"And how much does it cost?" Holding the phone between her shoulder and ear, Weiss listened for several seconds before scribbling down the answer. "Do you have any payment plans?" she asked once the woman stopped speaking, and nodded while jotting down a summary of each option.

"Sorry for all the questions," she finally said, setting the pad of paper down on a stack of wine boxes. "I guess the last one is how much notice you need. If she agrees, can we just...show up?"

This response was longer, but she listened carefully, resting the tip of the pen on the paper but not writing anything yet.

"Weiss."

Motioning for the speaker to wait, she listened to the rest of the explanation and said, "Thank you so much," as soon as the woman finished. "I'll call if I have more questions, but I guess the next step is talking to her about it."

A frown tugged at her mouth, but she listened to the helpful, encouraging response before adding another, "Thank you," and finally ending the call. After shoving the notes in her pocket and dropping her phone into her apron, she turned towards her coworker waiting in the doorway.

"Table three wants their check."

"And I want a million dollars," she mumbled before following him through the chaotic kitchen and into the dining room. "Sorry for the wait," she told the impatient couple at table three, forcing a polite smile while leaving their bill and flitting away to another table motioning for her attention.

"Can we have another one of these?" the young man asked, pointing at a sauce-stained plate.

"Absolutely." Weiss smiled before returning to the kitchen and searching her order tickets to figure out what 'one of these' meant. "Another loaded nachos for table five," she told one of the cooks before checking the dishes under the warmer.

"Can you help me?" one of the other servers asked, nodding to a set of plates while picking up two others. "Table ten," they added before heading into the dining room, leaving Weiss to grab the remaining plates and follow.

The server set down the first orders before subtly cuing Weiss to where the last two should go. Before 'have a great meal' had even been uttered, a middle-aged woman at the neighboring table raised her hand for Weiss' attention and said, "Can we have more water?" After sharing the briefest commiserating look with the other server, Weiss hurried to do as requested.

On nights like these, it was easy to forget that she was Weiss Schnee, former inheritor of a large, profitable company. Here, she was just 'Excuse me' - sometimes, 'Excuse me, Miss' - while delivering plates of pasta, towering ice cream sundaes, or an endless assortment of condiments.

The end of her shift arrived like a salve to her ego and aching feet, but she had no thoughts of retreating home for the night. After changing out of her uniform and freshening up her appearance, she waved to the cooks and headed out Dusty's back exit. Quick steps carried her to her car, and the parking lot faded in her rearview mirror shortly after.

Same as the last time, she parked in the public parking structure and walked to Ruby's hotel. Her eyes flashed to the hotel bar as soon as she entered the lobby, but the person popping up from one of the sofas quickly captured her full attention.

Ruby still walked the same - half-running, half-tripping over her feet in her haste. Even though the clumsy gait led to plenty of mishaps, some more serious than others, Weiss couldn't help but smile.

"Weiss," Ruby greeted her once close enough. A happy smile and kind eyes reminded Weiss that she had an identity of her own, and she thought nothing of pulling Ruby into a hug. Savoring Ruby's warmth and comfort could easily become a guilty pleasure of hers, so she let go before her heart wanted and kissed Ruby's cheek before dropping down to her heels.

"Ruby," she replied in a teasing tone, watching Ruby's eyes search hers before that award-winning smile brightened.

"Feels like I haven't seen you in forever."

"You know what, I agree with that," Weiss said before settling into a smile of her own. When Ruby's silver gaze became too beguiling, she glanced around the lobby and asked, "What do you want to do?"

"I thought we could go for a walk."

Glancing outside, where the sun had long since sunk below the horizon, Weiss arched a brow.

"Isn't it a little late?"

"Yeah, but it's nice out! At least, nice for Atlas. Plus, I've been stuck inside pretty much all day."

"You poor superstar," Weiss teased but, when Ruby solemnly nodded, laughed and walked out of the hotel.

"Have a good evening, Miss Rose!" one of the valets called out to Ruby, who smiled and waved before sticking both hands in her pockets and shrugging to their right. Weiss followed without question, and the two of them soon found themselves meandering along wide, lonely sidewalks built for daytime crowds.

The first few blocks passed in comfortable silence broken only by passing cars and music drifting from the nearby bars and nightclubs. Ruby tilted her head back and stared at the stars peeking through the cloudy sky while they walked, and Weiss snuck several glances Ruby's way before a sigh slipped through her lips, taking the tension from her shoulders with it.

"That was a big sigh," Ruby said, her eyes sparkling from the nearby street lamps as she turned towards Weiss. "Rough night?"

"I believe that's yet to be determined," Weiss cheekily replied. When Ruby laughed, Weiss smiled and nudged her shoulder, gently knocking her off balance before she returned to Weiss' side.

"Ok, did you have a rough night before meeting me? Because obviously from now on will be a breeze."

"Obviously." Weiss' smile faded when she thought about work, but she shook those thoughts away. "It was alright, but I'm glad it's over." Before Ruby prodded for details, she added, "How was your meeting?"

"Oh! It was great!" It was so great, apparently, that Ruby skipped a step with the response. "I wasn't excited about it at first - it's just another comedy, you know - but then the producer mentioned something that sealed the deal. Wanna know what it is?"

"Of course."

"They're filming in Atlas!" This time, both of Ruby's feet left the sidewalk as she hopped forward. "As soon as he said that, I couldn't sign fast enough. Isn't that great? That means I'll be back, and I'll be here for a few months!"

"Really? That's...that's great, Ruby."

As soon as Ruby's expression fell, Weiss wished she could redo that lackluster response.

"Crud. I should've asked first? You don't want me around that long?"

Before Ruby even finished that thought, Weiss was shaking her head. "You didn't need to ask," she assured Ruby. "It's great that you'll be starring in another movie. I'm happy for you."

Ruby's brow furrowed, so Weiss looked down at her hands and added, "And of course I want you around. The longer, the better."

Finally, Ruby grinned, but Weiss only briefly returned it before averting her gaze. Only then did she spot the large, sprawling building across the street, complete with a football stadium and a massive parking lot.

"Wait, Ruby." Noticing Ruby's sly smile, she laughed and stared at the building. "Are you serious?"

"Won't it be fun? We can take a trip down memory lane!"

"I swore never to set foot in those halls again."

"Then you'll just have to break a promise to yourself," Ruby teased. Weiss dragged her feet but otherwise didn't resist Ruby grabbing her hands and tugging her over to the chain-link fence separating the high school campus from the rest of Atlas.

"Looks like we're not getting in," Weiss said, her gaze following the fence to the street entrance, where wide gates were closed, and to the sidewalk entrances, where side gates also shut out unwanted visitors.

"Not with that attitude!" While Weiss smiled and shook her head, Ruby skipped over to the fence and looked up. Then she stuck her fingers through the interwoven metal and pulled. "Yeah, that's easy enough," she muttered.

"Ruby...I'm pretty sure they put up a fence because they don't want people sneaking in after hours."

"But it's our school! We deserve to see what it's like now."

Again, Weiss shook her head, but her smile faded when Ruby jabbed the toe of one shoe into the fence and stood up.

"This is why you wear sneakers…" Ruby mumbled while lifting herself up, jabbing her other shoe into a higher position, and repeating the motion. After swinging one leg over the top bar, she grinned down at Weiss. "See?" she said while swinging her other leg over. "Easy."

The word hardly left Ruby's lips before her foot caught on the fence, her hands slipped, and she yelped while crashing to the ground.

"Ruby!" When Ruby groaned and lifted a hand to the back of her head, Weiss glanced up at the fence before rushing through the gate and over to Ruby's side. "Are you alright?" she asked, kneeling beside Ruby and checking for injuries.

"Ow…" Ruby moaned, rolling onto her side before opening her eyes and frowning. "Wait...how'd you get in here?"

Looking back at the gate, which now stood open, Weiss laughed.

"The gate was unlocked, you dunce!"

"Ah." Ruby glanced at the gate before letting an impish grin slip onto her lips. "But if I tried that first, you wouldn't have rushed in here all concerned-like."

Weiss rolled her eyes and gently shoved Ruby's shoulder before standing up.

"Usually people laugh, you know," Ruby added while sitting up. "When I fall or something," she elaborated. "It's kind of my schtick."

"I've never found it funny when you hurt yourself," Weiss replied before pulling Ruby to her feet. While Ruby brushed off the back of her pants, something white fluttered to the ground.

"Oh." Before Weiss moved, Ruby stooped over and picked it up. "You dropped this -"

"Thank you."

Recognizing the slip of paper, Weiss snatched it and shoved it deep into her pocket. Unfortunately, Ruby had already read the top and gave Weiss a thoughtful look while Weiss stared at the parking lot separating them from the building.

"So...what now?"

"Now we see if we can get in."

Ruby waggled her brow before setting off, leaving Weiss to scoff and follow.

"Were you always a criminal, or is this a recent development?"

"What can I say? You bring out this side in me."

After beaming at Weiss, Ruby led them along one of the paths leading around the building. They passed several side entrances before reaching a single doorway located just off of the staff parking lot.

"Bet this is still broken…" Ruby mused while jiggling the handle. Her grin widened when they heard a soft click followed by Ruby pulling the door open.

"Ok, now we're breaking and entering."

"It was open! How's that breaking anything?" When Weiss pursed her lips, Ruby offered her hand. "Don't worry. If we get caught, I'll say I made you come with me."

"You are making me come with you."

"Please," Ruby scoffed. "No one makes Weiss Schnee do anything."

Faced with Ruby's amused grin, Weiss sighed and accepted Ruby's hand. "I'm making you pay the fines too," she grumbled before stepping through the doorway.

The dark, shockingly familiar hallway pushed any worries from her mind. Instead, she shared a look of disbelief with Ruby before the two of them stared at an image that could've been taken straight from their memories.

"Hasn't changed a bit," Ruby whispered, squeezing Weiss' hand and leading them forward.

Only the moon and emergency exit signs provided light to see by, but Weiss didn't need more than that to find familiarity all around her. Combined with the smell and feeling in the air, she might as well have just stepped back in time. Motionless, quiet hallways greeted them at every turn, yet she held Ruby's hand as they revisited some of the best, most memorable spots of their childhood.

Nostalgia washed over her when they found their old lockers, still drab gray, dented at the corners, with vents at the top that they used to slip notes through. They were both surprised to discover that their least favorite math teacher still taught there. Their favorite science teacher did, too. Ruby left a message on the board in that room - a simple "Ruby Rose was here!" that was guaranteed to cause excitement and debate in the morning.

Many hallways and memories later, they found themselves in the gymnasium. Worn, wooden bleachers took up one side of the room and the basketball hoops had been left down, but it was the same large, cavernous space with various black lines taped across the hardwood floor. Several new championship banners hung from the rafters but, other than that, nothing had changed since Weiss was last there.

"If someone told me I'd be back in Atlas, breaking into school with you, I would've called them crazy. Yet here we are." Arms held out, Ruby spun in a slow circle before her gaze settled on Weiss. "Know what we should do?" she asked, her eyes gaining their signature sparkle. "We should dance!"

Weiss blinked at the suggestion before shaking her head and saying, "What? Why?"

"Why not?"

"There's no music, for one."

"We don't need music. You just, you know -"

When Ruby started flailing her arms in a manner that looked like a monkey trying to swim, Weiss burst into laughter.

"Ruby, you look ridiculous."

"You don't have to look cool, Weiss. It's just us." Proving that point, Ruby did a silly little jig before grabbing Weiss' hands. "Now come on - dance with me!"

Ruby shook Weiss' arms while her feet moved all over the place, so Weiss eventually puffed out her cheeks and said, "Fine." Ruby instantly froze and stared while Weiss pulled her hands free and attempted a lame side shuffle.

"Oh my god. You're adorable."

"This is ridiculous," Weiss said, dropping her arms to her sides as her cheeks burned.

"Ridiculously adorable!" When Weiss sighed and shook her head, Ruby stepped closer and raised her hands. "Ok, want to dance for real now?"

Staring into Ruby's eyes, Weiss mustered a nod in response. Her breath caught in her throat when Ruby's hand came to rest on her hip. Then her pulse quickened, and her palm dampened when Ruby's other hand wrapped around hers.

"Want to lead?" Ruby asked, her voice as soft and caring as her eyes.

"This was your idea," Weiss pointed out. A smile tugged at Ruby's lips as her grasp of Weiss' hand tightened, and she led Weiss in a seamless turn.

Lack of music ceased to matter when all Weiss had to do was follow Ruby's lead. Ruby stepped forward, Weiss stepped back. Ruby turned to one side, Weiss turned with her. Before long, Weiss only watched Ruby's eyes as the two of them gently swayed across the gym floor.

Expressive pools of silver glinted in the thin rays of moonlight shining through the doors leading to the track, but darkness shrouded much of Ruby's figure. Light was unnecessary with Ruby standing so close, guiding Weiss through every step with a soft tug, pull, or squeeze announcing their next direction. The slow, easy rhythm let Weiss relish the moment, soaking in Ruby's calming presence as memories of their childhood passed in the background.

"You're a good dancer," Weiss eventually whispered. Anything louder might disturb the peace between them, which she wasn't ready to let go of just yet.

"I had to take lessons, but the scene didn't even make the final cut. At least I learned something, right?"

"That's a good way of looking at it," Weiss replied before taking a deep, jittery breath. After letting it out in a long, controlled exhale, she memorized as much about this moment as possible. The security in Ruby's arms. The delicate intimacy of their interwoven fingers. The enchanting energy flowing between them.

But she shied away from the genuine, unending affection in Ruby's eyes. She focused on the bleachers instead, then the doors leading to the track, then the banners hanging from the ceiling, while following Ruby's easy, methodical pace.

"Can I ask something?" Ruby eventually asked, her voice so quiet that Weiss could have pretended not to hear it. She hummed her agreement instead, her heart clenching as she avoided Ruby's intent gaze.

"Why didn't you ask me to prom?"

The question hung in the air before falling around Weiss' shoulders, forcing out a sigh as it settled into place.

"I didn't think you'd be interested in that type of thing..." she mumbled towards their joined hands.

"But you went with Neptune. I would've been a better date than him."

"I know."

"Then why didn't you ask? Were you embarrassed? Was I too young for you or something?"

Weiss sighed again, but this time forced herself to meet Ruby's gaze.

"I didn't handle a lot of things well in high school, Ruby. If I could do it again, I'd ask you in a heartbeat."

"Because I'm a better dancer than him?"

"No, because...I understand a lot of things now that I didn't then."

Other people's opinions - especially her parents' opinions - shouldn't have mattered so much. She should have followed her heart. If she had, where might she and Ruby be now?

"I wish I asked you," she admitted, briefly smiling before staring at the floor between them. "I know we would've had an amazing time. You always knew how to make me laugh and not take things so seriously."

"Does that mean I can see you when I come back?"

Hearing the lightness in Ruby's tone, Weiss looked up and smiled fully.

"Ruby, you can see me whenever you want."

"All the time then."

While Weiss laughed at the cheeky response, Ruby smiled and let her other hand drop to Weiss' waist, freeing Weiss' arms to loop around Ruby's neck. The reaction felt so natural, yet suddenly they were even closer. Warmth flowed between them, entering Weiss' veins soon after. Her fingers brushed through Ruby's short, soft hair before resting on Ruby's neck while Ruby's eyes never left hers. Tender, reassuring hands slowly slid from Weiss' hips to the small of her back.

One slight tug and their bodies met, but something deep and invisible connected them just as much as their physical forms did. Ruby's silver eyes sparkled like diamonds in the low light, and the small smile on her lips drew Weiss closer. Her heart raced as her eyes slid shut and her body leaned closer, and only in that enamored state did she hear something - a distant rattle followed by light invading her senses.

She quickly pulled away and blinked. Fluorescent lights buzzed above them, destroying the intimate darkness with its annoying tune. Then she heard a jingling set of keys, footsteps, and voices in the distance.

"Is that -?"

"Security?" Ruby finished before grabbing Weiss' hand and dragging her toward the track. Cold air greeted them as they burst through the doors, but Weiss' heart beat too fast to fully feel the chill. When Ruby led them toward the football field, however, Weiss tugged on her hand.

"In what universe am I running across that in heels?"

Ruby's eyes widened, then she looked between the tall, plush grass and Weiss' feet and laughed.

"This is why you don't wear heels on an adventure!"

"Like I was supposed to know we'd be doing this!" Weiss protested while she and Ruby hurried around the edge of the track instead. Another fence waited on the far side, but Ruby checked the gate this time before leading them through without bodily injury. They reached the sidewalk soon after, then crossed the street, then hurried several city blocks before slowing down.

When they finally stopped, Weiss put her hands on her sides but, the instant she spotted Ruby's doe-eyed expression, burst into laughter. "Don't give me that look," she said, shoving Ruby's shoulder while Ruby giggled with her. "You should've expected that to happen."

"How was I supposed to know they finally hired security guards?" Ruby lifted her hands in a hapless gesture while Weiss shook her head and caught her breath. "Ok, maybe I should've expected that a little," Ruby admitted before offering her hand to Weiss. "Now that we survived, can I walk you home?"

"Let's get you back to the hotel instead," Weiss replied, accepting Ruby's hand and tugging them in the right direction.

"Are you worried your place will give me house-envy or something?"

"No, I'm worried because I don't live anywhere near here. Plus, I parked by the hotel."

"Have the butler fetch it in the morning!"

Ruby dissolved into more giggles at the joke, but Weiss shook her head and led them to the hotel. Silence broken only by their footsteps and sporadic cars soon settled over them, but Weiss glanced at Ruby rather than say anything. She smiled when Ruby caught the look but turned forward when her heart fluttered.

She didn't say anything, but her steps slowed when the hotel loomed into view - or maybe her pace slowed to match Ruby's. Unfortunately, regardless of how they delayed the inevitable, they soon found themselves in front of the revolving doors leading into the lobby.

"Here we are," Ruby said before turning to Weiss. Her eyes flitted to the nearby bellman before she licked her lips and added, "It's probably none of my business...but Valley Rehab sponsored a charity event I went to last year. I met the director and...I can get you in touch with him if you want."

Weiss suddenly wished for a hole to open beneath her feet, but she cleared her throat and said, "Thank you, Ruby," rather than feign ignorance. Once Ruby nodded, Weiss glanced around the hotel's circular drive before adding, "And thank you for inviting me out tonight. I had fun."

"Yeah? Me too."

Weiss only realized they were still holding hands when Ruby squeezed hers, but she frowned when Ruby suddenly pulled away. Sticking her hands in her pockets instead, Ruby glanced up at the tall building before meeting Weiss' gaze.

"Want to come up?"

Weiss opened her mouth but, when Ruby shuffled her feet and rubbed the back of her neck, froze. Blood rushed to her cheeks instead, and she quickly turned away.

"I shouldn't. It's late and probably best if we just...get some rest."

"Right. Of course." Ruby flashed a smile and nodded. "But, uh, any chance you're free in a couple days? There's somewhere I want to take you."

"How about Thursday?"

"Thursday, yeah, that works." With those plans set, Ruby brightened in front of Weiss' eyes. "I'll text you a time and address once I have it." Weiss' brow rose at the response, so Ruby laughed. "And it's a surprise, so I'm not saying."

"You know how I feel about surprises."

"You hate them unless they're from me."

In the midst of rolling her eyes, Weiss froze when Ruby kissed her cheek. "Thanks for humoring me tonight," Ruby whispered, her breath brushing across Weiss' lips before disappearing in the evening cold.

"Of course, Ruby," Weiss replied, her voice soft as her gaze flitted between Ruby's lips and eyes before settling on stunning silver. "Have a good night," she added, gently squeezing Ruby's elbow before turning around and walking away.

A deep breath did nothing to calm her racing heart, nor did it keep her hands from trembling as kind eyes followed her across the street. Ruby waved when Weiss finally looked back, and Weiss waved before sticking her hands deep in her pockets, putting her head down, and walking faster. Her fingers curled around the piece of paper in her pocket, and her chest tightened when she imagined Ruby learning the truth.

Ruby might be the same sweetheart from high school, but she didn't deserve to be saddled with someone else's problems. Like Yang said - being rich and famous came with its own issues. The best thing Weiss could do for Ruby was just...be her friend like they used to be. Anything else was…

Well, it hadn't worked out before. How could it work out now, when Weiss' circumstances were far less favorable than they used to be? Everyone would just think she was taking advantage of Ruby, and that was the last thing she ever wanted to do.