, so, uh… think fast!" Before Weiss could say a word, she suddenly felt a stream of water hit her stomach.
"Eep!" Weiss shrieked in surprise. She looked over to see Ruby cackling with glee, a water gun in each hand. She tossed one over to Weiss.
"So how about it, Mrs. Rose?" Ruby cheered. "Before call it a night, a late-night battle for the ages!" Ruby suddenly took a blast of water to the face.
"You're on!" Weiss cheered. Ruby closed the cottage door and stepped back outside. Grinning, she pumped her water gun, and they went at it.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Been rewatching the show for the first time in years and like, god, I forgot how much it meant to me. I used to binge the whole thing literally weekly, but then the fandom got bigger and… well, toxic. Kinda killed the enthusiasm.
But rewatching everything separate from that has been weirdly just plain soul-healing. Like, damn, this show just has so much hope and heart and optimism and I love it with all my heart.
But, uh, anyways, I hope you all enjoyed this. As always, feedback is appreciated.