First Time at a Second Chance

by The Great Weiss Shark

Working at a café had many perks like free food and coffee, and Ruby honestly loved her job, but it felt lacking. There were days she wanted to give up and stay in bed but something in her gut told her to get up and go. And so she did and now she knows why: a chance meeting with a beautiful stranger and her little patch of spring. GP!Ruby

11. Running with the Wild Things

Chapter Eleven: Running with the Wild Things

---

Ruby eagerly rocked on the balls of her feet as she waited outside her apartment for Weiss. Yang and Penny were sitting on the steps with a small bowl of candy for the neighbourhood kids. A few had come by, but at this point, they'd eaten more of the candy than they'd given out.

"What time did she say she'd pick you up?" Yang asked as she tossed some popcorn up into the air and caught them in her mouth. She tilted the bag towards Penny and waited until she grabbed a handful before turning it to Ruby. "Poopycorn, Rubyn?"

"She said by five-thirty, so soon," Ruby said, lifting her chicken head up high enough to shovel some popcorn into her mouth. "You gotta promise to be cool, Yang. I mean it. If you embarrass me in front of Weiss and Chrys, I'm going to burn that steak you have marinating in the fridge."

"You wouldn't dare, and plus," Yang scoffed at her and struck a pose, "who do you think you're talking to, bird brain? I am cool—the definition of cool—I am Spectrum Bolt! Leader of the Wonder Blitz, and the fastest flier Avestia has ever seen."

"Yeah, and I'm Poultryman, the squawk in the night, the masked defender of Avestia!" Ruby countered, flaring her cape out as she puffed out her chest. "This chicken head is a symbol of hope, peace—and eggs!" Ruby said that final word in best Poultryman expression, something she'd been working on for weeks.

"Yeah, well, you're just a tiny ten piece chicken nugget compared to me!"

"Oh yeah, well, you're a—"

"You two are such dorks," Penny laughed, interrupting the sisters before they could physically duke it out. She shook her head at them and smiled, enjoying her view from the steps.

"Aw c'mon, Pen, get into the spirit!" Ruby pouted. Her face and voice were obscured by the chicken mask, but Penny knew she was pouting. Penny always knew.

"I think you're festive enough for the both of us."

Ruby stuck her tongue out at her best friend but realized her mistake soon enough and said, "You can't see it, but I'm sticking my tongue out at you."

"I know you are, Zoomies. You just are so mature," Penny giggled.

"Thank— oh, hey, it's Weiss!" Ruby jumped into the air and waved her hands wildly. "HEY, WEISS!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. She jumped up again but nearly fell on face when she landed wrong.

"And you were worried I'd embarrass you," Yang said with a snort. "You okay, Zoomies?"

"Can it, Yang."

Weiss parked her SUV in front of the apartment and got out with Chrys following behind her like a tail. They were dressed as My Little Budgie characters too, and ironically, they were characters Ruby's Poultryman associated the most with. Even more ironically, Weiss' character, the Caped Cockatoo, was often romantically shipped with Poultryman even though she'd only been in one episode back in season three. And judging by the way Weiss stopped and stared at her, Weiss was aware of it too.

"Ru—"

"Caped Cockatoo, we meet again!" Ruby said in her low, gravelly voice.

"P-Poultryman," Weiss quietly replied. She tipped her large brimmed fedora at Ruby and fanned her cape out, revealing the rest of her elaborate, well-made costume.

Ruby's jaw nearly hit the floor. Weiss was dressed in a full white bodysuit that hugged her body so well it might as well have been a second skin. The intricate red lines and gold zippers decorating the outfit were exactly like the show—including the legendary "boobie window" fans loved to draw.

Ruby was sweating. This was a lot more cleavage than Ruby expected to see today and she lived with Yang.

"I see you're out patrolling the streets as well," Weiss said, walking up to Ruby. Her high-heels clicked against the pavement drawing Ruby's already frayed attention down to stare at them. Again, another perfect replica.

"Crime waits for no birdy," Ruby managed to say through tightly gritted teeth. Why is she so hot, oh my god?!

Chrys wordlessly walked up to Ruby, her blue eyes wide with an emotion Ruby couldn't quite place.

"Commissioner Goldfeather, the city will rest easy tonight knowing you're out on the streets too," Ruby said, kneeling down to look Chrys in the eye.

The little girl was dressed as Poultryman's friend on the force, Commissioner Goldfeather. And just like Weiss' impressive Caped Cockatoo costume, Chrys' was also impeccably made. Every line and stitch was beautifully done, leaving no detail forgotten. Even the badge she wore on her chest seemed real.

"Your uniform is as impressive as ever," Ruby said, nodding her head.

"Thank you…" Chrys murmured, then without warning, she wrapped her arms around Ruby's neck and hugged her.

Ruby happily returned the hug with all her might. "Your costume looks great, Chryssie," she said, breaking character. "We're going to have lots of fun tonight, kiddo."

While Ruby was preoccupied with Chrys, Yang took the opportunity to finally meet and greet Weiss.

"Hey, so, you're Weiss, huh?" Yang said, stepping around Ruby and Chrys.

"I am," Weiss replied. "And you must be Yang. Ruby's told me a lot of good things about you."

"Likeweiss," Yang grinned, holding her right hand out.

"Oh," Weiss frowned, but she still shook Yang's hand anyway, "she warned me about that."

"The hand or the pun?"

"Both," Weiss replied, "but the puns took precedence."

Yang chuckled and smiled, "Not much left to say then."

"Hello again, Weiss," Penny said from her perch on the stairs. "Your hair is looking amazing! I really like the red highlights."

"Thank you," Weiss politely said. "I can't take the credit for it though. My assistant did all the work."

"Extensions?" Penny asked.

"Extensions," Weiss confirmed.

But down on the ground, things weren't so hunky-dory. Chrys was still clinging to Ruby on the verge of tears. Chrys was sniffling and doing her best to maintain her composure, but Ruby could feel the tear drops on her t-shirt, and the between each droplet was growing shorter.

Ruby was at a loss for words, but not so lost that she'd forgotten all the times Yang comforted her as a child.

"You okay, Chryssie?" Ruby asked in a soft, low tone as she rubbed soothing circles on Chrys' back.

"I'm okay," Chrys murmured, her face buried deep in the crook of Ruby's neck. "I'm sorry for hugging you without asking, that was rude of me…"

"It's okay," Ruby said. "I like warm hugs."

Chrys pulled away and wiped her eyes on her sleeve. "My Maman was supposed to be Poultryman," she said in a painfully heartrending tone. Her voice shook with each word and breath, ushering even more tears out. "I-I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize," Ruby said, offering her cape to dry Chrys' tears. "I can change out of this if you want?"

"No, I like how we're all matching," Chrys said as she wiped away the last of tears. She took Ruby by the hand and to stand beside Weiss.

Ruby nervously looked at Weiss and blushed. "Hey."

"Hello," Weiss smiled. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah, but first," Ruby turned to Yang, "you got the goods, sis?"

"You know I do!" Yang picked up the backpack she had on the steps and pulled out two Halloween themed cellophane bags filled to the brim with chocolate. She handed one to Chrys and tossed the other at Weiss who effortlessly caught it. "Nice."

"She also warned me you liked to randomly throw things," Weiss chuckled. "Now care to explain what this is?"

"Chocolate," Yang grinned. "Ruby said Chrys likes hazelnuts and chocolate, so I thought I'd whip a little something up for her. Sorry, Mama, but you got the ugly leftovers."

"Thank you," Chrys said with a big smile.

"No problem, kiddo."

Weiss inspected the chocolate through the bag carefully, turning it in her hands to see it from all sides. Yang called them "ugly leftovers," but they were all expertly made with a lot of love and dedication. "You made this?"

"Uh," Yang blinked, "yeah?"

"So you're experienced with more than just typical café food fare?"

"I wouldn't say 'typical,' " Yang grumbled. "It takes a lot of practice to get a good sandwich down."

"I meant no offence, Yang. I apologize," Weiss said. "I was… just curious."

"Well, I've also got some basic patisserie experience…"

"Are you kidding me?!" Ruby shouted, choosing that time to butt in. "Yang's cakes are the best—"

"You know it!" Yang said, slapping her butt hard. Penny and Ruby groaned in unison. "You guys are just jealous of my phat booty."

"I see…" Weiss said, eyeing Yang carefully. "Well, we best be heading off now."

Chrys gave Yang a hug and another "thank you" before running back into the car. She waved at Yang from inside and showed her the bag of chocolates like a trophy, even popped one into her mouth and ate it. The look of absolute joy her face was adorable.

"She's really cute," Yang said.

"Thank you," Weiss replied, tipping her hat back to look at Yang without distraction. "Yang, this is going to sound a little sudden, but I have a business proposition for you."

"Oh?"

"And I mean really sudden. I don't have all the materials ready just yet for a proper presentation, but because of this?" Weiss lifted the chocolate and pointed to Chrys in the car, "I think I've made my decision with you."

"Er, care explain a little more, Mrs. Mystery?" Yang said with a disgruntled frown.

"It's a good thing, I promise. My assistant Ciel will contact you at a later time with more details, that is if you're still interested," Weiss said cryptically. "You're a talented woman, Yang. And I think I can help you reach your true potential."

"What do you mean? And can you really not give me even the slightest hint?" Yang asked. "Like, I'm totally interested, but I need something more to go on here. I get you're a big shot and all, and people would probably chew their own foot off to get whatever vague business bullshit you're offering me, but I ain't like that. So spell it out for me all simple like, por favor."

Weiss blinked, surprised by Yang's bluntness. Silence hung in the air like a deadly miasma, waiting to claim the lives of whoever dared to breathe first. Yang and Ruby were worried Weiss would change her mind and retract the offer since she wasn't saying anything, but they were pleasantly surprised when she nodded her head in approval.

"You're right, Yang. I really shouldn't be so secretive, especially since this could be a life changing moment. Simply put, I'm offering you a job," Weiss said with a smile. "But that's all I'm willing to say until I can finalize the details with my lawyers. I'm honestly not allowed to say anything without their say, so please forgive me and keep this secret between us. Now, come along, Ruby."

"Yup!"

"I'll be seeing you, Penny," Weiss said with a wave.

"Farewell, Weiss."

Ruby quickly slugged Yang's shoulder as they watched Weiss walk away. "Told you she was amazing."

"A job…" Yang murmured, her eyebrows furrowed together in thought. Ruby punched her again, but just like the first time, Yang didn't react. She didn't even budge. Instead, she hummed and asked, "Do you know anything about this?"

"No, but if Weiss is saying this," Ruby said, hugging her sister, "you can trust it's legit. See ya later, Yang, Penny! Don't wait up for me!"

Ruby ran after Weiss and jumped into the back to sit with Chrys. She popped her head off and shook out her hair, hating how matted it became under the helmet. Chrys laugh at her and helped ruffle it out.

"You two buckled up?" Weiss asked, adjusting the mirrors to view her two passengers.

"Oui, Mama," Chrys replied. She tugged on her seatbelt strap and showed it to Weiss as proof. "Ruby is too."

"Yup, all buckled up and ready to go!" Ruby cheered. "Pizza! Pizza! Pizza!" she said, pumping her fists in the air. "Pizza! Pizza! Pizza!

Chrys began chanting too, spurred on by Ruby's childish energy. And together they annoyed the hell out of Weiss.

"Pizza! Pizza! Pizza!"

"Alright, alright, settle down children," Weiss chuckled as she started the car. She shot Ruby a glare that said "look at what you did," but her expression quickly softened to one of fondness when Ruby winked at her.

"Pizza! Pizza! Pizza!" the two children in the back continued to chant.

Weiss shook her head and weakly joined them, "Pizza."

"Wooo!" Ruby and Chrys cheered.

Weiss turned the stereo on and Ruby's favourite My Little Budgie song started playing. Excitement quickly bubbled up within her; she wanted to sing it. But despite how close they were, and all the things she knew about the Adel family—specifically Weiss—Ruby didn't know if singing in the car was a no-no. She'd already stepped on a landmine by dressing up as Poultryman, she didn't want to accidentally trigger any more.

Thankfully, Ruby didn't have to think long because Weiss started singing. And, boy, could she sing. Chrys could sing too, but Ruby was too preoccupied with a "small" issue to truly appreciate the girl's talent.

Stay down, Crescent Rose. Stay down! Ruby crossed her legs to try and hide the evidence, but Poultryman's tight jeans pants didn't leave much to the imagination. God damn it, think of something not sexy. Not sexy. Not se—

"Are you okay, Ruby?" Chrys asked, her innocent voice like a splash of ice cold water.

"Uh," Ruby gulped, "yeah, I just totally forgot to go to the bathroom before we left." Ruby forced a laugh and folded her hands over the slight bulge she was desperately trying to hide. "Had too much soda and now I'm paying for it."

"Ohhh," Chrys giggled completely unaware. "Mama, Ruby has to go to the bathroom! Are we almost there?"

Weiss looked at them through the rear-view mirror with an eyebrow quirked and a teasing smile that did Ruby no favours. "Not yet," she said. "I'd say we're fifteen minutes away. Is it an emergency, Ruby? I can find a place to pull over for you."

"Naw, I'm good."

"If you say so," Weiss replied.

The rest of the car ride was spent making idle chatter between songs. Ruby learned a lot about Chrys in that time frame. The girl was much smarter than your average nine-year-old, and so painfully outgoing, she made Yang look like an introvert—which was saying something because Yang was the definition of sunshine and rainbows in Ruby's book. But it did finally put some context to Weiss' adorable nickname for her. "Little patch of spring" suited her perfectly.

"So let me get this straight," Ruby said, holding a hand up to count, "you're taking swimming, violin, Aikido, and… what was that last one again?"

"Piano," Chrys answered. "I was in figure skating classes before we moved to Vale. Oh and horseback riding… I miss my pony Luns, I wish you could've met her. You'd like her, she's really friendly."

"Er, you have a pony?"

"We have three of them," Chrys said. "Mama has Stardust, and Maman has Big Mackintosh."

"Er," Ruby blinked, unsure of how to respond, so she moved the topic along. "How do you find time to do all those things?"

Chrys shrugged, thinking nothing of it. "I get bored easily."

"It's true," Weiss said. "She used to be this tiny ball of destructive energy until Nicole and I signed her up for literally everything."

"But, like, you still have fun though, right?" Ruby asked.

"Of course! I've made so many new friends in my classes," Chrys exclaimed with the biggest smile Ruby had ever seen.

"My little patch of spring takes after her mother," Weiss grumbled. "A god damn extrovert."

Chrys gasped, her hands flying to her cheeks I shock, "Mama said a bad word!"

"'God damn'?" Ruby hesitantly repeated.

"Extrovert," Chrys whispered like it was the worst word to ever be conceived.

Ruby blinked. "I… what?"

"Mama says the 'e' word is banned because Maman wouldn't stop saying it."

"But," Ruby scratched her head, "alright, I'm not gunna question."

"Yeah, that's the smart choice," Chrys said, patting Ruby's head. "Mama's weird."

"I heard that," Weiss said.

The conversation end there and so did the drive. Weiss pulled into a familiar pizzeria, winking at Ruby when the realization hit her. Chrys bolted out of the SUV but patiently waited for Weiss and Ruby to follow her before running inside.

"She is so energetic," Ruby whispered, holding the door open for Weiss.

Weiss giggled and pulled Ruby inside, leading her along with their hands clasped together. "She is extremely energetic," she said, tugging Ruby closer. "But I'd rather have her bouncing off the walls than be a caged bird dreaming of the world. I don't care how much it costs, if Chrys wants to experience it, she'll get it."

"Weiss," Ruby said, glancing down at their joined hands. She didn't have the chance to savour it though. Weiss let her go and walked up to the hostess keeping Chrys company.

"Hello, table for Adel?" Weiss said, pulling Chrys back from the podium.

"Ah, yes, your party is already here," the hostess said, picking up three menus. She gestured to the door way leading to the dining area and guided them to their table where Ruby thought she saw a familiar flash of orange hair.

Blinking, Ruby squinted to see better. "Nora?"

"Hm?" Weiss said next to her.

"Nora?!" Ruby called. A woman with bright orange hair looked up and around before turning to look back at Ruby. "Nora!"

Nora dropped the pizza she had hanging from her mouth. "Ruby?" she said, getting up.

"Nora!" Ruby cheered.

"Ruby!" Nora shouted back as she ran up to Ruby and tackled her. "What are you doing here?!" she asked, hugging Ruby so hard she lifted her off the ground. "I thought you said you had something to do today?"

"I do," Ruby struggled to say.

"You two know each other?" Weiss asked with the menus in hand and hostess in sight.

"Know each other? Pfft, that's putting it lightly. We've been best friends for years!" Nora answered, swinging Ruby around like a weightless ragdoll. She gave her one last bone crushing hug before dropping her like a sack of potatoes.

Ruby slumped against Weiss, holding onto her for support. "Yup. Best friends… forever."

"Mama…" Chrys tugged on Weiss sleeve, her big blue eyes silently begging to go be with her friends.

"Go ahead, mon coeur," Weiss said, giving Chrys a little push on the back. Chrys gave Weiss a quick little hug and left to greet her friends.

"Wait, so the 'thing' you had to do was Weiss?" Nora asked.

"What?!" both Weiss and Ruby exclaimed.

"I mean, I get it," Nora said, nodding her head, "I'd cancel my birthday party to hangout with her too."

"Wait, wait, wait," Weiss said, "birthday party?"

"Yeah!" Nora said. "Ruby here is officially twenty-one today! Happy birthday, girl. If I knew you were coming, I'd have brought your present."

"T-Thanks," Ruby sheepishly murmured.

"Ruby…" Weiss said, "why didn't you tell me it was your birthday?"

"Eh, it kinda slipped my mind," Ruby said, offering Weiss her elbow as a sign of good faith. "I was actually going to ask if you, Neptune, and Ciel wanted to come, but then you asked me to go trick-or-treating instead, and then—"

Weiss looped her arm around Ruby's elbow and smiled. "Thank you," she said, touching Ruby's hand. "I'll make it up to you."

"Having you here beside me is more than enough, Weiss," Ruby replied, staring deep into Weiss' eyes. It was easy to lose herself in them.

Weiss smiled at her, biting her lip slightly. Ruby gulped, her heart thundering in her chest.

"You two going to keep standing there, or are you gunna c'mere and get some pizza while it's still hot?!" Nora shouted, waving a slice around like a flag. "Hurry before I eat it all!"

Weiss snapped out of her revere quickly and shook her head. She squeezed Ruby's arm, her fingers ghosting over Ruby's bicep. "I can't believe she's a teacher."

"Believe it," Ruby murmured, flexing her arm a little. "But I am starving," Ruby added as they claimed a small table for two. She pulled a chair out for Weiss and pushed it in for her too. "Do we just grab from their table, or do we still order our own?"

"Is there something else you'd like on the menu?" Weiss asked. Ruby flipped through the menu hoping to find something new, but she'd been here so often that she couldn't find anything that piqued her interest. "Don't worry about the price, Ruby, tonight is on me."

"Well, there is something I want… but I don't see it on here," Ruby said with a deep frown.

"And what might that be?"

"You," Ruby purred.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Weiss blurted out, her cheeks bright red.

Ruby snorted out a laugh, "I'm just messin' with you, Weiss!"

Weiss crossed her arms and glared at Ruby. "And if I was on the menu, what would you do?" she asked with a raised eyebrow. "Would you eat me and leave nothing left, or would you stare at me and the price you'd have to pay with a sad dejected frown? There's a little bit of truth behind every joke, Ruby."

"Oh, uh…" Ruby set her menu aside and hung her head in shame. "Sorry," she murmured, "I didn't mean anything bad by it… I was just trying to break the tension."

"Oh, I'm not offended, Ruby," Weiss said, reaching over to ruffle Ruby's hair. "I was legitimately curious what you'd do if I was on the 'menu,' so to speak."

Ruby blinked. They weren't talking about the menu anymore, were they? She looked at Weiss' hand on the table and boldly reached for it. Her heart was hammering away in her chest again. What was going on? What happened to being just friends? What happened to—

Nora dragged a chair to their table along with a whole tray of pepperoni mushroom pizza. Ruby looked at her favourite pie curiously and scooted her chair closer to Weiss. Weiss smiled at her, not all minding that Ruby was in her space.

"So are you two dating?" Nora asked, taking a slice of pizza.

"No, we're just friends," Weiss coolly replied.

"I'm seeing a lot of illicit handholdin' here," Nora teased. "Keep it PG, ladies. We've got kiddos here, and innocent salads that don't need no traumatizin', y'hear?"

"Nora…" Ruby said in warning. Nora stuck her tongue out and Ruby did the same.

Weiss watched them with a curious expression, but she shrugged and casually said "I'm a tactile person" to explain their current predicament. Ruby giggled at that, Weiss wasn't entirely lying. Then again, Ruby didn't even know why they were holding hands. All she knew was that she wanted to touch Weiss.

"Sure, 'tactile,' " Nora said, sounding woefully unconvinced.

"So, Weiss," Ruby said, shifting the conversation. She hid their joined hands beneath the table and rested them on her lap. "What are you going to have?"

"I'll have a slice of what we have here. And maybe one of those salads we can traumatize," she replied. "You?"

"You already know I'm going to demolish this pie," Ruby grinned. "Could we share the salad?"

"Of course, Ruby."

"At least now I know why you asked me to order the pep-mush specifically," Nora said with a snicker. "Seriously though, what are the chances we all knew each other?"

"Well, slim to none," Weiss began. "But you're my daughter's teacher, and Ruby's café is down the street from my office. Me knowing the both of you isn't a stretch, but you two? Now that's a story I'd like to hear."

"Not much to tell," Nora said with her mouth full. Weiss crinkled her nose at the noise Nora made, but she kept her mouth shut—something Nora should've done instead. "Been friends with Yang since middle school. She introduced us, and that's that."

"Fascinating."

Ruby rolled her eyes and gave Weiss' hand a squeeze. "Let's call a server over for some plates and that salad."

"Wooow, way to ignore our amazing backstory," Nora said with a pout.

"You got into a fist fight with my sister and nearly broke your hand doing it," Ruby said.

"We became blood brothers that day!"

"I got called in the office because of you two!"

"We were warriors destined for greatness!"

"Excuse me, waiter?" Weiss shouted over them. "I'd like to order please."

Dinner went as about as well as a pizza party with seven sugar-happy children and five tired adults could go. Chrys introduced Ruby to each of her friends, and Weiss introduced her to the two other parents. They were nice people, but Ruby couldn't remember their names to have her life. She was so distracted by the hand Weiss had on her back that when they greeted her, everything they said went over Ruby's head.

It was strange though. These two people were about a decade older than Weiss, but she blended in with them so seamlessly. They were shaking hands, exchanging pleasantries, and carried on the conversation without a hitch when Ruby fell quiet. It was like visiting another world. They were all so mature; Ruby was humbled by this experience.

Back at their table, Ruby watched Chrys drink some water instead of the bubbling cola next to her. One of the other parents must've ordered it for her without asking because Weiss hadn't done it. Chrys also had a healthy serving of salad on her plate, which was an item missing on all her friends' dishes.

"Wait, has Chrys had any pizza?" Ruby asked.

"She probably had one slice at the start of her meal," Weiss said, her hand casually resting on Ruby's thigh.

"O-Oh…"

"But I should probably check to make sure she isn't being shy. Chryssie," Weiss called.

Chrys hurried to Weiss' side and threw her arms around her. "Yes, Mama?" she said with a big happy smile.

"Is there anything else you want to eat, mon coeur?" Weiss asked, carefully brushing the hair from Chrys' eyes. "I'm not seeing a lot on your plate, baby."

"Non, Mama," Chrys replied. "The salad is just really good."

"I know right?" Ruby grinned.

Weiss crinkled her nose at Ruby and shook her head with a chuckle. "At least I know you're eating your vegetables," Weiss said, giving Ruby a little pat on the head.

"Wow, gee, thanks, Mom," Ruby grumbled. Weiss winked at her and that made Ruby blush, but it was the connotations behind it that confused her.

Weiss switched from flirty potential girlfriend to untouchable mom-mode in an instant. Maybe Weiss was telling the truth. Maybe she was just a "tactile" person and that all the touching was just a sign of "platonic" affection. Was Ruby reading into things she shouldn't? Then what about everything else? Weiss was willing to hold her hand and touch her thigh dangerously close to where Crescent Rose was. Just a few inches higher and she'd have touched something no one but Ruby had ever touched, and that was scary.

Ruby slumped on the table and quietly watched Weiss fuss over Chrys. She was jealous of the girl deep down inside. She was going to grow up remembering her mother's warmth, her smile, her laugh—Ruby blinked back the tears and hid it behind a yawn and a stretch.

"I think I ate too much," she lied. "I'm sooo sleepy."

"You had three slices and some rabbit food," Nora said. "You're getting weak, Rose."

"Bro, what?" Ruby growled.

"Well, I think you both should get some more food while you can," Weiss said, ushering Chrys to go back to her table. "Actually, I could go for another slice. Ruby?"

"Yes, dear?"

"Hand me another slice will you?"

"Anything for you, my love," Ruby chuckled.

Nora rolled her eyes. "God, you two are cheesier than this three cheese pizza."

After everyone had their fill, the parents (whose names still eluded Ruby) approached Weiss, ready to go. Servers came in and cleared the table, leaving takeout boxes and bags for everyone. Weiss quietly paid the bill while Nora helped coordinate who got what. The children were also divided amongst the vehicles with Chrys' two best friends, Heizell and Briar, being the lucky ones to ride in style with her. They also had Ruby transfer their bags from the car they arrived in to the back of Weiss' SUV. Chrys mentioned a sleepover and left it at that.

Now the drive to the rich part of town was livelier than the drive to the pizzeria, so much so that Ruby got a headache from the noise. She ignored the pain though and revelled in the excitement with Chrys and her friends.

Little girls were something else. They talked about so many things in such a short amount of time that it made Ruby's head spin trying to keep up. One moment they were gushing about all the candy they'd get and the next they'd be giggling like fools over some silly schoolyard gossip. Typical so-and-so likes this person—long story short, nine-year-olds were wild, and Ruby was getting old.

This absolute chaos continued until they entered a realm Ruby would never be a part of: the rich side of town.

"We considered buying a house here," Weiss said offhandedly.

Ruby balked. The houses here weren't "houses," they were mansions. Fancy movie style mansions with big pools, large yards, and garages filled with fancy cars.

"Then we met the neighbours," Weiss continued.

"That bad?"

"That bad," Weiss chuckled. "We left Atlas to get away from people like them. But let's be real, I'm lazy and overworked. I don't want to drive an hour just to get to the office. I can barely bother with the fifteen minutes it takes me now."

"Wow," Ruby deadpanned.

Ruby looked out the window again with a deep frown etched on her face. She hated this place. Everything about it screamed money. Even the roads were a testament of the wealth here. They were paved so smoothly it felt like they were gliding over air. It was a far cry from the old, bumpy the roads in front of Ruby's apartment. Oldman Jenkins twisted his ankle crossing the street just the other day. Ruby bet that whoever lived in 11 Everfall Grove would never have to worry about that.

The car they were following pulled over and Weiss did the same, followed by Nora bringing in the rear. All the children filed out and congregated around Chrys, though one impatient little boy strayed from the group and nearly crossed the street. Ruby managed to catch him in time, but he wasn't happy about it. Luckily, Nora was there to set him straight.

"Never leave the group, or cross the road without looking both ways," she said in her strict but loving teacher voice. "Accidents can happen any time, Greiden."

"I'm sorry, Ms. Valkyrie…"

Nora hugged the boy and sent him back to the others.

Now that all the children were rounded together, paired off with Chrys alone in the back, Ruby realized something she should've noticed ages ago. "Chryssie is really tall," she said, nudging Weiss with her shoulder. Weiss gave her a noncommittal hum as she adjusted her hat and mask. "She makes the other kids look totally tiny."

"Tsk, she's going to outgrow me soon, and I am going to be so sad," Weiss said.

"It's okay Weiss, you're tall in my heart."

"And you're an absolute dolt."

Ruby stuck her tongue out at Weiss and popped her chicken head back on. Weiss tipped her fedora at Ruby and winked as she slipped into character and called for Chrys.

"Alright, Commissioner Goldfeather," Weiss said, flaring her cape out, "are you ready to patrol the streets?"

Chrys ran up to Weiss, clicked her heels together, and saluted her. "Yes I am, Caped Cockatoo! Poultryman, I hope we have your cooperation tonight?"

"As you always do, Commissioner," Ruby said. "Do you want to fly and get a bird's eye view of the city?"

Chrys eagerly nodded her head but stopped and looked to Weiss for permission.

"Ruby," Weiss whispered, breaking character, "are you sure it's okay?"

"It's more than alright," Ruby said, flexing her arm. She saw Weiss' eyes widen behind her mask; sweet, sweet payback. "Alright, Commissioner, you ready?"

"Ready!"

Ruby knelt down with her back turned to Chrys. "Get on."

"Ruby, be careful," Weiss said, keeping her hands on Chrys to support her. She didn't need to worry though because Ruby easily hoisted Chrys up like she weighed nothing at all. "Just promise me you'll be careful. She looks small, but…"

"It's okay, Weiss," Ruby said, raising Chrys higher on her back so she could sit more comfortably on Ruby's forearms. "Chryssie's as light as a little birdy. How are you doing up there, Commissioner?"

"Great, thank you, Poultryman!"

"See, Mama? Everything's fine," Ruby said reassuringly. "Back when I used to do ballet, I had to lift people twice her weight and height."

"Well…" Weiss still looked uncomfortable. Ruby could tell through the mask, so she nudged her with the chicken head. "What are you doing?"

"Boopin' you."

"Excuse me, what?"

"It's a 'boop,' " Ruby repeated. "Chryssie, do you know what a 'boop' is?"

"Uh-huh!" Chrys giggled. She tapped her mother on the nose and said, "Boop!"

Weiss took the offending hand and kissed it. "You little rascal," she said, crinkling her nose. Chrys giggled some more and patted Weiss on the head. "You're lucky I love you."

"I love you too, Mama—and Ruby too!"

"Huh?" Ruby blinked.

"You love Mama too right, Ruby?"

Ruby looked at Weiss, grateful that she couldn't peer through the mask and see Ruby's lovesick gaze. "Yeah. Yeah, I do."

"Oh, Ruby," Weiss said with a bashful smile.

"Alright, lovebirds! Let's get a move on!" Nora shouted, drawing everyone's attention to Ruby and Weiss. "We're burning daylight, and I'm sure the kiddos want their candy sometime this century!"

"I am going to end her," Ruby growled.

"Not if I beat you to it," Weiss grumbled.

Walking Chrys and the other children up door to door was a lot more fun than Ruby expected. She even got some candy out it, but with no pockets large enough to hold it all, Ruby was forced to split her loot amongst the actual children. Chrys promised to return everything she gave her as long as she held her hand for the really scary houses. It was an easy enough deal to agree to, except Ruby was more scared than Chrys whenever a homeowner played a Halloween prank on trick-or-treaters. But one house in particular had Ruby especially spooked, spooked enough that she needed to stop and breath.

"You really are a giant chicken, aren't you, Ruby?" Weiss sighed as she held a trembling Ruby close. Chrys looked up at them with a guilty expression. "Chryssie, go with Ms. Valkyrie, I'll take care of Ruby."

"Are you sure, Mama?"

"Yes, mon coeur," Weiss said, pulling one hand away from Ruby to pat Chrys' head. "Now run along, I don't want you missing out on any fun."

Chrys took a hesitant step but backed right up and hugged Ruby's waist as tight as she could. "I'm really sorry, Ruby."

"I-It's okay, kiddo," Ruby said shakily. "It's not your fault. Poultryman's just gunna sit on the curb for a bit." Chrys hugged Ruby one last time before running after Nora and the others. "She's a great kid."

"She is," Weiss said, guiding Ruby to a nearby bench. She helped her sit down and pulled the chicken head off so Ruby could breathe. Weiss smiled and brushed the hair out of Ruby's eyes. "Want to tell me what happened back there?"

"Sorry, I, uh," Ruby wrung her hands together nervously, "the blood looked a little too real, and the guy was missing an arm…"

"Oh Ruby…"

"Yang, she, uh—w-when she lost her arm," Ruby bit her lip, her head hung low to avoid Weiss' eyes, "she was real angry, like, really angry. Yang's always had a bit of a temper but never anything like this. One day, just a couple of weeks after she was discharged from the hospital, I ran home dripping wet because my bully threw me into the pool… I was sore, angry, and frustrated, so I started taking my clothes off in the hallway and threw them on the floor…" Ruby took a shaky breath and Weiss' hand while she was at it. "I forgot Yang was home, but she caught me and saw all the bruises. Yang started yelling, and I started screaming… things got heated. We were hurling insults at each other like they were spit wads, and then I told her to stop pretending to be my mom."

"Ruby…"

Closing her eyes, Ruby sighed. "Yang was so shocked she took a step back… right onto my wet shirt. And then she slipped. Her instinct told her to use her right hand to grab something, but all she ended up doing was slam whatever was left of it against the wall and the end table. She reopened her stitches a-and—there was so much blood, Weiss!" Ruby pinched her eyes shut and willed the tears to stop, but a warm, gentle hand on her cheek drew her attention back to Weiss. The tears fell freely; Ruby felt so ashamed. "I could have really hurt my sister… I could've done some irreparable damage… I could've—"

"Ruby, darling," Weiss whispered, "it was an accident."

"I know it was…"

"Then why are you still blaming yourself?"

"Because I could've—"

"You already made the mistake," Weiss said sternly. "What did you do to fix it?"

"I apologized and helped her stop the bleeding as best as I could and called for an ambulance…"

"What did Yang do about this?"

"She forgave me and apologized for yelling…"

Weiss ran her hand through Ruby's hair and redid the clip holding her bangs back with the utmost care. She then lifted Ruby's chin up and wiped away the tears staining her cheeks.

"You don't have to hold on to these feelings, Ruby."

"I know, but I can't help it… I can't forget."

"We all make mistakes. I've made plenty, but if I let myself wallow in the past, I won't be able to properly look at the present or the future."

"Weiss…" Ruby whispered, leaning in close. She could feel Weiss breath on her lips, and she had a feeling if she kissed her right now, Weiss wouldn't object. But she was wrong because Weiss pulled away and kissed Ruby on the forehead instead. "Wha?"

"We'll talk about whatever this is later," Weiss said.

"When's later?"

"When we aren't within view of your nosy friend and my impressionable nine-year-old," Weiss chuckled, waving at the duo further down the street.

Ruby could see Nora was worried, she knew all about her trauma after all. And Chrys, poor Chrys, was hanging back with her looking like a kicked puppy. Ruby felt awful. She never should've freaked out like that when she promised Chrys she'd keep her safe.

"You have that look on your face again," Weiss said, pressing a finger into the crinkle forming between Ruby's eyebrows. "Chrys is going to be fine. Chase her around a little and she'll be back to normal, good as new. You can't keep a good Aries down."

"She's handling the whole Halloween without her mom thing pretty well."

"Chrys is strong," Weiss said, handing Ruby's helmet back. "She misses Nicole more than words can ever express, but having you here tonight is definitely helping."

Ruby took Weiss' hand and carefully threaded their fingers together. A million and one thoughts ran through her head in that moment, but they all led her to one conclusion: being with Weiss was something Ruby was going to fight for. No more pathetic excuses hidden behind "platonic" friendship. They were going to be together someday, even if it took years for it happen. Weiss and Chrys were worth that wait.

"Later, Ruby," Weiss reminded her. "Just wait a little longer okay?"

"Okay."

After regaining her composure and some hope she'd gotten closer to bridging the gap between her and Weiss, Ruby put her chicken head back on and chased after Chrys. Her and Nora had broken from the rest of the group so they could keep within Weiss' view, and it clearly dampened Chrys' mood, crushing Ruby's guilt-ridden heart further.

"Commissioner!" Ruby shouted as she scooped Chrys up without warning. She screamed in surprise, but started giggling when she saw Weiss hot on their heels. "The Caped Cockatoo has gone rogue!"

"Get back here, Poultryman!" Weiss yelled as she powerwalked towards them. "You won't get away with this!"

"What did you do?!" Chrys shouted so Weiss could hear.

"I threw an egg at her."

"Wha—Caped Cockatoo, help!"

Ruby started jogging to put some distance between herself and Weiss, but the woman was deceptively fast in heels and caught up to them within seconds. She grabbed Ruby by the collar and hugged her from behind.

"Curses, foiled again!" Ruby shouted like a two-bit movie villain.

"I won't let you run away, you fowl dastard!"

The moment the godawful pun slipped from Weiss' mouth, Ruby lost her composure and broke into hysterics. Weiss giggled along with her, Chrys laughed as well, and Nora, who'd been chasing after them, finally broke her silence.

"You guys are so weird," she said in a tired, exasperated tone.

"Maybe we are," Weiss said, tapping Chrys on the nose. "Boop."

After hitting a few more houses and catching up with the rest of the group, the parents all agreed it was time to get going. The sun had set and all the children had bags full of candy, some even had two. Chrys had the least, but just like her mother, she took the loss in stride and kept her cool. Though one kid, a little boy named Donovaughn, took that win and used it to try and impress Weiss. Chrys didn't like this at all, and neither did Ruby. They shared a look and silently agreed to do something about it.

"Mama, I'm hungry," Chrys said with a pout as she clung to Weiss, putting herself between the boy and her mother.

Weiss lifted Chrys' cap and stroked her hair. "We best be going then. Let's go grab Briar and Heizell's things from Mrs. McKnight's car."

"We already did that," Chrys said. "Ruby helped put everything in the car while you were paying."

"So that's where you two went…" Weiss said, piecing the events together. She smiled at Ruby and thanked her.

"No problem at all," Ruby grinned as she slung an arm across Weiss' shoulders. "What are friends for?"

"Best friends," Weiss said with a wink.

And in that second, all Ruby could think about was how badly she wanted to say "we'll see how long that lasts."

---

"Okay girls, what do you want to eat?" Weiss asked. She had changed out of her costume and into a formfitting beige sweater dress that showed off her legs. She looked absolutely gorgeous, but the fuzzy shark slippers she wore took a bit of that edge off.

The three children (plus Ruby) looked up from the positively gargantuan pile of candy and looked at each other, silently mulling over ideas. But eventually all eyes landed on Chrys, their de facto leader, for an answer.

"Tatertots?" she suggested with a shrug.

"Tatertots," the other three echoed.

"Mama, we want tatertots!"

Weiss sighed. "Of course you do."

"Need some help, Weiss?" Ruby asked.

"No, I'll be fine," she replied. "Thank you for the offer though."

While Weiss was busy cooking, Chrys' friends crowded around Ruby, leaving Chrys the odd one out. Heizell and Briar, while generally sweet and kind, had these ominously eager looks on their faces that spelled dread for Ruby in big, bold capital letters.

Ruby gulped.

"Are you and Chryssie's mommy dating?" Heizell whispered the last word like a swear under her breath.

"Wh—no!" Ruby stammered, her eyes darting over to Chrys. "We're just friends."

"But you two look really close," Briar added.

"We're just friends," Ruby firmly repeated.

Briar and Heizell didn't believe her though and continued their pestering, not at all paying attention to Chrys. The girl was looking down at her pile of chocolates with a sombre expression. She picked one up but put it back down and set it aside. She picked another up and flipped it around. She looked somewhat satisfied with it, but she ultimately set it aside as well. The frown on Chrys' face deepened as she repeated this cycle over and over again.

Ruby couldn't take it anymore and got up to sit next to Chrys, ignoring the protests she got from the girls crowding her.

"Hey, kiddo, you okay?" she whispered. Chrys nodded her head. "Well, you don't look okay. Wanna tell me what's on your mind?"

"I don't know which chocolates to give to Maman…" Chrys answered. "I only know a few of these… and she never liked any of them."

"Ah, right… Atlas probably had different candy," Ruby said as she dug through the pile. She ended up picking her personal favourite from and handed it to Chrys with a smile. "You should give her this one."

"Why this one?"

"Hm," Ruby looked up at the ceiling trying to remember why she liked this brand exactly. A blurry memory came to mind of a person so cool Ruby wanted to be just like her when she grew up, but aside from that, nothing concrete. "When I was around your age, I knew someone from Atlas… I don't remember much about her, but she always had some sort of chocolate on her and this was the one she had the most often."

Chrys looked at the chocolate bar and read the label out loud to test it on her tongue. "Okay, this one… and these too," she said, grabbing all the chocolates she set aside.

Chrys walked up to the mantle and put the chocolate as close to her mother's picture a she could, but she wasn't tall enough to reach the highest peak. Ruby got up and offered her some help. When Chrys agreed, Ruby picked her up so she could do it herself.

"Ruby," Weiss called from the kitchen.

"One sec, Weiss!" Ruby said, lifting Chrys a little higher so she could reach easier.

"Is that your other mommy?" Heizell asked Chrys.

"Yeah…" Chrys picked the photograph up with the utmost care and asked Ruby to set her down.

Ruby wordlessly complied and left Chrys with her friends. Standing next to Weiss, Ruby watched Chrys hug the picture and show it to her friends. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but the look on Chrys' face spoke volumes: she was hurting far more than she let on.

"The tatertots are almost done," Weiss said sombrely.

"Cool," Ruby replied, crossing her arms. "Hey, uh, that talk?"

"When they settle in for the night," Weiss said. "Can you wait until then?"

"I can wait" is what Ruby said, but each second she spent waiting for the girls to go to bed was agony. They were up until 10p.m and would have been up for even longer if Weiss hadn't said it was bedtime. The only one who didn't complain was Chrys who immediately fell asleep on the couch, holding her mother's picture like a teddy bear. Weiss wrapped her up in a blanket while Briar and Heizel climbed into their sleeping bags.

"Goodnight," Weiss whispered as she flipped the lights off.

"Goodnight, Mrs. Adel, Ruby," the girls whispered back.

Weiss signalled Ruby to follow her, and like a tail, Ruby did so without complaint. And if she had a tail, Ruby was sure it'd be wagging like mad because Weiss was leading her to the bedroom—wait, the bedroom?!

"Go in, Ruby," Weiss said, holding the door open for her.

"O-Okay," Ruby replied, her voice cracking at the most inopportune time. "Okay," she tried again.

"Don't be so nervous, Ruby," Weiss chuckled as she followed Ruby in. "I won't bite."

Ruby gulped. She wouldn't mind.

Weiss leaned against the door. Something clicked behind her. The lock?

"W-Weiss?"

"Ruby." Weiss took a step forward, her eyes trained on Ruby's like a huntress on the prowl. "Come here."

"W-What about that talk?"

Weiss stood in front of Ruby and trailed her hand up Ruby's tattooed arm, her delicate fingers leaving goosebumps in their wake. She traced the winding stems all the way up until they disappeared beneath Ruby's sleeve. Weiss pouted, sad that she couldn't see anymore.

"W-Weiss?"

Weiss bit her lip as she looked up at Ruby through heavy, half-lidded eyes, the tattoo now completely forgotten. "Ruby."

"T-The t-talk?" Ruby tried to remind her.

Weiss sighed. "I'm done talking, Ruby," she cupped Ruby' cheek, her thumb ghosting over Ruby's bottom lip, "and I think you are too."

"Um…" Ruby gulped, her heart practically beating outside her chest. This was it. This was it! Ruby didn't know what "it" was, but it was happening. "I-I've never kissed anyone before," she said, hazarding a guess.

"That's okay," Weiss smiled, "I can teach you."

"B-But what if I'm bad at it?"

"You'll never know unless you try," Weiss said as she inched closer and closer before finally closing the gap.

Ruby's first kiss was everything she dreamed it would be. It started out innocent, like a playground kiss hidden behind the slide. Weiss' lips were so soft, and she tasted heavily—strawberry lip-gloss, how did she know? And her breath, whenever they briefly parted, sent chills running up and down Ruby's spine. It couldn't get better than this.

The tip of Weiss' tongue glided over Ruby's bottom lip, sending a new wave of excitement coursing through Ruby's body.

She was wrong, it got better. It definitely got better.

Ruby groaned in reaction but didn't do anything to follow it up. She didn't know what to do. This was her first time. Did she lick her back or what? So Ruby stuck with what she knew, what she was satisfied with, but that wasn't enough for Weiss. She wanted more, and Ruby did too, but she was so lost in the new sensations that she almost missed the quiet little grumble Weiss made—almost.

"Ruby," Weiss said, pulling away just far enough to look Ruby in the eye, "I'm going to try something—feel free to stop me though, okay?"

Ruby blinked and dumbly nodded, eager to get back to kissing.

Weiss didn't disappoint. She threaded her fingers through Ruby's hair, scratching her scalp in just the right place to illicit an open mouthed moan. Weiss slipped her tongue in and touched the tip of Ruby's, surprising her enough to gasp. Weiss didn't hesitate. She grabbed Ruby the shirt and brought her down, initiating Ruby's first adult kiss.

The results were immediate. Ruby melted in Weiss' hands like putty. She didn't know what she was doing—with her mouth or her hands—but she was learning and Weiss was an amazing teacher.

"Touch me," Weiss whispered huskily. Ruby complied, lifting her hands from Weiss' hips to roam up her back. "Don't hesitate."

The words were like electricity. They jumpstarted Ruby's imagination, adding fresh fuel to the fantasies that plagued her thoughts. She'd remember this day forever.

"Touch me, Ruby," Weiss pleaded, her nails digging into Ruby's back desperately.

Ruby groaned in pleasure as she embraced Weiss fully, holding her flush against her until the only thing separating them were their clothes. Weiss moaned at the sudden forcefulness, lifting her leg up to caress Ruby's inner thigh.

"Just like that," Weiss whispered huskily.

Ruby could feel herself getting hard. She prayed to god that Weiss didn't notice, but when the back of her knees hit the edge of Weiss' bed and they both fell on top of it, Ruby realized that Weiss didn't care. She wanted her just as badly as Ruby did and that was so sexy Ruby was at a loss for words. Her fantasies were never this vivid or explicit, but she was glad for that. Nothing should ever compare to this.

Weiss climbed on top of Ruby, her long white hair falling over her shoulders like a curtain. She traced the outline of Ruby's jaw with a finger, her smile widening as Ruby squirmed helplessly beneath her.

"Weiss," Ruby groaned as she crawled on her back to lie on the bed fully. Weiss followed her on all fours, maintaining eye contact the whole way. "Um…"

When Ruby's head hit the headboard, Weiss leaned down and said, "it's okay." She sat upright and pushed her hair back, biting her lip as she took Ruby's hands and placed them on her waist. "It's okay to touch me, Ruby."

Ruby gulped. She pulled her hands away like Weiss was made of fire and propped herself up against the headboard. Her heart was racing, and her blood roared in her ears. It was now or never.

"Weiss," she whispered as she boldly cupped Weiss' face. She took a moment to appreciate how small Weiss was in her hands, so sweet and delicate like a princess from a fairy-tale. Ruby swallowed the lump in her throat as her thumb caressed the scar marring Weiss' cheek with the utmost care. "Does this mean you like me too?"

Weiss smiled and kissed her. "Does that answer your question?"

"I don't know," Ruby said, taking the opportunity to thread her fingers through Weiss' hair. It flowed through her fingers like fine threads of silk. How could anyone be this beautiful? "I think I need a little more clarification."

"Clarification? I can do that."

They came together again in a slow but heated kiss, and this time, Ruby wasn't afraid to let her hands wander. She ran her hands up Weiss' thighs, blushing whenever she felt them tense and squeeze around her.

The sweater dress Weiss wore was beginning to ride up and Ruby could feel the warmth of her skin on her hands. Weiss was so hot, she was burning like a fire—beautiful and mesmerizing but so devastating all at the same time. She was driving Ruby mad with a need she'd never felt before. Each sigh and caress was like a siren's song, beckoning for Ruby to delve into the unknown.

The strain in her pants was starting to hurt. But it was that uncomfortable pain that made Ruby realized Weiss was sitting a few centimetres away from Crescent Rose. She blushed at the sight.

Weiss broke the kiss and took Ruby's hands again. She smirked, no doubt at the stupefied expression on Ruby's face. "You are so adorable," she said as she pressed Ruby's hands flat against her body, slowly guiding them up higher and higher until they were on her breasts. Ruby gulped and tensed her fingers. Weiss moaned, her chest rising as she breathed in deep. "Go ahead."

Ruby gulped again and obediently did as she was told. Weiss grinded against the hard bulge waiting beneath Ruby's jeans, earning her a deep, throaty moan. Why did this feel so good? How?

"Weiss…" Ruby hissed, struggling to maintain her self-control.

Weiss leaned in and kissed her, running a hand down from Ruby's tense jaw, over the swell of her breasts, and finally her belt. She undid the clasp like a seasoned veteran, wasting no time to reach her prize. The button and zipper were no match for her deft hands either and quickly met the same fate.

"You're so hard, Ruby," Weiss whispered in her ear. "And all because of me, I'm flattered."

Ruby's eyes shot out of their sockets when she felt Weiss' fingers tease her underwear's waistband. "W-Weiss! Please, um, stop—c-can we stop, please?"

Weiss immediately stopped and cocked her head to the left with questions clear in her eyes. "Isn't this what you wanted?" she asked, brushing her hair back into place.

"No! I mean, yes—but no—ugh!" Ruby groaned and mussed with her hair frustration. "Weiss, I really, really, really like you, and you're so hot I've dreamed about doing this with you almost every night since we met—and as much as I like going fast, this is way too fast!"

Weiss frowned. "How so?"

"I wanna do things right with you," Ruby explained, gesticulating wildly with her hands. "I wanna do all the mushy stuff like going on cute little dates, holding your hand all secret like, and maybe sneaking a few kisses in the movie theatre where no one's watching."

"Wow, you really are a virgin," Weiss laughed.

"Weiss! I'm being serious!" Ruby shouted. "Being a virgin has nothing to do with this!" Weiss quirked an eyebrow. "Okay, maybe it does a little, but my point still stands!"

"Something's standing alright, and it's a little larger than just a 'point.' "

"Oh my god!" Ruby scrambled to zip up her jeans and hide her obvious arousal. "Kill me now."

"I was offering a you a chance at a 'little death' a few seconds ago."

"I don't know what that means!" Ruby cried.

"It means an orgasm, you dolt."

"Oh my god, Weiss! What the hell happened to you?!"

"What do you mean?" Weiss asked as she climbed off Ruby and the bed entirely. She stretched her arms and languidly walked to her mirror to fix her hair and her dress.

"I don't know, but this isn't you," Ruby pouted. She willed herself not to look at Weiss' legs but the memory of having them wrapped around her and the impossible heat she felt between them made Crescent Rose stiffen again.

"What do you mean 'this isn't you'?" Weiss asked sounding a little offended.

"Like the whole seduction eyes thing? Where did that come from?"

Weiss gave Ruby a pointed look. "I've been married for over nine years, Ruby. I've probably had more sex than most of your friends combined."

"Oh god, please don't phrase it like that! You make it sound like they're all doing it together!"

"Ruby, you need to keep it down," Weiss hissed in warning.

"Shit! Sorry, I totally forgot," Ruby winced.

"Look, Ruby, I've never done the whole…" Weiss tapped her chin in thought, her face contorting with displeasure, "I've never dated before."

"But you and Coco?"

"Were barely more than friends with benefits," Weiss said. "I was fourteen the first time I slept with her. And all she did was buy me dinner at a restaurant we both hated. You," Weiss sighed, shyly brushing her hair behind her ear, "you've done that and so much more."

"Well, technically, you bought me dinner."

"Semantics," Weiss laughed as sat beside Ruby. "My point is, you've done a lot for me, Ruby. You put up with me being a complete idiot, and suffered through me saying we'd never be more than friends… I just thought, with it being your birthday and all, that this could be a good way to make up for it."

"Weiss…" Ruby kissed Weiss' cheek and nuzzled her with her nose, "spending Halloween with you Chrys has been the best birthday I've had in ages. Me and my friends host a party every time, but this year I got to do something special. I got to be with you and your daughter and be a part of your family. Even if it is just for the night, I got to be part of your world… and that means so much to me."

"Ruby…"

"Call me cliché, but I really do want to take things slow. I want to learn more about you and fall in love with you before we take that step," Ruby said. "Can we do that?"

"I… don't know if I can wait that long, Ruby."

"Oh…"

"Because I am so physically attracted to you it's literally taking everything I have to not pin you down and fuck you right this moment."

"Weiss!"

Weiss laughed at Ruby and kissed her. "Darling, I'm Atlesian. We are the world's most stereotypically promiscuous people, yet somehow we're also the most conservative—it's a strange duality you'll have to learn to adjust to."

"I'm still super shocked," Ruby grumbled, wrapping her arms around Weiss' waist. "My whole image of you is crumbling."

"How so?" Weiss asked as she got comfortable against Ruby.

"Well, I kind of thought you'd be a prude."

"Ruby, need I remind you that I got pregnant at fifteen?"

"Doesn't mean you can't be a prude," Ruby said. "Like, you've got this whole prim and proper thing going on—and don't be mad at Yang, but she said you've got a stick up ass."

"I don't do anal."

"Oh my god…"

Weiss laughed at her some more, but Ruby put a swift stop to it when she pulled at Weiss' cheeks.

"Ow, ow, ow!" Weiss yelped. Ruby let her go with a glare. "What was that for?"

"For being all pervy," Ruby said, watching with satisfaction as Weiss rubbed her sore cheeks.

"Look, you left yourself wide open for that," Weiss said. "And I am an opportunistic woman. I saw my chance and I took it. It's a lesson you should learn too."

"'How so?' " Ruby said, mimicking Weiss.

Weiss raised an eyebrow at her. "I can see you're still hard."

"Stop staring at it," Ruby grumbled. "It'll go down soon."

"Yes, but I can help," Weiss continued.

"Huh?"

"I'm offering you a blowjob—or a handjob, whichever you'd prefer."

"W-What?" Ruby gulped.

"It's still your birthday and—"

"Weiss, no," Ruby said, putting a little distance between herself and Weiss. "I already said no, and I'd like you to respect that. I'm not ready to do that sorta thing yet."

"Ruby, I'm sorry…"

"It's okay… just cool it, okay?" Ruby said. Weiss looked down at the bed with a thoughtful expression and a small, sad smile. When she looked up at Ruby, she had tears in her eyes. "Huh? Weiss, what's wrong? I'm sorry, I—" Ruby scrambled to close the gap between them pulled Weiss backcinto her arms where she belonged. "I'm sorry, that was mean. I should have worded things better. Like, I think you're super hot, and I really want to do it with you, but—"

"No, Ruby," Weiss said, embracing her, "that's not why. I'm just… so relieved."

"Huh?"

"All my life I've been viewed as a sexual object," Weiss said. "But you, you're different. Even though I practically threw myself at you, you still said no…"

"Well, yeah," Ruby shrugged. "I wanna be your girlfriend, Weiss. I wanna be with you. But I can't do that if all we are is friends who hook up."

"I… want to be with you too."

"Good. Great! Um," Ruby licked her lips. "But what would've happened if I said yes? Just hypothetically speaking."

Weiss smiled. "I would've slept with you."

"Okay, and?"

"There is no 'and' here, Ruby. I would've slept with you, plain and simple."

"No caveat? No 'I'm disappointed you didn't say no,' or 'I'm not going to call you anymore'?"

"None of that," Weiss chuckled.

"So… we'd still be able to go on that date?"

"You'd have to ask me first, but yes. We would still be able to go on that date even if we did hypothetically have sex tonight."

"Did I just royally mess up?"

"No, Ruby, you did the right thing," Weiss said, giving Ruby another grateful kiss. "Plus, it's a good thing you stopped me because I just realized I don't have any protection."

"Huh, like a sword?"

"I have one of those under my bed right now," Weiss said with all seriousness. "I'm talking about condoms, Ruby. I don't have any, and even if I did, the ones I would have had to buy wouldn't fit you."

"I am not that small!"

"No, I can tell," Weiss chuckled. "I'm actually relieved you're average."

"What does that mean?" Ruby pouted. "Was Coco hung like a horse or something?" Weiss winced. "She was, wasn't she!" Weiss averted her gaze next. "C'mon, Weiss! Don't leave me hanging here, answer me!"

"Ruby, this is a rather intimate conversation, don't you think?"

"Er, right, but we almost did it, so we've got to be super close, right?"

"Keyword: almost."

"So, like, if we did do it… would you be disappointed?" Ruby asked.

"Ruby, I'm disappointed that we didn't have sex," Weiss clarified. "Size doesn't matter. I'm sure that when we get to that point, I'll be more than satisfied with you."

"'When'?" Ruby grinned.

"Yes, 'when.' " Weiss cupped Ruby face and pulled her in for a brief kiss. "Now, about this date you're so adamant on taking me on. When will it be, soon I hope?"

"Um," Ruby licked her lips, "are you free sometime next Friday?"

"Next Friday? You're… going to make me wait for more than a week?"

"No, no, no—wait, yeah." Ruby blushed. "Um, there's this thing at the pier, happens every year. I was going to ask you either way to, y'know, hangout—platonically—but now I guess I'm asking you to go with me as a date-date… we can take Chrys too if you want?"

"I am not bringing my daughter on our first date.

"Right. Cool."

"So, going back to the point, we really can't find an excuse to see each other any sooner than that?" Weiss asked, toying with the collar of Ruby's shirt. "Because I can think of a few reasons why we should speed things along."

"Nope, nope, nope!" Ruby said, plucking Weiss' fingers off her. "You are making this so hard, Weiss."

"I know I am," Weiss grinned.

"Ugh, I take it back. You aren't quiet or reserved, you're pretty wild, Weiss," Ruby said. "I think I just came up with the perfect name for you."

"Oh?"

"Yeah," Ruby said, kissing the tip of Weiss' nose. "'Wild thing,' it definitely suits you."

"Hm," Weiss ran her fingers Ruby's hair as she mulled over the nickname. "Wild thing," she said, testing it out on her tongue. "Creative."

"Mm," Ruby nodded. "So next Friday?"

"Next Friday."

"It's a date, like an actual date-date and not that friend-date stuff."

"Yes, Ruby, it's a 'date-date.' "

"Cool. And, Weiss?"

"Hm?"

"One last question… you never intended for me to go home tonight did you?"

"No," Weiss answered plainly. "I wanted you to spend the night with me."

"Huh…" Ruby blinked. "T-These clothes aren't all that comfortable to sleep in."

"You wouldn't have needed them."

Ruby gulped. "I-I think it's about time I go home then."

"I suppose you should."

"Yang'll be worried about me…" Ruby whispered, her eyes drifted down to Weiss' pale pink lips. "A-And the buses only run so late."

Weiss licked her lips. "I'd offer to drive you, but I can't leave the girls unattended…"

"R-Right…"

"And I really don't like the idea of you riding the bus alone at this hour," Weiss added, looping her arms around Ruby's neck. "Take a taxi home, Ruby."

"Only got enough for bus fare."

"I'll pay."

"I can't let you do that, Weiss," Ruby said, pushing Weiss onto her back.

"And why not?" Weiss asked with a smile. Ruby couldn't think of a proper excuse and groaned, making Weiss laugh. "Ruby, it's okay."

"Alright…"

"But," Weiss said, "taxis at this hour take so long… especially in the downtown area."

"Y-Yeah?"

"Why don't you stay for a little while longer," Weiss suggested, running her hand down Ruby's spine.

Ruby shivered and nodded. "A little longer won't hurt… j-just until midnight."

"Hurry up and kiss me, Ruby."

"And people say I'm impa—"

---

Ruby got home a little past 3a.m. She could hear the TV through the door, meaning Yang was either asleep on the couch or up way past her bedtime. When she opened the door, Ruby was relieved to see it was the latter.

She greeted her sister tiredly and dropped in front of her, wrapping her arms around Yang's neck.

"What's this for?" Yang chuckled as she returned the hug.

"Nothing," Ruby murmured, "just missed you."

"I miss you too, and so did Penny," Yang said, patting Ruby's back. "Hope you don't mind, but she's sleeping in your bed."

"Oh…"

"That doesn't sound good. Something up? And…" Yang held Ruby an arms length away and squinted. "Is that a hickey on your neck?"

"Uh," Ruby gulped, "yeah. Got a few of them I think in some other places, I think."

"Holy shit, did you go on a date with a vampire?!"

"No, but I did sorta almost lose my virginity tonight," Ruby awkwardly chuckled.

"Holy shit."

"Y-Yeah… um," Ruby laid on the floor and stared up at the ceiling, her hands resting over her chest. She could feel her heart beating fast and her stomach twist into knots. "I almost slept with Weiss," she whispered. "I stopped her though because I was scared of what would happen after… we're going on a date-date next week. To the pier. And, um… Yang, how do you know you're ready to do things?"

"What do you mean?"

"How do you know you're ready to do it?" Ruby clarified. "Because Weiss said she was ready to tonight, and that she really didn't want to wait, but she'd wait for me to feel more comfortable. So how do I know I'm ready?"

Yang lied on her back and hummed. "You don't," she said plainly. "All you can do is wait and see. It's different for everyone. Weiss has experience, so she probably doesn't have the same jitters as you… but if she likes you half as much as I think she does, then she was probably just as nervous or more, since she was probably taking the reigns."

"Should I have just done it then?"

"I think the decision you made was the right one," Yang replied. "If you were ready without a doubt, you wouldn't be lying here talking to me about it."

"I guess…"

"Be good to her, Rubyn," Yang whispered sleepily. "She seems like a good woman. She sorta reminds me of Mom actually."

"She does?"

"Yeah…" Yang yawned, "she… she really… loves her kid."

"Mhm," Ruby nodded. "Hey, Yang?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

"I love you too, Ruby."

---

And this is why we have an M rating.

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