After setting a salad in front of Blake, Weiss slid into the other side of the booth and pulled a stack of napkins towards her. "Alright, spill," she said at the same time she began rolling clean silverware into the first napkin. "You must be seeing her again, considering…"

Weiss waved at Blake's low-cut blouse, which left little to the imagination. Rather than be embarrassed, however, Blake glanced down and smiled.

"We're meeting for drinks in a bit. Hopefully, we spend less time at the bar…"

"Even less than last night?"

"No shame in knowing what you want, right?"

"You could have a little shame," Weiss teased, but Blake just shrugged and started her meal. Glancing at her several times, noticing contentment and delight in practically every part of her being, Weiss eventually asked, "Well, how was it?"

"In one word - incredible."

"You weren't even on an official date," Weiss pointed out, playfully shaking her head while rolling up another set of silverware. "I know she's attractive, but I thought you'd play a little harder to get."

"Usually. But then she had her hands all over me teaching me how to play pool…" Blake took a bite of her salad, chewed and swallowed, then pointed her fork at Weiss. "You could've had a similar night."

"Please," Weiss scoffed, shaking her head while Blake nodded.

"Seriously, you and Ruby are so cute together. I'm surprised you never dated."

"We're friends."

"I'm not blind, Weiss. I know you're attracted to her."

Caught in Blake's knowing gaze, and unwilling to outright lie, Weiss shrugged one shoulder and turned away. "She's cute," she acknowledged to the pile of clean silverware. "That doesn't mean I want to sleep with her."

"She's not just cute anymore though. Now, she has this...mature, sexy vibe, too." While Blake thought about that transformation, Weiss shook her head and set another rolled napkin on the growing stack of them. Eventually, Blake speared another bite to eat and narrowed her eyes. "You never even hooked up?"

"No. Although…"

Blake's brow shot up, so Weiss sighed and mindlessly arranged another set of silverware on another fresh napkin. "We nearly did once," she admitted while pointedly avoiding eye contact. "She visited me in college before everything went to hell. As any responsible college student would do, I took her to a party. We had a few drinks and…things nearly happened, but nothing did."

"Why not?"

"I don't know." Weiss carefully placed the napkin on top of the pyramid she was building and stared at it for several seconds before letting go. "She's just...always been the class clown. My parents thought it was great I had a friend, but was she relationship material?" Thinking about her parents, she frowned and shook her head. "Of course, what would they know about a functioning relationship?"

"From what you've told me, not much." When Weiss huffed and returned to rolling napkins, Blake drummed her fingers on the table. Whatever she wanted to say took several moments to figure out, but eventually she said, "We're friends, right?"

"Of course."

"But you and Ruby are completely different types of friends."

"Because we've known each other longer; we practically grew up together. There's just…a lot of history."

Blake pursed her lips but, after a brief pause, shook her head and said, "Whatever the reason, I'm glad I dragged you to see her. I can't remember the last time you looked so happy." After another short pause, a teasing smile crept onto her lips. "Actually, I can - this is the Weiss Schnee everyone was so jealous of in high school."

Weiss immediately laughed and shook her head at the thought, but Blake nodded.

"You know it's true. You were rich, pretty, and always hanging out with the most popular girl in school. Everyone wanted to be you."

"Ruby wasn't that popular," Weiss argued but, upon noticing Blake's arched brow, added, "Oh. You mean Yang."

Blake chuckled at the mixup before returning to her salad, but Weiss glanced at her before asking, "Is that your way of saying you were jealous?"

"Maybe a little. It just…felt like you lived in another world. You had everything and always looked so happy. But I only wanted to be you so I could be friends with Yang, of course."

"Of course," Weiss repeated. While Blake seemed content with that answer, Weiss rolled several more napkins before adding, "I'm seeing Ruby again tonight, actually."

"And you were going to mention that when?"

"I was going to mention it right now." Blake's eyes narrowed at the response, but Weiss shook her head. "We're only watching a movie at her place -"

"You mean her hotel room. At night."

"It's not my fault she's staying at a hotel. And I'm not inviting her over to my place." Weiss shook her head at the thought of Ruby in her mediocre apartment before grabbing the entire stack of rolled napkins and taking them to the host's station. "I'm heading over there now if you're done."

Blake nodded and moved to pick up her mostly empty salad bowl, but Weiss grabbed it and waved Blake's gesture away with a quick, "Be right back."

"I'm out of here," she told her coworkers as she left the bowl with the rest of the dirty dishes, but they hardly looked up from their phones as she collected her belongings. After changing outfits in the restroom, trading her uniform for more casual attire, she swept through the predominantly empty dining room and motioned Blake to follow.

"Thanks for keeping me company," she said once they made it outside.

"Please. This is the only time I can get you to gossip." Weiss' brow rose at the admission, but Blake waved it away. "You'll let me know how movie night goes, right? As soon as it's over?"

"Won't you be busy all night?" Weiss pointed out, and Blake briefly pursed her lips before smiling.

"Fine. First thing tomorrow, I expect details."

"If you're lucky," Weiss teased.

Knowing she would get the full story eventually, Blake chuckled and waved before heading out. Left standing outside of Dusty's alone, and without reason to linger, Weiss hurried to the parking lot.

Ruby's hotel was only a decent walk away, but not a walk she wanted to make in high heels. Plus, she had another stop to make first - to Ruby's favorite ice cream parlor. Even though she was on the cusp of being late, she picked up a container of Ruby's favorite flavor before driving to the hotel. Thankfully, the nearby public parking lot had plenty of spaces available now that the office workers had gone home for the day.

Although darkness had fallen and Atlas' fabled chill permeated the air, plenty of people loitered around the hotel's entrance. Some hurried outside dressed for a night on the town. Others wheeled their luggage through the doors ready to retire for the evening. Well-dressed employees offered assistance wherever possible - holding doors, lifting suitcases, and providing directions.

The liveliness dispelled whatever had been in the air last night - a strange intimacy Weiss alternately did and didn't want to forget about - and she brushed past an enamored couple by the door on her way into the lobby. Crystal chandeliers caught her attention first, followed by gleaming marble floors, shimmering gold accents, and a bustling hotel bar on the far side of the room. Sharply dressed hosts checked in several late arrivals at the dark wood reception area, which was where Weiss headed to see if Ruby left a message for her.

Halfway there, a flash of white hair drew her attention back to the bar. One glance that way and she quickly averted her gaze, but cold blue eyes had already locked onto her. She didn't let her footsteps falter, but she snuck frequent glances in that direction as she headed to the reception desk.

At first, that cold gaze merely followed her. Then several words were exchanged with a young, blonde woman, and the last person in the world Weiss wanted to see stood up. Her shoulders immediately tensed, her jaw clenched, and her fingers curled into fists as his long strides brought him in front of her, suddenly looming over her in the same intimidating posture he'd used since she was a child.

"Good evening," he had the decency to say before glancing at the bag in her hand and letting an amused smirk appear. "What're you doing here?"

"I would ask you the same thing." Weiss' gaze slid to the woman seated at the bar - pretty, blonde, and hardly Winter's age - before returning to her father. "But that answer's obvious."

"My private affairs are none of your concern."

"And neither are mine. So why bother walking over here?"

"It's not often I see my daughter anymore. Can't I say 'hello?'" When Weiss scowled at the pretense, he smiled. "And I wanted to say that you and your sister should stop wasting your time. No judge will unfreeze those assets so two children can play 'business.'"

"I'll decide what I waste my time on, thank you." Stepping away, Weiss shot a pointed look toward the young woman waiting for their conversation to end. "Hurry before she gets too old for you."

Before he could respond, Weiss spun on her heel and stalked away. Her jaw clenched so tightly that it could crack, and her blood boiled so fiercely that it could melt the ice cream in her grasp, leaving her storming across the lobby with a simple destination of 'away.' Thankfully, the concierge popped to his feet as she passed by.

"Excuse me." He held up a hand for her attention while rushing around his desk. "Are you Miss Schnee?"

"I am."

"She said you'd be easy to spot," he replied, chuckling to himself before straightening his posture and holding a hand towards the elevators on the far side of the lobby. "Miss Rose is expecting you. Please follow me."

Ruby's name took a needle to the balloon of anger in Weiss' chest, releasing the tension as she followed the young man to the elevators. Stepping into the next available one, she glanced at the bar, where her father had returned to his latest dalliance, before offering the concierge a sincere smile and, "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Have a wonderful evening."

After he swiped his keycard on the panel inside the elevator and pressed the button for the top floor, the doors closed and the elevator moved skyward. Embracing the brief reprieve, Weiss leaned her head back against the wall and closed her eyes. Steady beeps mingled with quiet music, marking the passage of time on what was otherwise an uneventful ride to the thirtieth floor. Only when the doors slid open did she open her eyes and leave the tranquility behind.

Finding Ruby's room turned out to be easy, as several pieces of paper with arrows drawn on them led her down the hall. A hand-drawn rose graced one door in particular, and she took one deep breath before knocking. It opened seconds later, sweeping the last of her agitation away as it revealed an already-smiling, still-gorgeous Ruby Rose.

"You're here!" Ruby exclaimed before excitedly waving Weiss inside.

"Thanks for inviting me."

"Thanks for coming over! I've been looking forward to this all day." Ruby stepped back and beamed as soon as the door closed, but her smile fell just as quickly as concern filled her eyes. "Are you alright?"

"Sorry, I'm fine." Ruby's concern remained, so Weiss forced a smile and added, "I just had a bit of a rough day."

"You know what cures a rough day?"

When Ruby held out her arms and motioned for a hug, Weiss shook her head but obliged. While Ruby's arms enveloped her in a strong embrace, Weiss looped her arms around Ruby's waist, rested her cheek on Ruby's shoulder, and took a deep breath that smelled faintly of roses.

After savoring Ruby's comfort and warmth for longer than she normally would, Weiss pulled away and patted Ruby's arms. Ruby's hands lingered on Weiss' waist, and her eyes were so caring that Weiss lowered her gaze first. She focused on Ruby's outfit instead - a red polo and black sweatpants that Ruby somehow made look like high fashion. Noting Ruby's rainbow-striped socks, however, Weiss smiled.

"Looking good, Miss Rose."

"Could say the same to you, Miss Schnee."

Weiss waved off the flattery, but her cheeks warmed at Ruby's thorough inspection of her outfit. Before Ruby teased her for the blush, however, she glanced around the hotel suite.

"This is...nice."

Ruby's temporary home came with high ceilings, expensive furnishings, a chandelier, and a priceless view of Atlas through the wall of glass across from them. An ample-sized sitting area featured two pristine white sofas situated around a wooden coffee table and big-screen television. Several closed doors led to what Weiss assumed would be an equally decadent bedroom and guest bathroom.

"The studio paid for it. It's kind of over-the-top, but at least it's comfortable to live in for a couple weeks."

"That's good." After another quick look around, Weiss held out the bag in her hand. "I brought you something."

Ruby's eyes widened as soon as they landed on the logo printed across the bag. When she unraveled it and saw what was inside, she gasped. "You remembered!" she said while pulling out the pint of ice cream.

"They literally named the flavor after you. How could I forget?"

"I dunno. It's been a while." Weiss' smile faded at the reminder, but Ruby's brightened. "I thought we'd order room service, but this is way better. Thank you!"

Ruby leaned in and kissed Weiss' cheek then, restoring Weiss' smile and blush in one sweet gesture.

"You're welcome," Weiss said while following Ruby to the sitting area. "I thought you'd like another blast from the past."

"You thought right. One problem though." Ruby pulled a plastic spoon from the bag before turning it upside down and shaking it. "There's only one spoon."

"Because it's just for you."

"Oh no no no. I know you have a secret sweet tooth for this stuff. We're sharing."

"Ruby -"

"You don't want to share spoons? That's fine. I'll eat with my hands."

Ruby pulled the lid off the container, dropped it on the table, and reached for the ice cream, but Weiss grabbed her hand.

"Don't you dare put your fingers in my ice cream."

"Oh now it's your ice cream," Ruby said before giggling, and Weiss chuckled soon after.

"I'm just saying...I'm not eating something you're putting your fingers in."

"I washed my hands!"

"Uh huh…" Weiss playfully rolled her eyes before grabbing the spoon and, forcing a serious expression, held in front of her like a king presenting a sword to a knight. "Ruby Rose, do you accept responsibility for our only spoon? Keep in mind we probably can't get another one even though there's a restaurant downstairs."

"I absolutely accept." After a solemn nod, Ruby took the spoon from Weiss' hand, but another grin appeared almost immediately. "And I don't want to brag, but I'm a great spooner."

A startled blush rushed onto Weiss' cheeks, but with Ruby grinning like a fool, she mustered a straight face.

"You're not twelve anymore. You can't pretend you don't know what that means."

"Maybe I don't!"

"Pretty sure you lost that innocence when you realized you could type whatever you want into the internet."

"But Weiss." Ruby's eyes flitted to the side before she leaned close, as if she was about to impart an important secret. "Did you know there are pictures of naked ladies on the internet?"

When Weiss shook her head and lightly shoved Ruby's shoulder, Ruby laughed.

"What would your fans think if they heard you say that?"

"Probably not much." Ruby shrugged before letting her eyes wander up and down Weiss' outfit, making Weiss' skin tingle in the process. "Will I ever see you in anything but heels?" she eventually asked.

"No."

"Seriously?"

"I like wearing heels."

"No one likes wearing heels." When Weiss shrugged and turned away, Ruby gasped and moved in front of her. "You like them because they make you taller! Who're you trying to be taller than, hmm?" Ruby teased, gently poking Weiss' cheek. Weiss looked at Ruby, who still had at least an inch on her, and puffed out her cheeks.

"Everyone," she admitted.

"'Everyone?'" Ruby repeated before chuckling. "Well, fortunately for your poor feet, tonight's about relaxing. And you can't relax in heels." As soon as Weiss opened her mouth, Ruby held up a hand and added, "Please?"

Ruby smiled - one of those too-beautiful smiles she'd perfected sometime after high school - and Weiss caved. "Fine," she grumbled before stepping out of first one heel, then the other. Her feet silently rejoiced being free, but she stayed on her tiptoes for another second before slowly dropping down to the floor. As their height differential increased, Ruby's smile grew.

"You're so cute and small!" Ruby gleefully said, but her eyes widened the instant Weiss arched one brow. "But still scary! How do you do that?"

Taking a deep breath, Weiss let it out with a laugh.

"By channeling all my anger and frustration into one motion, I guess."

"Do you have that much anger and frustration?"

Thinking about the mess of her family's company, her father's obstinance, her mother's drinking, and her awful job, she forced a smile and said, "Don't we all?"

Ruby's brow furrowed at the response, but another smile wasn't far behind. This one wasn't a charming, 'Please give me what I want' smile though. This one was nearly beseeching, but in an unassuming, tender way.

"You know I'm here if you ever need someone to talk to, right?"

Weiss bit her tongue before pointing out that Ruby wasn't always here. "Thank you," she said instead, mustering a small smile before averting her gaze from sincere silver eyes. Silence followed, as she clasped her hands in front of her and glanced around the hotel suite. Ruby shuffled her feet and ran a hand through her hair before eventually clearing her throat.

"Do you want a drink or something? The minibar has all these cute little bottles."

Ruby was already headed that way, setting down the ice cream and spoon as she went, but Weiss shook her head and said, "No, thanks. Those are seriously overpriced, anyway."

"Yeah, but we're adults now! And we can afford it, right?"

"I'm sure you can." Ruby tilted her head at the comment, but Weiss gestured to one of the sofas. "I'd rather watch you eat ice cream."

"You mean watch a movie," Ruby corrected.

"You can watch the movie," Weiss replied, her smile feeling easier as Ruby returned to her. "You're an actress though - can't I just watch you?"

"Are you calling me some kind of, like, walking entertainment?"

"Isn't that what you've always been?"

Weiss batted her eyes with the joke, and Ruby rewarded her with joyful laughter.

"I guess that's true. I always thought Yang was the entertainer though." After a brief pause to consider the merits of that statement, during which her brow adorably furrowed, she brightened again. "Speaking of - did you know she's seeing Blake again tonight?"

"I did." Weiss nodded before allowing a sly smile onto her lips. "Did you know they slept together last night?"

"Weiss!" Ruby yelped, covering her ears with both hands while Weiss laughed.

"You just said we're grownups. Shouldn't you be fine knowing they were up all night?"

"But that's my sister!"

"And apparently she's quite good in bed. Blake's hoping for an encore."

Ruby scrunched up her face so much that Weiss couldn't help but laugh. The sound made Ruby smile, almost begrudgingly at first, but she eventually shook her head.

"Ok, enough about them. Let's watch something!"

Suddenly bursting with energy, Ruby grabbed the ice cream, rushed past Weiss, and hopped over the back of the sofa. Unfortunately, her foot caught on the top of it, and she yelped while toppling over the other side and onto the floor.

"Ruby!" Weiss hurried around the sofa while Ruby sat up and groaned. After confirming there were no injuries, Weiss sat back and shook her head. "Is the ice cream alright?"

"Protected it with my head."

When Ruby held up the container and grinned, Weiss laughed.

"At least you have your priorities straight."

"Damn right I do." After pushing herself to her feet, Ruby rubbed the back of her head and looked at the sofa. "I totally cleared that jump earlier. Let me try again."

"I'll take your word for it," Weiss said, grabbing Ruby's hand before another attempt was made. Refusing to let go, she sat on the sofa and patted the cushion next to her. Fortunately, Ruby smiled and plopped down beside Weiss. After sticking the spoon into the soft ice cream and taking her first bite, she hummed and offered the next spoonful to Weiss.

"Even better than I remember," she commented while feeding the scoop of ice cream to Weiss. She then stuck the spoon into her mouth before putting it back in the container for more, not noticing what she just did or that it made Weiss blush. "What do you want to watch?" she asked instead, distracted by turning on the television.

"Whatever you want. I'm not picky."

"Ha!" Ruby scoffed before sending Weiss an incredulous look. "I can't believe you said that with a straight face."

"I'm not feeling picky right now," Weiss corrected.

"That's more like it," Ruby muttered while scrolling through the movies on the screen. "If you really don't care, how about this?"

Weiss took one look at the cover art and laughed.

"You still watch this garbage?"

"'Garbage?'" Ruby gasped. "This could be a cinematic masterpiece!"

"You always say that. And they're always just horrible zombie films."

"This one isn't! At least, I don't think so. And I really want to watch it with you. Please?"

Ruby clasped her hands together and trained those big, silver eyes on Weiss, so Weiss' resolve melted like snow on a hot summer day. "Fine," she sighed, shaking her head while Ruby celebrated with an adorable fist pump.

"Yang won't watch these with me anymore," Ruby added while setting up the movie. "Says they're too dumb."

"Apparently, Yang's smarter than me."

When Ruby giggled at the comment, Weiss smiled. That smile grew even easier when Ruby pulled her feet up onto the cushion and held the ice cream in her lap. "I'm excited," she whispered as the movie began to play.

The loud, chaotic opening sequence quickly captured Ruby's attention, but Weiss could hardly focus on the screen. Her gaze kept slipping to Ruby, searching out every shred of familiarity as well as the changes brought on by time.

"Lone survivor!" Ruby suddenly shouted, pointing her spoon towards the actress on the screen.

"Oh dammit," Weiss sighed while Ruby giggled. "You've seen this before."

"I swear I haven't!"

"Then how'd you know exactly when she'd show up?"

"You're just too slow, Weiss," Ruby teased. "You'll have to pick someone else."

"What's the point? She's obviously the only survivor. She's by far the prettiest." When Ruby merely waggled her brow, Weiss sighed and said, "Fine. I'll put my money on rich adventurer guy."

Weiss dismissively waved at the man on the screen, making Ruby even more delighted.

"You know rich people never survive the apocalypse, Weiss. Except you, of course, but you're rich and smart."

While Ruby chuckled and stuck another spoonful of ice cream in her mouth, oblivious to how incorrect one of those labels was, Weiss frowned at the screen. "Is this supposed to be a man-made virus or did it originate from an animal?" she eventually asked. "Or maybe an ancient curse? Alien disease?"

"We'll see!"

"God," Weiss groaned, sinking into the plush cushions as another character met an early, gruesome demise. "Why do I know all of this?"

"Because I taught you well."

"Brainwashed, more like."

"And the indoctrination continues…"

When a falling piano splattered a group of zombies across the screen, Ruby giggled and Weiss' heart melted.

"Why haven't you been in one of these?" Weiss asked, gesturing to the movie when Ruby glanced over.

"You want me to be in a zombie film?" Weiss shrugged at the idea, so Ruby laughed. "Alright. Only a zom-com though."

"'Zom-com?'"

"Zombantic comedy."

"Now you're making things up."

"You're just not 'in' with the lingo," Ruby teased. "But don't worry, you'll learn. I'll teach you!"

"Uh huh…"

A scream briefly drew Weiss' gaze to the screen, where someone just made the classic mistake of trusting a clearly unwell stranger, but her focus soon returned to Ruby. Ruby watched the mayhem and carnage with an entertained gleam in her eyes and a small, ever-present smile in place. Combined with the way she sat and the way she subconsciously twirled her spoon in the ice cream before taking a bite, it almost felt like she never left.

"I've missed this," Weiss admitted, motioning between them when Ruby looked over. "Hanging out with you. It kind of feels like we're in high school again."

For a second, Ruby searched Weiss' eyes, then a slow smile spread across her lips. "I've missed this too," she said, sharing that moment with Weiss for a while longer before grinning. "By the way, you need to take this away from me if you want any."

As soon as Ruby showed the half-empty ice cream container, Weiss gasped and snatched it away from her.

"Ruby! How are you eating it so fast?"

"Talent?"

"Well, you just lost your spooning privileges. It's my turn now."

"I won't say no to that," Ruby replied, waggling her brow before laughing and nudging Weiss' shoulder. Weiss playfully scoffed before sticking a spoonful of ice cream in her mouth, hoping her cheeks weren't as red as they felt. Fortunately, Ruby's attention soon returned to the movie, where the survivors were being whittled down one by one.

Weiss tried to focus on the movie too, but her gaze often flitted Ruby's way. Eventually, she leaned against Ruby's side, and Ruby smiled at her before wrapping an arm around her shoulders. The acceptance encouraged her to snuggle into Ruby's side while eating ice cream and watching the pandemonium on the screen.

So much time had passed, and so much had changed, but the light, carefree feeling in her chest was worth watching a hundred horrible films for. It would end too soon, as these fleeting moments always did, but she would savor every second while it lasted.