Chapter Nine: Guessing

Ruby lied in bed with her textbook open on a beautiful Friday afternoon. She'd gotten off work early and decided to spend the rest of the day being a dedicated student. Or at least she was until she got a text from Weiss at 1p.m. And now instead of the material she needed to know for next week's lecture, she was decoding every word Weiss said.

When Ruby wrote Weiss' note this morning, she didn't expect to get a reply. She didn't even know if Weiss knew about them, but apparently she did and now she was on her way for a "favour."

Was this another talk about how they'd never be more than friends? Or was Weiss so creeped out by her notes that she wanted Ruby to stop? These were the thoughts that flip-flopped in Ruby's frazzled brain.

And just when she'd convinced herself this was the end, an official friendship breakup, her scroll buzzed and a message popped up on the screen, "I'm outside."

Ruby's heart leapt out of her chest. Weiss was here. Outside her apartment. Then she'd be in her apartment where they'd be alone for who knows how long. Ruby gulped. She could do this.

I am do doomed.

Grabbing her keys, Ruby ran downstairs to let Weiss in. When she threw open the front doors, she found Weiss standing beside a large black SUV looking every bit like a corporate executive should.

Weiss was dressed in an expensive black pencil skirt and blazer combo with a gold trim and her company's emblem pinned on her lapel. She wore a matching black blouse underneath with two buttons undone, and her standard set of heels. Her hair was also done up differently—it was a good different. An excellent different!

In short, Ruby really liked Weiss' hair today.

"That's not Sweetie Belle," Ruby said, her eyes roving over Weiss instead of the car. She gnawed on the inside of her cheek and prayed to her mother above that her ogling wasn't obvious to Weiss. Crap, she's so hot. Hgnn…

"It's my mom car," Weiss shrugged as she approached Ruby with a tray of drinks in one hand and a bag from Big Belly Burger in the other.

"What's that?" Ruby asked despite knowing exactly what it was. Her mouth watered and her stomach rumbled.

"Your bribe," Weiss replied coolly. "I need your help, Ruby."

"With?" Ruby asked. Though, what did it matter? At this point, Weiss could ask her help hide a body and she'd do it. Tuna Casserole didn't die, did he? I think I have a shovel and some popsicle sticks somewhere.

"It's nothing big, I just need help finding a toy store," Weiss said sheepishly.

Ruby quirked an eyebrow. "You couldn't have asked Ciel or Neptune for help?"

"W-Well, they were busy and," Weiss blushed, "I read your note. I thought you wanted to see me?"

"So you use Chrys as an excuse?"

"You'll come to learn that I like to use her as an excuse a lot," Weiss replied without any guilt. "So will you help me, or should I turn back and keep these for myself?" Ruby snatched the bag out of Weiss' hand and hugged it close to her chest. "We have a deal then?"

"Only because I love B.B. Burgers," Ruby grumbled. "Do you want to come upstairs for a bit, or are we going to eat in that fancy SUV of yours?"

"Upstairs sounds fine," Weiss said with a bit of hesitation. "I've seen you eat, Ruby. It's like watching a garbage disposal."

"Hope you like stairs then," Ruby grumbled.

"Joy."

Watching Weiss climb two flights of stairs in five inch murder heels was a sight to be seen. She had absolutely no problem… unlike Ruby who tripped twice because she was too busy watching Weiss' slender legs and her cute bu—

"Ruby, are you alright? Your face is looking terribly flustered," Weiss said, slowing her pace to match Ruby's. "I thought you were an athlete? Shouldn't you have more stamina?"

"Sta-Stamina?" Ruby blurted out with a heaby blush. Her mind went straight to the gutter and that's where it stayed. "I, uh, I got tons of stamina!" Weiss gave her a disbelieving look. "I'm serious! I usually run up these stairs! Up and down, no problem."

"That's dangerous, what if you trip?" Weiss said in a motherly tone. "Also, your shoelaces are untied."

Ruby looked down. "Huh, could've sworn I tied those tighter. One sec."

Setting the burger bag down beside her, Ruby knelt down to tie her shoe. She did her best to keep her eyes forward, but Weiss was so close and her legs were so pretty.

Ruby quickly realized what she was doing and struck up a conversation to break the silence. Weiss was on edge, Ruby hoped she hadn't seen her staring. And when she peeked up, she caught a hint of a blush on Weiss' cheeks.

Crap, Ruby thought in a panic. "Hey, uh—"

"Ruby, are we almost there?"

"Y-Yeah," Ruby said, getting up, "just a bit and—"

Despite being a dancer and a natural born athlete, Ruby had a clumsy streak a mile long. She was known as the "Red Disaster" back in high school, and the name followed her to university. And now it was going to reveal itself to Weiss again.

"Ruby!" Weiss shouted in a panic. Her left hand shot out like a snake, coiling around Ruby's waist with a death grip before she could fall backwards. Weiss quickly pulled her back, right arm holding onto the stair railing for dear life. "Be careful you absolute dolt!" she screamed, her face straining with pain. "How are you so clumsy?!"

Ruby blushed, her nose practically touching Weiss'. "I don't know," she replied hoarsely. "But, uh… y-you're really close…"

Weiss glared at Ruby, her hold around Ruby's waist tightening. "Are you on solid footing?"

"Yeah."

Weiss carefully let Ruby go, but her touch lingered. Ruby wanted to stay in Weiss' arms forever. The few times they embraced had been the warmest she ever felt, and that heat was addictive. Barely separated for a second and Ruby was already craving for more.

"I'm sorry I scared you just now," Ruby said, her fingers twitching. Weiss' hand was so close. Just a touch. Friends held hands all the time, and she did just save her from a nasty fall.

"It's fine," Weiss replied curtly, switch the drinks from one hand to the other so she could massage her shoulder.

Ruby grabbed the bag off the step and stuffed her free hand into her pocket. "Still, it's pretty amazing you didn't drop the drinks."

"It would've been a waste."

"I guess."

The walk to Ruby's apartment was extremely awkward. Weiss was tightlipped and uncomfortable. Ruby wondered if she'd hurt her by accident, and if she did, Weiss didn't show it on her face, at least not while Ruby was looking.

"Just a sec," Ruby said as she rolled up her sleeves and wrestled with the door. She yanked the doorknob up and shouldered the door to muscle it open, nearly falling through when it finally gave in. "Right, uh, this is it. Sorry if it smells kinda funny. Yang cooked something new last night, and it kinda seeped into the… everything. And don't worry about taking off your shoes. Well, unless you wanna. I've never worn heels before, but I've been told they hurt."

Weiss stepped through the door like a wary animal even though she kept her head held high. She scanned the place curiously without a word, leading Ruby to worry about the hovel she lived in.

She hates it, Ruby thought. Damn you minimum wage!

"This brings back memories," Weiss said, surprising Ruby.

"Uh, what?" Ruby must've heard her wrong.

"Hm?"

"I mean, no offence," Ruby scratched her head, "but aren't you super rich?"

"I was and then I wasn't," Weiss said cryptically. She walked over to the couch and set the drink tray down on the coffee table. "I don't see a dining table, so is here alright?"

"That is the dining table," Ruby said with a blush.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I—"

Ruby shrugged. "It's no big deal, Weiss." She walked over, dropped the bag down, and took a seat. Weiss took a seat too but on the opposite end of the couch. "So…" Ruby said awkwardly, "what's new?"

"Nothing," Weiss said massaging her left shoulder. She winced and sighed, "Ruby, I'm sorry to be a bother, but you wouldn't happen to have an icepack in the freezer do you?"

"Yeah, we do. Let me go get it," Ruby said, rushing to the fridge. She dug around in the freezer and pulled a lime green icepack. "Do you need anything else?" Weiss politely declined. Ruby brought the ice to her wrapped in a paper towel. "Here… I'm sorry, Weiss."

"Don't be," Weiss said as she pressed the ice to her shoulder. "It's an old injury."

"I still feel awful."

"Would you rather I let you fall then?"

"It was only a few steps," Ruby said, plopping down on the couch. "I've had worse falls."

"A fall is a fall, Ruby, no matter how small," Weiss said in that wise motherly tone. "What if you hurt your leg or bumped your head?"

Ruby rubbed the back of her head. "I, uh, didn't think of that… how'd you get the bad shoulder anyway?"

"I… I'm not sure you want to know."

"It can't be that bad," Ruby said optimistically. Weiss watched her warily. "You don't have to say anything if you're not comfortable," Ruby added.

"My… father," Weiss murmured with furrowed brows, "he—when I found out about Chrys, his idea to remedy the situation was to push me down the stairs."

"Whoa." Ruby blinked, and when she managed to pick her jaw up from the floor, she said, "I'm sorry. Fuck. I'm really sorry, Weiss. Me slipping on the stairs probably brought back some terrible memories… I—crud, Weiss, I really, really am super sorry!"

Weiss shook her head and took the drinks out of the tray, handing Ruby the dark drink while she kept the clear one. Ruby shyly accepted it and followed Weiss when she took a sip. It was Nuka Cola, Ruby's favourite.

"How'd you guess my favourite soda?" Ruby asked, taking another small, eager sip. It had been weeks since her last soda. She was going to savour it to the last drop then… wash and save the cup because Weiss had given it to her.

"I did?" Weiss replied with a quirked eyebrow. "The drink came with the food, so I chose at random. I wasn't too sure what I chose actually."

"Want a sip?"

"I…" Weiss blushed, "alright." Ruby held the drink out with the straw facing Weiss. She looked at the straw and nervously brushed some hair behind her ear. She set the icepack down and carefully leaned in. "I hope the sugar doesn't kill me," she whispered as her lips touched the straw.

Ruby gulped, her eyes practically bulging out of their sockets. When she offered Weiss a taste of her drink, she hadn't expected it to be so stimulating. Certain parts of Ruby's anatomy were beginning to react, and for once it wasn't just her heart being lifted up by Weiss' also didn't help that Weiss was giving Ruby quite the view.

Red. Ruby gasped. Holy shit, holy shit, she's wearing red!

Ruby gulped again and tore her hungry eyes away. She stared at the ceiling and gnawed on the inside of her cheek, praying to her mother up above to forgive her.

"Yeah, not my cup of tea," Weiss grumbled, pulling back. She crossed her legs and leaned against the armrest, her face looking utterly displeased. Ruby thought she looked a bit like a teacher because of her black blazer and glasses. "I'm so glad Chrys doesn't drink this."

"Willingly?" Ruby asked, taking a much needed sip from her ice cold drink. "Not judging, just curious. A lot of parents say they don't want their kids drinking the stuff, but they still give it to them."

"Willingly," Weiss said with a smile. Talking about Chrys was a surefire way to get Weiss talking, and Ruby really liked listening when she did. "Nicole and I never told her she couldn't. We've even tried offering a few times to see how she'd react. But since she never saw us drinking it, she chose not to as well."

"So leading by example."

Weiss uncomfortably shifted in her seat. "I suppose, but Nicole should really get all the credit for this."

"You should give yourself more credit, Weiss," Ruby said, setting her drink down. "You were still part of that decision. It doesn't matter who came up with it."

"It still doesn't absolve me of my mistakes," Weiss countered.

"Every parent makes mistakes… you're at least trying to fix things."

The tired, despondent look Ruby got after saying that was telling. There was more to the story that Weiss wasn't telling her, and that was okay. She didn't need to divulge anything, just like how Ruby didn't talk about—why wasn't Ruby talking about it? Weiss was here reaching out to her like a good friend should. She wasn't prying for answers, but surely she was curious.

Ruby furrowed her brows together and stamped the uneasiness down. "My mom made a lot of mistakes, but she always made up for them. She was," Ruby rubbed the back of her head, "the other woman… my dad was married to Yang's mom at the time. And when she found out about me, she split, leaving Yang behind. Dad was devastated, but he fucked up, so she couldn't blame her. Yang's still angry though."

"I'm sorry if this is wholly inappropriate, but didn't you say your mom was in a similar situation as me?"

It was clear that Weiss was doing her best to be polite, and Ruby appreciated that almost as much as she appreciated the fact Weiss remembered such a small detail. Ruby had only mentioned it once when they first met, and even then, Weiss had shown her a great courtesy by ignoring her mutterings. Ruby hadn't forgotten. That kindness was one of the reasons Ruby fell so hard and fast for her.

"I can't believe you remembered," Ruby said with a smile, falling deeper in love with Weiss' concerned blue eyes. "But yeah… that's the other mistake." Ruby rubbed her hands together then smoothed out her hair, she hated talking about this. "Please don't judge my parents too much, but my dad was a student teacher and my mom was a really persistent brat."

"So that's where you get it from," Weiss teased, her nose crinkling.

"Which part?" Ruby grinned. "The persistence or the brattiness?" Weiss wordlessly quirked an eyebrow and sipped her drink. "I'll go out on a limb here and say both."

"And you'd be right."

"It's endearing though, right?"

"About as endearing as a puppy."

"Oh, that's really endearing then!" Ruby beamed.

"Nicole was three years older than me," Weiss said, offering Ruby another nugget of knowledge. "But sometimes those three years felt like decades. She was so much more mature than me, and it always grated on my nerves whenever she put me in my place. But it always astonished me how she knew all these things…"

"I've been meaning to ask, but what did you mean by 'this brings back memories'?"

"Oh, I only meant that we used to live in a similar situation," Weiss said. "We had money, quite a lot of it actually since I was… the dictionary definition of 'privileged' growing up. And when I was young, my sister warned me to start saving money in case anything happened. Nicole was also from an influential family, as you can already tell."

"Trust fund?"

"Trust fund," Weiss chuckled. "Our combined assets would have easily put us far, far, far above the poverty line, but with a baby on the way and my high school tuition fee, Nicole decided we should try to live more frugally. Merde, I hated her for this since her parents wanted us to stay with them in their nice, luxurious mansion—ugh, just thinking about this boils my blood!"

Ruby eyed the bag of food and pointed to it, silently asking if it was okay to open it. Weiss nodded and Ruby eagerly dug in. She pulled out two burgers and three packets of fries.

"The other burger and fries are for your sister," Weiss said, reaching for her fries. "I couldn't in good conscience get something for you and not her."

"Thanks," Ruby said, touched by Weiss' thoughtfulness. "She loves Big Belly Burger."

"I didn't know what to get, so I chose their first meal option," Weiss said, shyly adjusting her glasses. "I hope you don't mind."

"Mind?" Ruby laughed. "We love the classic Big Bell Burger! It's honestly the best thing on the menu."

"I'm rather fond of the fries," Weiss said as she popped one into her mouth. "I don't enjoy fast food, but I do have a weakness for crispy fries."

"Same," Ruby nodded. "So you were saying something about living in a mansion? Totally jealous by the way."

"Right, right," Weiss sighed. "There you go again, distracting me with your charms."

"I'll take that as a compliment!"

Weiss crinkled her nose and ate another fry before continuing with her story. "We could have lived in comfort and luxury, but Nicole got hooked on living independently when she moved to Vale after graduation. We spent weeks searching for apartments Nicole could afford with her part-time job. We eventually settled on this tiny one bedroom apartment in the rougher side of town. It was old and rundown, and not really the place you'd want to raise a child in, but it was ours. Nicole worked so hard, but it never felt enough… and let me tell you," Weiss chuckled sardonically, "when you have two rich socialites on a strict budget, things get heated. We were suddenly without things we were used to, and the temptation to give in and use our savings was hard to ignore. Food was also an issue since neither of us knew how to cook at the time, and I was… recovering from a few things, so my diet was fairly important."

Ruby nodded in understanding. She took a bite of her burger and savoured the taste.

"Nicole couldn't even properly stand in the shower; it was so small," Weiss laughed, though it quickly turned into a sigh. "She was way too tall for that apartment… I used to come home from school feeling so angry. It was humiliating having Nicole's family chauffeur drive me to Atlas' premiere private school to… a disgusting box barely fit for one person." Weiss took a sip of her drink and nibbled on another fry. Her brows furrowed together. Ruby thought it was cute. "We fought a lot. We weren't even a real couple and yet we were forcing ourselves to live like one. I hated it, and I hated her."

"Weiss…"

"It's okay, Ruby," Weiss said. "She actually had a girlfriend in Vale that I knew she was serious about, but Chrys… Chrys was always Nicole's main priority, not me. I still can't believe she left someone she truly loved for a girl she should've forgotten once high school ended."

"I don't think anyone could ever forget about you, Weiss," Ruby said. "We've known each other for what, a month? And I'm already so hooked on you, you might as well call me the catch of the day."

"You are quite the catch, Ruby Rose," Weiss chuckled with a faint blush on her cheeks. "But I can't say the same about me. Like I told you yesterday, I'm mean, bossy, and honestly, I'm surprised Nicole stayed."

"I'm sure she loves you."

Weiss hummed. "As long as she loved Chrys then I would've been fine with not being loved. Though, I won't lie, there were times where I was certain I pushed her too far. I can't even begin to tell you how many times I thought I'd come home to an empty apartment and a note saying she'd taken Chrys to be with her girl in Vale… but Nicole surprised me each time."

"That just proves she loves you then," Ruby said. "My dad got Yang's mom pregnant by accident. He never talks about her, but he cared about her enough to y'know… do it."

"Ruby," Weiss said with a tight frown and a raised eyebrow, "you don't need to love someone to have sex with them."

"Y-Yeah, but…"

"I'm not saying this to sound mean or cynical, but relationships aren't always about love," Weiss continued sternly. "If Nicole hadn't gotten me pregnant, I would've eventually been engaged to a man of my father's choosing. He would have taken my name and my legacy, just like how my father stole my mother's."

"Weiss, I didn't mean…"

"I told you before, I got lucky with Nicole," Weiss continued angrily.

"Did you ever love her?" Ruby asked.

"I—" Weiss stopped, her eyes growing wide. Ruby smiled at her encouragingly and she relented with a sigh, "I loved her dearly."

"Then what's to say she didn't feel the same about you?"

Sighing again, Weiss ran a hand over her braid. "Because," she said tersely, "if I acknowledge the truth…" she sucked in a breath, "then it all becomes so real."

"Why can't it be real?"

"Because she's gone, and I wasted all the time we had together feeling like the other woman," Weiss sighed. "It was hard to give in knowing I couldn't have all of her."

"But didn't you?" Ruby said, setting her burger down. She'd lost her appetite. And, not to speak ill of the dead, but she some of the respect she had for Weiss' wife as well. "Have all of her, I mean. She married you didn't she?"

"Out of obligation."

"Ah, same with my parents then."

"It…" Weiss adjusted her glasses and crinkled her nose, "sucks."

Ruby snorted. "Yeah, it does. So, like, was she open about all this or…?"

"Nicole never once lied to me about her feelings, that much I can tell you," Weiss explained. "She was quite forthcoming with it actually. And when she proposed to me, it wasn't some grand gesture, and she didn't get down on one knee."

"What?" Ruby didn't know how she felt about that revelation. Weiss deserved every romantic gesture in the world. If it was her, Ruby would've done everything to make Weiss feel special. She would've gotten down on both knees and her hands if that was what Weiss wanted. "How?"

"Well, she took me out to lunch in the most unromantic diner ever. And after we ate, she pushed a velvet box towards me. I wordlessly put on the ring and then she drove me back to school. We didn't talk about it after. We both just accepted it… then got married in city hall soon after." Weiss shook her head. "Nicole never did teld me what happened to her girlfriend, but I do know they kept in touch up until a few years ago."

"That's…" Ruby gulped, "a lot to take in. You had a pretty rough life, huh?"

"Hardly," Weiss scoffed. "I married an amazing person, graduated with honours, made some amazing friends. I also have a job people would literally kill for, and enough in my bank account to last me several lifetimes. But most important of all, I have Chrys. She's made all the hardships worth it."

"Do you… do you think my mom felt the same way?" Ruby asked timidly. "She graduated with honours too, and Dad said she landed a few scholarships. But instead of pursuing that, she chose to stay in Patch and worked as a part-time florist."

"Can I ask how she passed?"

Ruby sighed. This was always hard to say. But if Weiss could talk about her wife, then Ruby could be strong too and talk about her mom.

"Cancer," she said, bravely blinking back the tears. "It came really, really suddenly. She was okay one day and then she just wasn't. I was too young to understand what happened. My dad shut down and Yang picked up the slack. She was barely nine and I was five, I think? But she was running the household by herself. And when our uncle found out, he got so angry he took us away until Dad got his shit together… but that didn't happen until we were both in high school."

"That's along time to grieve…" Weiss murmured pensively.

"He probably would have kept on grieving, but then Yang got into an accident that—" Ruby gritted her teeth as her tightly clenched fists shook with rage. "She was driving a friend of ours home from school when a drunk driver ran a red and t-bone'd them. Pyrrha didn't make it, the driver lost his life too, his son lost both his legs… and Yang she…"

"You don't have to say anymore if you aren't ready," Weiss said, reaching over to hold Ruby's hand.

Weiss flashed her a smile full of understanding, and Ruby was grateful for the leniency, but their relationship needed to be give and take. Ruby couldn't keep taking while Weiss kept giving. And Weiss needed to know that she was in this for the long haul. And if that meant revealing every traumatic thing she'd experienced in her life for a chance to be as close to Weiss as Neptune and Ciel, then she'd do it in a heartbeat.

"Ruby?"

"Uh, right, sorry," Ruby blushed. She shook her head and forced a grin. "I just…"

"Take your time," Weiss said, returning her smile.

Ruby thought carefully about what she was going to say and how she would word it. Talking about Yang's accident was almost as hard as talking about their mother. But looking into Weiss' eyes and feeling her warmth, Ruby took a leap of faith.

"My sister lost her right arm," Ruby said, gripping Weiss' hand tight for support. "She was in high school. Everything she dreamed of was taken away in an instant. And the guilt of losing Pyrrha—I nearly lost my sister to depression, and our dad still couldn't get off his god damn drunk ass to come and visit!"

"Ruby…" Weiss sat down next to Ruby and cupped her face. She stared deep into her eyes and for a split hopeful second, Ruby thought Weiss was going to kiss her because she leaned in—Ruby could feel Weiss' breath on her lips and smell her perfume without straining her nose. Their foreheads touched and a hand threaded through Ruby's hair. "It's okay to be angry."

Ruby closed her eyes and melted against everything that was Weiss Adel. Her warmth, beauty, and kindness—Ruby was so in love it hurt. Her heart begged her to go in and close the distance, just a single kiss to soothe the ache. But she couldn't. Risking their friendship wasn't what Ruby wanted. She was stronger than the temptation.

"It's also okay to be upset." Weiss stroked Ruby's head as she spoke, her angelic voice just above a soothing whisper. It was like a siren's song beckoning for Ruby to come closer, and she did, angling her face slightly to the right, nuzzling Weiss. "But what's not okay is to keep denying what you feel."

Ruby opened her eyes and accidentally stared down Weiss' shirt. She could see the golden necklace Weiss wore more often than her glasses clearly. This was only the second time she'd seen it unimpeded though. And like just like the first, she willed herself to ignore it and pretend she'd never seen it. Or at least she tried to. It stayed on her brain like a picture on the fridge, reminding Ruby of the cold hard fact that Weiss would never be hers because looped through the necklace was a gold ring that matched the one on Weiss' finger.

"Staying silent doesn't make you strong," Weiss continued.

Fuck it, Ruby thought.

"Ruby, I—"

"Weiss," Ruby murmured, interrupting Weiss' train of thought. Ruby tensed her jaw as she looped her arms around Weiss' waist and pulled her onto her lap. The older woman did resist, and Ruby was relieved, though she did see her cheeks colour. "I'm sorry…"

"For what?" Weiss asked, tilting her head.

Ruby stared at Weiss' sharp jawline and her slender neck, appreciating the uninterrupted view. But Ruby wondered what Weiss' hair looked like down. Would she keep it off her shoulders, or would she let it rest on one the way she let her braid sit.

Weiss had such soft, pretty skin.

"Ruby, what are you apologizing for?" Weiss put a hand on Ruby's cheek.

"For what I'm about to do." Ruby looked deep into Weiss' eyes and leaned in, her brows furrowing together as her thoughts raced. What are you doing? Get a grip! Ruby pointedly ignored her voice of reason. Weiss was already in her arms. There was no turning back. Ruby could feel her heart beating like a drum inside her chest, blood roaring like a raging ocean in her ears. She licked her lips. "I'm so tired of pretending this is enough."

"Ruby…" Weiss' eyes darted from Ruby's eyes to her lips then back up again, scanning her for intent. She gulped, lips parting. "I…"

Resting her head on Weiss' shoulder, Ruby held her tight, and savoured her warmth. Her smell. Her everything. Weiss' small body fit so perfectly in Ruby's arms it was almost criminal.

Ruby let out a shuddering breath and squeezed her eyes even tighter, praying for this moment to never end.

"H-Have you ever spoken to anyone else about these feelings?" Weiss asked rather shakily. She still had her hands in Ruby's hair, but instead of running them through, she carefully pulled at it. It felt so nice, Ruby was beginning to relax and doze off. "Preferably to a professional?"

Ruby shook her head. "Can't afford it. And," she breathed in deep, taking in as much of Weiss as her greedy lungs could take, "I've never told anyone this."

"Why?" The pulling stopped and Ruby whined, pawing at Weiss' back to keep going. The pulling quickly recommenced and Ruby sighed. "You're so needy," Weiss teased. "And am I really the first person you've told this to?" Ruby nodded. "Not even your sister or Penny? What about your uncle?"

"No," Ruby said, "only you… people try to shield me from things, or they think I'm too immature to understand. But fuck, Weiss, it's so hard to pretend to be happy when your whole world feels like its crumbling around you."

"You shouldn't have to pretend like that."

"I know… but Yang needs me to stay up or she'll just—" Ruby let out a shuddering sigh and buried her pathetic self deeper into Weiss. "She'll fall apart again. I can fix her arm, but I can't fix her."

"You shouldn't have to fix her. That's not your job."

"But she's my sister, I want to help her."

"I understand that, but your sister is a grown woman. She's old enough to know that you aren't happy no matter how you hide it. If she loves you'll know." Ruby groaned. "Ruby, I think you should consider opening up and telling her," Weiss suggested carefully. "I adored my sister as a child. She was everything I wanted to be… but years of our father's abuse turned her cold and distant. I never doubted how much she cared about me, but one day she just left and never came back. I was alone with a monster… and after I got disowned, it took months for the news to reach her. She came for me immediately, but it was too late. Chrys was born and I was married to Nicole. She still tried to take me away though, but all that caused was a huge fight." Weiss paused and leaned back so she could tilt Ruby's chin up. Ruby sniffled and Weiss smiled. "Every negative thing I felt about her came rushing out and… I saw my sister cry for the first time. She apologized and offered everything she could do to help, but all I asked was for her to be there for Chrys. And to maybe stay in contact more often."

"Did she?"

"She did," Weiss said. "She's never missed a birthday or holiday. And if work prevents her from being there in person, she sends cards and presents in advance."

Ruby rested her head on Weiss' shoulder again. "Was she angry when you said those things?"

"She was at first because everything I said sounded entitled and spoiled. But when she realized my complaints boiled down to simply missing her," Weiss cradled Ruby as she kissed the top of her head, "we came to an understanding. You and your sister can do the same. You're both obviously close, so you have that going for you. All you need to do now is to lower your walls because in the end, just as much as she tried to protect you by shielding you from the truth, you're doing the exact same."

"It's hard though…"

"Ruby, darling, working while you go to school and volunteering at the same time is hard," Weiss chuckled. "Talking to your sister should be as easy as breathing."

Or falling in love with you, Ruby thought.

"You can do it, I believe in you."

"Thanks," Ruby muttered. She looked at the state they were in and blushed, but instead of pulling away, she held on. Just a little longer.

Weiss chuckled as she ran her fingers through Ruby's hair. "We should probably finish eating and head out. I only have a couple of hours left until I need to pick Chrys up from swimming practice." Ruby nodded her head and clumsily reached for her half-eaten burger. "Ruby, I care for you a great deal, but if you get food on my clothes, I might have to reconsider this friendship."

"Aw…"

"Ruby…"

"Fiiiine," Ruby said, letting Weiss go. That earned her a quick kiss on the cheek and Weiss' hand on her shoulder as she got up. Ruby gulped. Did… did Weiss just feel me up? She felt Weiss' hand squeeze her, but that was only to stabilize herself right?! Weiss was in heels and they were on carpeted floors. That had to be the reason! Weiss wasn't—no, she definitely wasn't. Stop dreaming, Ruby!

Weiss had her back towards Ruby for second before sitting beside her and, thankfully, not across like earlier. Her cheeks were tinged red and she was nervously fiddling with her perfectly done hair. Ruby sighed. Embarrassed Weiss was so adorable.

Weiss bit into a fry and cringed. "Cold."

"I can warm it up for you if you'd like?" Ruby offered.

"No, no, it's fine," Weiss said, pushing her packet of fries closer to Ruby's. Ruby took a few and stuffed them into her mouth. "Um, thank… you?"

"No problem, best friend of mine! Also, your hair looks really nice today," Ruby said after swallowing the gargantuan bite of food she had in her mouth. "I really like it all done up like that."

Weiss giggled, her blush intensifying. "I had a meeting with some of my section managers, and Neptune decided I needed to strike a little fear into their hearts to remind them who's boss."

"Yeah, I can see that," Ruby nodded. "Good, clear eye contact."

"Ugh, that was his reasoning too," Weiss said, pushing her glasses up.

"Hey, y'know, we kinda match," Ruby added, pointing to the way her bangs were pushed back. But unlike Weiss, whose hair was held back by the world's strongest hairspray, Ruby had to rely on her clip.

"I…" Weiss smiled, "I suppose we do."

Ruby shoved the last of her burger and a few fries into her mouth and washed it down with her soda. Weiss watched her with a scandalized expression, but when Ruby flashed her a chipmunk cheeked smile, she softened up.

"Alright, bribe's done," Ruby said, slapping her lap as she stood. She gathered all her rubbish and crumpled it into a tight ball. "Ready to get going, pretty lady?" she asked, tossing the ball into the trashcan. When the shot went in, Ruby cheered, "Ten points!"

Weiss hid a laugh behind her hand, "You're so silly."

"You haven't seen anything yet," Ruby snickered. "Good luck keeping me in check when we hit the toy store."

"Oh no, should I be worried?"

"Yeah, you probably should."

"Well," Weiss said, putting her unwanted fries into the bag with Yang's food, "if you behave, maybe I'll buy you a toy."

"What?"

"Hm?"

"Would you… would you really do that?"

The last time Ruby had gotten a toy was when her mother passed away. Her uncle had given it to her to cheer her up at the hospital. It was small and cheap, but Ruby loved it because she loved her uncle. Unfortunately, when they moved in with him, they had to leave almost everything behind. No more chests filled with toys to brighten her room. She didn't even have one anymore after the move; she and Yang had to share their uncle's old room while he took the couch.

Ruby thought back to that time a lot. They never lacked the essentials like food, school supplies, and clothes, but his salary couldn't comfortably support two young children without making sacrifices. And unknowingly to Yang and Ruby, the reason why was because he was already saving for their future. When he paid for Yang's tuition for culinary school in full, he apologized for never giving her more. He also paid for Ruby's first and part of her second. Ruby couldn't take anymore in good conscience. He had done so much for them.

I should call him, Ruby thought.

"I see no harm in it," Weiss smiled. "If I buy one child a toy, I should buy the other one a toy as well."

"Wait," Ruby blinked then squinted at Weiss, "you callin' me a kid?"

Weiss quirked an eyebrow and smirked.

Ruby didn't know how to interpret that answer, but she liked Weiss' smile so what did it matter. But it did bring on the question of whether or not Weiss saw her as an adult.

Ruby might've been twenty, but she still had a lot of growing up to do.

I'm on a bit of a schedule, so have an early update. I literally wrote this in one sitting a day or two after the last chapter.

Thank you for all the reviews and positive reinforcement as usual. I can't be this motivated without it.

If you enjoyed the story, please leave a review.