Chapter Twelve: Steal the Night

"No, you're shitting me—I can't!" Neptune got up, walked to the fridge, and poured himself a glass of water. But when he got back, he slid it towards Weiss with a smile that put her on edge.

"Thanks, but I'm not thirsty," she said, pushing it back.

"Girl, I beg to differ." Neptune nudged the glass with his finger. "You pounced on that poor girl like a god damn cougar! Me—OW! What the fuck was that for you colossal white bitch?!"

Weiss smirked at the sight of her best friend hunched over the table in pain. He was writhing, wincing, and whimpering, rubbing his shin where Weiss' pointed toe shoe hit him.

"God damn it, Weiss, why'd you kick me?!"

"Because you're being a pain, Nep," she replied, propping her chin in her palm.

"So you kick me?!"

"Oui."

Neptune grumbled some unsavoury words in Atlesian making Weiss smile even wider.

"For real though, when I said you should go for it, I didn't expect you to go for it."

"I couldn't help it," Weiss groaned, her head hitting the table with a soft thud. She was still beating herself up for her mistake days later. "She was so cute and, Nep, she had abs. And her arms—that tattoo—fuck, I wanted her so bad."

"This is hilarious!"

"No it isn't."

"Yes, it is," Neptune snickered. "Weiss Adel, the sexiest bitch I know, can't get laid. Oh man, if the office hears about this—"

"Don't you dare, Neptune!"

"I won't, I won't," Neptune said reassuringly, his hands held up in surrender. "I still can't believe this happened. And kudos to Ruby for saying no to your sexy, tight ass."

"Well," Weiss blushed, "we weren't completely innocent that night…"

Neptune gasped, scandalized like a nun discovering porn. "Did you see it? How big was she?" he asked, taking Weiss' hands to plead for details. "Gurl, I need you to spill the tea!"

"No. I don't know. And there is no 'tea' to be spilled," Weiss growled. "We kissed, and I may have gotten to take her shirt off."

"'May have'? Weiss, I know you. There is no 'may' here," Neptune said with a knowing look. "You got her shirt off," he restated, smiling at her politely. "And then what?"

"And then nothing," Weiss said, ripping her hands away from Neptune. "I called her a cab and she went home."

"Aw, that's lame," Neptune pouted. "So what did you call me in for—other than to see my beautiful face so early in the morning?"

"I need a favour, Nep."

"Anything for you, darling."

"Can you watch Chrys for the evening this Friday?" Weiss asked. "Just for a few hours."

"I can watch her for the whole night if you want to try riding Ruby's dick again."

"N-No, no, nothing like that…" Weiss said with a heavy blush, hating how blunt Neptune was. "We're taking it 'slow.' "

"'Slow'? You?" Neptune snorted. "Now that's funny."

"I know." Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose. "How did I end up with the one coed with class?"

"All coeds have class, Weiss. They're students."

"I absolutely hate you sometimes."

"Tell me something I don't know, Weiss," Neptune chuckled. "But good luck, love."

"Thanks, Nep."

Weiss spent the rest of the week worrying about her date. Date. The word sounded so foreign on her tongue. But she, Weiss Adel, was going on a date. An actual date. With someone that liked her. Like, really liked her—take her out and buy her flowers sort of like. Weiss didn't know how to feel about that. Excited? Nervous? A dangerous mix of both? Probably the latter plus a healthy dose of dread to make things worse. But Weiss was a strong woman. She wasn't going to let one little date throw her off.

Except it did.

"What am I going to do?" she asked her reflection. "What am I going to wear?!"

Weiss began pacing back and forth again, like a caged animal, angry and hungry for a meal just beyond its reach.

She had the perfect sexy outfit prepared days in advance, but a freak storm blew in on Wednesday and covered Vale under a thick blanket of snow. The city worked tirelessly to clear it all, but the roads were icy from the excess runoff. And they were going to the pier of all places! Cold winds blowing in from the sea, invisible death patches on the ground—Weiss was screwed, all her shoes were heels. She was going slip, break her neck, and ruin Ruby's night.

Weiss came to a stop at the foot of her vanity and crinkled her nose, tapping the surface twice. She looked at the dress she had laid out on her bed and the shoes she chose to go with it and grumbled a few choice words under her breath. She was going to have to wear a coat over it to keep herself from freezing, which was a shame because Ruby would only see the dress for an hour at most when they sat down for dinner. Well, there was after the date, and Neptune did say he could take Chrys for the night…

"No, Weiss, you are taking things slow for once," she told herself sternly, but her reflection didn't look the least bit convinced. Weiss wasn't either, but she was trying. Or at least she was doing her damnedest to look like she was.

Dressed in her sexiest lacy black and red lingerie, Weiss was out to hunt, not play nice. She wanted Ruby naked and in her bed as soon as possible, and this stupid, paper thin black dress was supposed to help her do it. But that plan was ruined and it was all thanks to Nature's wrath—that stupid hormonal bitch. The only coat Weiss had that was warm enough for this godawful weather was down to her upper thighs and all black with a thick faux fur collar. She was going to end up looking like a high fashion villain from a spy movie.

But all her grumbling aside, Weiss knew without a doubt that she'd still look amazing. She was going to walk up to Ruby and wow her socks off—and everything else too if she was lucky.

"No, no, no!" Weiss violently shook her head. "Restrain yourself, Weiss. Ruby doesn't want to rush. Respect that."

After checking the weather forecast and learning it was only -1, Weiss' mood decidedly shifted for the better. The night wasn't completely ruined after all. Huzzah.

She slipped on her dress and checked herself in the mirror, running her hands over her curves to make sure everything was in place. She was happy with the way she looked and decided to do her hair up to give Ruby a good view of her neck; the girl had attached herself to Weiss' neck like a leech once she got comfortable. Thank god Ruby had some self-restraint because Weiss didn't know how she'd explain a hickey that big.

With her hair done up in a nice tight bun, with an army of pins holding together, Weiss stared at her bare lips and wondered which lipstick to use. The choice was easy though, Weiss was upset she even wasted time thinking about it, but the only option was Ruby Red. Weiss pulled the tube from her collection and carefully applied it. With her pale complexion and conservative use of makeup, the red lipstick popped like a bright neon sign. Hopefully it said "Kiss me you dolt," but often times people told her she made them feel like they were making a deal with the devil.

"You're beautiful, Blue."

Weiss' smile faded as her eyes grew wide. The lipstick hit the table and rolled off the edge. What was she doing? This wasn't right. She—

"No!" Weiss shouted, slamming her fists down hard. She winced in pain but bit back the tears and stared herself down. Her reflection glared back at her with the same baleful scorn, the scar on her face as clear as day. "I will not second guess myself," she said, breathing heavily. "I will not let the past dictate my life any longer!"

Weiss' reflection smiled back her and the tension she felt on her shoulders faded.

"Focus on today, Weiss," she told herself as she picked the lipstick up from the floor the capped it. She put it in her purse and checked the time on her scroll while she was it. She still had plenty of time before she was supposed to pick Ruby up, but it wouldn't hurt to be early.

When Weiss arrived at Ruby's apartment, she didn't expect her date to be waiting outside for her. Ruby was dressed casually in a thick red jacket, faded black skinny jeans, wheat coloured work boots, and a knitted black visor beanie.

Weiss tightened her grip around the steering wheel and swallowed hard. That hat… Coco had a hat just like that back when she was a teenager. Weiss remembered it clearly because it had been one of the few gifts she'd given Coco back when they were "dating."

Ruby looked up from her scroll and squinted at the car curiously. She looked wary and backed up on the steps a little. Weiss chuckled and pushed the obtrusive memory aside. She had a woman to charm and woo.

Stepping out of the car, Weiss folded her arms on the roof and smiled. She waved and watched with glee as Ruby's face changed from surprise to bewilderment and finally—

"HOLY SHIT, WEISS!" Ruby scream as she raced up to the car and fawned over it like a baby. "IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL!" She hovered her hands over the sleek red body, showing it the same restraint she showed Weiss. "Oh my god, I've only seen these in commercials and magazines… I-I think I'm going to cry."

"I'm a little offended you'd greet my car before greeting me," Weiss said as she rounded the vehicle to stand next to Ruby. "Do you have any choice words for me? 'Hello' for example?"

Ruby gulped, her eyes glued to the car. She had a heavy blush on her face, and her eyes were wide and skittish like rabbits. "Um…"

"Well?" Weiss asked, sitting on the hood with her legs crossed. Ruby shyly peeked at her from the corner of her eye. "You had no problem telling me how pretty I looked before," Weiss said with a flirty smile, uncrossing and recrossing her legs.

"W-Weiss, I…" Ruby gulped again and ripped the hat from her head to run a hand through her hair. "You're… breathtaking."

"Care to say that to my face and not to my car?"

"Um…" Ruby nervously looked at Weiss, her lips a thin, unmoving line. She shifted on her feet uncomfortably, and ground the toe of her boot into the snow.

"I think you look quite dashing today," Weiss said with mild frustration lacing her voice.

"W-Weiss… you…" Ruby gulped and licked her lips, eyes darting away to the ground, searching for an answer. "You're so beautiful… and, um…"

"Ruby," Weiss said, patting the spot next to her. "You've seen my in my underwear," she said when Ruby sat down, "I think you can handle talking to me fully clothed."

"We didn't do much talking then…"

"If this is how you're going to act for the rest of the evening, then I should just go home right now," Weiss said, her frustration hitting a new peak. She clicked her tongue in disappointment. This wasn't how she expected the start of her first date with Ruby to go. "I should go," Weiss said, crossing her arms. "We're clearly not ready for this." But that seemed to do the trick because Ruby's fearful eyes shot up to meet hers. "Ah, there you are."

"I'm sorry, Weiss… I'm really nervous."

"So I see…"

"Can I get a do over?" Ruby asked hopefully.

"You get one chance, Ruby Rose. Make it good." Weiss uncrossed her arms but remained on guard, ready to leave at a moments notice if needed. "I mean it. Really sell it to me, Ruby."

"You're right, you're right." Ruby breathed out a sigh of relief and smiled. "You're absolutely breathtaking, Weiss. I'm sorry I didn't contact you much this week, I got swamped with work and school."

"Much better," Weiss happily said, kissing Ruby's cheek. "And it's alright, I figured as much."

Ruby touched the place where Weiss kissed her and blushed, the timid little smile she had growing wide and goofy. Weiss felt warm and light; she was at peace.

"Hehe, this is so unreal," Ruby grinned with her eyes closed. She looked so carefree to Weiss even though she knew for a fact Ruby carried a burden most would crumble under. "I still can't believe you're here. With me. Like, am I dreaming? This is real, right?"

"I believe that's my line, Ruby," Weiss said, smiling back at her. She brushed Ruby's hair affectionately, feeling that burgeoning warmth from before grow alongside the steadily rising tempo in her chest. "I'm the lucky one here," she added in a quieter tone.

"Can't we both say we're lucky?" Ruby asked innocently. "Because I'm starting to think this is destiny."

"I don't believe in destiny," Weiss replied. "But I do believe we were meant to be friends."

"Or more," Ruby said, quickly correcting Weiss.

"Or more," Weiss repeated without a fight. "But I do believe in one other thing." Ruby tilted her head curiously, her bright silver eyes so full of love and joy that Weiss momentarily forgot what she was going to say.

"What's the thing?"

Weiss blinked. It was her turn to blush and gulp after being put under the spotlight. Ruby nudged her with a knee, silently encouraging her.

"Well?"

"I believe the breathtaking one here is you and that smile of yours," Weiss answered, shyly nudging Ruby back.

Ruby's face burned a bright red as she threw her hat back on and pulled it over her eyes, hiding beneath it like a terrified turtle. She mumbled a few things Weiss couldn't quite catch, but the words "not fair" were loud and clear.

"Ruby, do you have your license?" Weiss asked.

"Mm, yeah, why?" Ruby replied, pushing her back to hit on her head normally. Weiss took Ruby's hand and dropped her car fob into like it was spare change. "Um, are you for real?" Ruby asked, inspecting the keyless device carefully. Weiss kissed her cheek and patted her thigh, hoping the smile would be enough of an answer. Ruby's eyes slowly widened. "You're for real… Weiss, I… oh my god, I can't believe you're letting me drive your really, really, really expensive car—why would you do that?"

"Because I'm trying to woo you," Weiss replied with a girlish giggle. "Is it working?"

Ruby excitedly leaned in but hesitated in the last second, wondering where she could kiss Weiss. She shifted between each cheek and Weiss' forehead but not her lips. The insecurity and confusion were written all over Ruby's face. It was cute and endearing, but Weiss was impatient so she cupped Ruby's face so she couldn't get away and kissed her on the lips.

Ruby didn't expect Weiss to make the first move. Why she was so surprised perplexed Weiss, since everything they've experienced thus far had been because of her. It was cute though. Really. Weiss was genuinely enjoying this so called "puppy love," or whatever people call a mutual attraction that doesn't immediately begin with copulation. It was something new. Weiss liked new, especially when it was shiny and expensive.

Ruby's worth the wait, Weiss stubbornly reminded herself.

The kiss was short and sweet, but it was perfect. When they separated, they kept their eyes closed, and Ruby touched her forehead to Weiss'. They stayed like that for a moment, their hands joined over Ruby's lap.

"I missed you, Weiss," Ruby whispered as she laid a tentative kiss over Weiss' left eye. "I know I texted you every night and morning, but I didn't do much after that. I'm real sorry, but you gotta know that I was thinking about you all the time."

"I know, it's okay," Weiss said. "I was thinking about you too."

Ruby hummed, "You wanna get going?"

"Aren't we too early for the reservations you made?" Weiss asked, nuzzling her nose against Ruby's. "I think I could stay like this forever."

"I could too," Ruby chuckled. "But I have the dangly thing to a fancy luxury sedan and the world's most beautiful girl beside me, I wanna take her out for a cruise."

"Let's go then."

Ruby carefully slid off the car and helped Weiss off it too, reminding her to watch for the curb and the ice clinging to it. As gentlemanly as the gesture was, Weiss knew Ruby was using it as an excuse to hold her hand. Ruby also held the car door open for her and helped her inside.

"You are entirely too cute," Weiss said when Ruby slipped into the driver's seat.

"I get that a lot, but from you, it's almost too much for praise." Ruby carefully went about adjusting the seat and the wheel. There was a nervous energy about her as she fiddled with everything, earning her a genuine laugh from Weiss. "What?" Ruby pouted.

"Nothing, you're just cute," Weiss said. "Like a child getting to play with a new toy."

"'New toy'? Weiss, are you kidding me right now?" Ruby said, returning the car fob back to Weiss. "This is a Vexus LC!"

"Yes, and?" Weiss chuckled. "It's the cheapest car I own."

"Ch-Ch…" Ruby's mouth dropped.

"This is going to take some getting used to for you, isn't it?"

Ruby nodded her head. "That's an understatement."

"I'm sorry… I just…" Weiss sighed, "I wanted to impress you a little. I can't bring Sweetie Belle out in this weather, and the SUV is a little tricky to drive."

"Weiss, you impress me just by existing," Ruby said, taking Weiss' hand. "You don't gotta flex your cash to get me hooked on you."

"You're right, as you usually are, but there is another reason why I chose this car for tonight."

"Oh?"

"Do you want to know what made me fall in love with it?" Weiss asked with a coy little smile.

"The sexy black leather interior?" Then after a brief pause, Ruby added, "Or is it the cute girl you have sitting in the driver's seat?"

"No, but the second one is making me love it even more."

Ruby winked at Weiss. "Nailed it."

"No, I haven't, not yet at least," Weiss teased. She laughed out loud when Ruby blushed for the umpteenth time this evening. "Sorry, you left yourself wide open for that one."

"You're worse than Yang," Ruby grumbled with an annoyed pout.

"I'm sorry," Weiss said, kissing Ruby on the cheek as an apology. "And to prove it, I'm going to let you press the big red button. Go ahead."

Ruby's pout changed to a big child-like grin as she pushed the "Start/Stop Engine" button. The car immediately roared to life and silently purred as the LED dashboard lit up. But Ruby was so preoccupied by the panels in front of her that she didn't notice the tiny, twinkling lights above them.

Weiss touched Ruby's arm and pointed up.

It took a moment for the realization to land, but when it did, Ruby's eyes lit up. "Whoa…"

"Chrys had the same reaction," Weiss said, staring up at the starlight headliner. "It's even more beautiful at night."

"I can Imagine…"

"You don't have to," Weiss said, tilting Ruby's chin down so she could look at her. "You can see it tonight."

"Oh," Ruby blinked and blushed, "true." Weiss stole a quick kiss and settled back as she fastened her seatbelt. "You really like kissing me, don't you?" Ruby asked, still caught in a daze.

"Mm, I do," Weiss said.

"I really like kissing you too," Ruby said, leaning over to steal another and another and another.

Weiss pried her lips away from Ruby's and laughed, "We're going to be late for the reservations if we keep going like this. What happened to going on a cruise?"

"Oh, right," Ruby blushed. "Um, would it have been so bad if we were late?"

"No, but surely you have other plans for this evening other than dinner."

"Right, right… the winter carnival and the fireworks…"

"There willll definitely be fireworks going off tonight," Weiss purred seductively. She scratched Ruby's chin and stole one last kiss for the road. "I'd ask if you're excited to see me, but I've already got my proof."

Ruby looked down and winced. "Damn it. I'm sorry, Weiss… this is so rude."

"No, no, I'm quite flattered," Weiss chuckled. "I'd greet it, but you did say you wanted to take it slow."

"I'm beginning to regret that decision," Ruby grumbled.

"No one's said we can't get a little more acquainted tonight."

"Making out in the back of your car? Yes. Doing it back there? No. A million times no."

Weiss snorted and laughed, "Oh the irony."

"Huh?"

"Nothing, nothing. I'll tell you one day."

"What? Fine, okay," Ruby said, but she blinked and quickly connected the dots like the cleaver girl she was. "Did you lose your virginity in the back of a car or something?"

Weiss gave Ruby a knowing look and said, "Just drive, Ruby."

"You did, didn't you?"

"Another time, darling."

"You totally did," Ruby grumbled as she shifted the car out of park.

Ruby took the long way to the pier just as she promised. They sang along to the radio for the most part, even competed on who could sing the song the best. It was hard to say who won since they both insisted the other did better, but like adults they absolutely were, they agreed to disagree.

Ruby had a lovely voice, smooth, powerful, and capable of belting out notes Weiss wished she could. And if Weiss wasn't so smitten already, she'd have swooned. Ruby was also refreshingly humble, something Weiss greatly respected. Ruby was pure raw talent, untouched by the cruel industry that nearly crushed Weiss as a child. If Ruby wanted to go pro, she'd blow away the competition.

But as amazed as she was about Ruby's talent, Weiss had a hard time concentrating on it because Ruby kept giving her these soft looks that made her stumble over her words.

And then there was the talk about Ruby's weekend hobby. Weiss had asked where her love for cars began and Ruby responded in a way that Weiss didn't expect.

"I'm not really into cars," Ruby quietly replied, the hum within the cabin almost drowning her out. "I just sorta picked it up when I was a teenager. Taking things apart and fixing them… it gave me something to focus on when the rest of the world around me was crumbling. And then Yang lost her arm… we couldn't afford the maintenance fees, so I did it myself. Our dad was trying to get back into the picture, which was a good thing, but he and I were so estranged it was like talking to a stranger." Ruby ran her palm over the steering wheel with a sad smile. "When I turned sixteen, he brought me into the garage and showed me this old, broken-down car. He said it was my mom's… handed me a wrench and some scrubs and asked if I wanted to try restoring it with him."

"And did you?" Weiss asked.

"Not yet, but we're getting there," Ruby said with a small hopeful smile. This wasn't about the car anymore.

They spent the rest of the drive in comfortable silence. While Weiss didn't mind the way Ruby rambled, she was growing to enjoy this quieter side of her… Weiss didn't know what to call Ruby anymore.

"Hey, Ruby?"

"Hm?"

"What are we?"

Ruby hummed in thought. "Do we need to label it?"

"No, I suppose not, but I am curious what your thoughts about us are."

"I like you a lot, Weiss," Ruby replied, her eyes focused on the road. "When I think about you my heart feels like it's about to beat out of my chest, and words are hard because you're so pretty I get tongue-tied…"

"Ruby…"

"But even though I feel like this, it doesn't mean I'm dumb enough to think I have you just because you agreed to one date." The car came to a stop and Ruby put it into park; they were at the pier. "It's okay to say we're friends. I'd probably cry if you said we weren't… actually, I think 'friends' is the perfect word for us because if this date flops, we don't have to worry."

"I suppose," Weiss said as she unbuckled her seatbelt and got out. Ruby quickly followed her and, with some mild hesitation, held her hand out. Weiss looked at it curiously. This was it. This was the official start to their date. There would be no going back if she takes this hand.

"Weiss?"

Weiss took a deep breath and exhaled. She slipped her hand into Ruby's and looked up at her. "Yes?"

"Do you want to label this?"

"Not yet," Weiss replied. "But if I had to, I'd call it a 'good thing' because that's what it is. I'm glad I met you, Ruby."

"Same."

"So," Weiss said, pulling Ruby a little closer, "shall we?"

"Yeah."

The pier was a little underwhelming compared to the large marinas Weiss was used to, but it was amusing to watch Ruby lean over the railings to get a closer look at someone's sailboat. Weiss held her back of course, she didn't want her date to fall into the freezing waters below.

"Why aren't you more excited, Weiss?" Ruby asked with a sad pout. "The boat looks so cool! What I wouldn't give to get a chance to ride on one of these! The open ocean, the salt breeze! Hgn, I want one!"

"Ruby," Weiss said, tugging Ruby away from the railing, "I own a yacht."

"What?"

"I said 'I own a yacht.' "

"I heard you the first time, but… what?"

Weiss shrugged. "Nicole's family owns quite a few actually."

"'A few'?"

"Yes, 'a few,' " Weiss chuckled. "The one I own is a little smaller than theirs, but it was enough for my family and any friends we brought along to sail with us. I was thinking of having it brought over actually."

"I know I shouldn't be surprised by this anymore, but just how rich are you, Weiss?"

"Um," Weiss shifted uncomfortably trying to come up with a joke or a lie to get them off this topic, but Ruby looked so disturbed it made Weiss want to crawl under a rock and die. She didn't want to lie to her, but she couldn't tell her the truth either. "I…" she bit her lip, "can we talk about something else, Ruby?"

Ruby blinked in realization and nodded her head. "Sorry, that was super rude," she said with a guilty wince. "I shouldn't have said that."

"It's okay, Ruby," Weiss said, smiling at her gratefully, relieved that she didn't have to lie. "So where to next?"

"Ah, right!" Ruby snapped back to her cheerful self and pointed down the boardwalk to a brightly lit carnival in the distance. "That's our main destination, beautiful. And the best part is it's going on for a week, so we can totally come back with Chrys!"

"Oh thank god," Weiss said, breathing a sigh of relief. "She'd murder me if she found out I went to something fun without her."

"Hehe, I got your back, Weiss!" Ruby hugged Weiss tight and kissed her cheek. "We don't have to get on any of the rides tonight so you can experience them first hand with Chrys—and, since I know you hate heights, we won't go near the Ferris wheel."

Weiss was touched. She'd only mentioned her fear of heights once.

"Did Ruby do good?" Ruby asked when she caught the look Weiss was giving her.

"Ruby did great," Weiss replied, giving her date a kiss on the lips. "But if we come back, could you take Chrys on it? She loves Ferris wheels."

"Absolutely," Ruby said.

After another brief kiss, it became painfully clear to Weiss that Ruby was itching for it to end and get going. Weiss was almost offended Ruby wanted to play some carnival games more than she wanted to kiss her. But when they broke apart, Ruby surprised her by diving back in for another kiss.

Weiss let out a muffled yelp when Ruby held her flush against her.

"This is the best day ever!" Ruby exclaimed. Weiss let out a weak chuckle. "You're gunna have so much fun, Weiss! And by the end of the date, you're gunna say 'Wow, that Ruby girl really, really cool, and I wanna be her girlfriend.' "

Weiss quirked an eyebrow. "This better be one amazing first date then," she said, scratching Ruby's chin.

Ruby sighed with pleasure and melted against Weiss. "I really like when you do that."

"You are entirely too cute, Ruby Rose," Weiss chuckled. "But good news, I already think you're 'really, really cool.' "

"Phase one complete then," Ruby grinned.

They walked through the carnival hand in hand, pointing out things they thought were interesting. Ruby stopped them a few times to try the games, but each attempt ended with a resounding loss for the both of them. Ruby was especially crushed when she couldn't win Weiss a prize, but a kiss and a promise to come back later cheered her right up. Ruby swore vengeance at the game runner, saying that she'd be back to win her "lady fair" the stuffed catfish. He told her he'd be waiting and laughed like a villain as they walked off.

Weiss spotted a quite a few attractions Chrys would love and made a mental list of them. Ruby was also helping by pointing things out, but at a certain point, everything she was listing revolved around food.

"You're hungry, aren't you?" Weiss asked with a knowing look. Ruby looked like a deer caught in headlights. "Do you want to have dinner now?"

"Um…" Ruby blushed. "Yeah, but the reservations aren't for…" she quickly checked her scroll, "another thirty minutes."

"Does the restaurant have a bar?"

"Yeah."

"Then we can still sit down and order a drink."

"True," Ruby grinned. "You're so smart, Weiss."

"I still have a lot to learn," Weiss chuckled.

"Like patience?" Ruby snickered.

Weiss rolled her eyes. "You know, most people would've jumped at the chance I gave you."

"But I'm not most people, am I?"

"No, no you aren't," Weiss smiled.

The restaurant Ruby chose was a popular lobster shack with endless free cheese biscuits and a heavy nautical theme. Everywhere Weiss looked had something seaworthy tacked onto it like an old rope net with some plastic crabs and fish hooked on or a fake porthole with a mermaid peering through. There was even a fake anchor with a life preserver above a working captain's wheel. Some children were playing with it pretending to be pirates.

"Did Chrys ever pretend to be a pirate while you guys were on your boat?" Ruby asked when she noticed where Weiss was staring.

"All the time," Weiss chuckled. "Her and Nicole used to dress up too."

"What about you?"

"Sometimes, but it was more their thing."

The hostess called them up saying they had a free table. She offered to seat them early and Ruby jumped at the chance, barely giving the girl the chance to finish her sentence. Ruby blushed and apologized for her brashness, but the hostess giggled and forgave her. Weiss held onto Ruby a little tighter after that.

"Would you like us to take your coats?" the hostess asked.

"That would be great!" Ruby said, unzipping her coat without a second thought. She handed it to the hostess and helped Weiss with hers next. "Whoa…" Ruby said when she saw Weiss' dress. She gingerly touched Weiss' elbow to draw her in and kissed her forehead when she was back in Ruby's arms. Weiss saw the hostess frown from the corner of her eye and smirked. "I am so lucky."

Weiss crinkled her nose, fighting the urge to tease Ruby. The girl already given her the perfect reaction, Weiss didn't want to push it by saying she could get even luckier if she played her cards right.

The hostess cleared her throat and introduced them to a young, clean shaven man with warm hazel eyes.

"This is Hamilton," she said with much less pep in her voice. "He'll be your server for the evening."

"Good evening," he said, bowing. "Let me show you to your table."

Ruby held her elbow out for Weiss so they could walk arm in arm. Weiss smiled at the gallantry and kissed Ruby on the cheek as a reward.

When they reached their table, Ruby pulled a chair out for Weiss and helped her push it in before taking the opposite seat. Hamilton handed them their menus and ran them through the daily specials. Weiss had been sold on their lobster tail and steak the moment Hamilton described it and ordered that right away without looking through the menu. Ruby shared her excitement and did the same, saving Hamilton some work.

"Anything to drink?" he asked as he jotted down the order.

"I'll take a glass of red wine," Weiss said.

Ruby blinked. "Er, water please."

"No soda?"

"Hm, not today," Ruby said. She quickly flipped through the drink menu and stopped on a page with a bright blue concoction. "I change my mind!" she said, showing Hamilton the picture. "I want this."

"The Shark Bite," he read out loud, "good choice. It's our best seller. But before anything else, can I see some ID?" After checking their ID's, Hamilton cleared his throat and repeated their orders back to them. "Is that everything?"

"That was perfect, Hamilton," Weiss said.

"Yup! No problems on my end either," Ruby added.

"Great! I'll be back with your drinks and salads soon."

Hamilton bowed and made his exit. Ruby didn't wait long to offer her hand to Weiss, her eyes so full of love and longing that Weiss wondered why she ever settled for anything less.

"You're so beautiful," Ruby said, running her thumb slowly over Weiss' knuckles. "And that dress, wow, it's amazing."

"Thank you," Weiss replied with a blush. "I was honestly worried I wouldn't be able to wear it tonight because of the weather."

"You're not cold are you?"

"No," Weiss said, "weather like this is sweater weather up north. I was honestly getting a little hot under the collar. What about you? Your palms were a little clammy."

"Sorry," Ruby grinned. "I was nervous."

"There's no need to be nervous, Ruby."

"Oh, I beg to differ," Ruby said. "I was walking around with the prettiest girl ever! People were staring at you nonstop—that hostess too! Man, she looked like she wanted to ask you out right in front of me."

"Um," Weiss blinked, "Ruby?"

"Yes?"

"She was looking at you."

"Huh? No way! She was totally checking you out," Ruby argued. "She was barely looking at me."

"Because she was busy wishing I didn't exist," Weiss laughed. "If you walked up to her right now and asked her out, she'd immediately say yes."

"No way!"

"Yes way," Weiss said. "Ruby, you have no idea how good looking you are, do you?"

"Huh?" Ruby tilted her head. "Well, I don't think I'm bad looking."

Weiss quirked an eyebrow. "Huh, this is strange."

"Why?"

"You and Nicole are completely opposite in that regard," Weiss said. "I'm so used to being with someone who knew they looked good and flaunted it without any regret. Being with you… is going to take some getting used to."

"Is that a good or bad thing?" Ruby asked.

"It's a good thing," Weiss smiled. "It means I don't have to worry about you looking at anyone else."

"Why would I look at anyone else when I have you?" Ruby said. "Weiss, you're absolutely everything to me. I couldn't look away from you even if I wanted to."

"Ruby…"

"Like I said, Weiss, I really, really like you."

Weiss smiled and gave Ruby's hand a little squeeze. "I'd give you a kiss, but you're too far away."

"I'll make sure to remind you to give me one extra later."

"Don't bother," Weiss said, "I'll be giving you more than you can count later tonight."

"O-Oh… that'd be cool," Ruby replied hoarsely.

Hamilton came back with their drinks, salads, and a steaming basket of fresh baked biscuits but quickly noticed the mood and politely excused himself. Ruby and Weiss shared a little laugh at his expense.

"Oh man, Weiss! You gotta try this," Ruby said, holding her drink out. "It's soo good!"

"No offense, Ruby, but that thing looks radioactive," Weiss replied with a frown. But when Ruby pouted, Weiss scrambled to salvage the situation by taking the straw and bringing it to her lips. The drink tasted about as sweet as she expected it to be—extremely—and gently pushed it back towards Ruby while maintaining a poker face.

"You don't like it, do you?" Ruby said with another heartbreaking pout. She took a biscuit and tore it in half, offering the larger to piece to Weiss. "Try 'em, they're the reason why this place is so famous."

"N-No, it's good," Weiss lied, her voice quivering like a leaf in the wind. She took the biscuit and popped a small piece of it into her mouth. "Oh, these are delicious!"

"I know right?! But back to the drink thing, you don't gotta lie, Weiss," Ruby chuckled. "I know you don't like sweets." Weiss breathed out a sigh of relief. "It wasn't terrible though, right?"

"If you enjoy tooth rotting amounts of sugar with little to no alcoholic taste, then yes," Weiss said tersely, "it isn't 'terrible.' "

Ruby snorted, "Man, you're funny, Weiss."

"'Funny' isn't a word people use to describe me."

"Oh, I guess you're used to beautiful, gorgeous beyond belief, smart as hell, super nice, and," Ruby took a quick sip, "so totally confident in herself that she'd wear a crazy sexy dress to a first date."

"Ruby, you're the only person who'd say those things to me," Weiss laughed behind a hand.

"Really? Not even Coco?"

"No," Weiss said, shaking her head, "and she's seen me in nothing at all and about twenty pounds heavier."

"Right, right," Ruby shrugged, "looks like I got some work ahead of me then. Where should I start, boss?"

"You can start by eating your damn salad, you dolt," Weiss blurted out, her laughter reaching a new peak. Ruby hit her with a toothy grin and a wink, looking so smug and proud of herself that Weiss thought she was staring at Coco for a split second—but only for a split second; Coco never looked at her the way Ruby did on their first date.

"God, Weiss, you're so beautiful… I can't take my eyes off you," Ruby said unabashedly.

If anyone else had said that to Weiss, she'd have brushed them off or ignored them completely. But Ruby had this way of complimenting her with these soft looks paired in that made Weiss see past the clumsy, unimaginative language Ruby used. It was clear to Weiss that Ruby wanted to say more, but she didn't know how to express them with the words she knew, so she repeated herself hoping it would all come across right. Well, it did, and now Weiss was a blushing mess.

"Thank you," Weiss shyly replied as she took a sip of a wine to hide her blush.

Ruby grinned in triumph and dug straight into her salad. Weiss thought that Ruby's table manners were a little lacking, but it was cute and genuine and so painfully Ruby that Weiss had to stop and stare. This was the girl she was choosing to bring into her life.

"Oh, uh," Ruby nearly dropped her fork when she noticed Weiss watching her. "Sorry, got carried away. I'll, um, eat… more… polite?"

Weiss shook her head. "No, Ruby, that isn't why I was staring."

"Huh?"

"I was just thinking about how happy I was you weren't putting on airs for me."

"Er, why would I?" Ruby asked, tilting her head. "You've seen me eat before, and way messier than this, might I add. You knew what you were getting when you agreed to this date."

"I did," Weiss said, reaching over to wipe the dressing of Ruby's cheek. "And I haven't regretted a single second since."

"Not even a little?"

"Well... there was that moment when you were drooling over my car instead of me."

Ruby rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at Weiss. "You're never going to let that go, will you?"

"No, never."

"I'll make it up to you, I promise."

"We'll see about that."

Hamilton returned with the main course and some water at Weiss' request. And just like before, after serving them, Hamilton made himself scarce, only coming back once shortly after the meal began to ask how everything was tasting.

"I like him," Weiss said, watching Hamilton walk off to check on his other tables.

"He's cool, I guess," Ruby said with a mouth full of steak.

"Don't be jealous, Ruby," Weiss said. "I think you're a fantastic server as well."

"You never say that though," Ruby pouted.

"I'll let you service me one of these days and we'll see if I can sing you a different tune…"

Ruby looked up from her steak and stared at Weiss suspiciously. "That's an innuendo, isn't it?"

"Bravo, Ruby," Weiss chuckled. "Congratulations on picking that up."

"You really are as bad as Yang," Ruby grumbled, but Weiss could see her hiding a smile.

Weiss shrugged as she brought her wine glass to her lips. "I'm a woman that knows what she wants, and I want you, Ruby."

"C-Cool…" Ruby blushed. She watched Weiss like a hawk, following her every moment with curious, hungry eyes. When Weiss licked her lips, Ruby bit her own. "You're making this difficult on purpose, aren't you?" she asked, choosing her words carefully.

"I agreed to take it slow," Weiss replied with a smile.

"But the dress, the everything—you're trying to tempt me, aren't you?"

"I won't deny that," Weiss answered. "But this is a first date, Ruby. You've got to allow some peacocking. You've done quite a bit yourself, after all."

"I guess…"

"Is it working?"

Ruby stuffed a healthy serving of mashed potatoes into mouth, the blush on her face impossible to miss. When she swallowed, Ruby pursed her lips and furrowed her brows and thought hard about what she'd say next.

"Ruby, I'm just teasing, there's no need to get so worked up about this," Weiss said dropping all pretence. "I only wore this dress because I wanted to hear you say I was pretty."

"No, that's not what I was thinking about. I-I was thinking I want to give some things a try tonight," Ruby said in a low whisper. "Like, the stuff we did last week… if that's okay with you?"

"That's more than alright with me," Weiss said.

"And… thanks," Ruby mumbled, "for wearing that dress for me. I-I really appreciate it."

"It's no problem, but I will admit to one thing," Weiss said when Ruby took a sip of her water, "this dress would look much better on your floor."

Ruby choked.

After dinner and a lengthy battle over who would pay (Ruby won), Weiss and Ruby went back to the carnival to hunt down Weiss' stuffed catfish. The game runner welcomed them back with open arms and greedy eyes. Ruby slapped down what was left of her pocket change and demanded a rematch.

Ruby lost the first round.

"Hah! Give up, girly, you ain't ever gunna win!" the game runner laughed. He handed her another ball and winked at Weiss. She shook her head at him and hugged Ruby's arm tighter.

"I'm never gunna give up!" Ruby proclaimed. "I'm gunna win my girl that catfish if it's the last thing I ever do!"

"'Your girl'?" Weiss repeated.

"W-Well," Ruby gulped, "would that be so bad?"

"Win me the catfish and we'll see."

Ruby lost the second game. Things were looking bleak, but she one round left before she had to turn away in defeat.

"Last one, girly," the game runner grinned. Ruby glared at him. He ooh'd and ahh'd and trembled in his boots. "So scary."

"You are such dick, dude," Ruby said, putting the last ball down. "C'mon, Weiss. I'll try to win you something else."

"You pussyin' out then?"

"Not listening to you, dude!" Ruby shouted back as she and Weiss walked away.

The game runner snorted out a rude laugh. "Your girl could do better than a chump that can't even win her a prize," he said. "Ey, pretty lady, wanna ditch the pussy and try getting it on with me? I'll even give you a biiig prize to hold in those pretty little hands of yours."

Ruby stopped dead in her tracks. "What did you just say?"

"Ruby, no," Weiss said, tugging on her date's arm. "He isn't worth it, darling."

"You heard what I said, ya wimp!"

"Ruby, no," Weiss repeated, but Ruby didn't listen. She pried her arm out of Weiss' death grip and marched up the game stall with swift, furious steps. "Ruby!"

"Ey, the pussy came back," the game runner said with a cocky grin.

"Ruby!"

"It's okay, Weiss," Ruby said calmly as she picked up the ball and bounced it once in her hand. She looked him dead in the eye and said, "Y'know, I thought you were just playing along at first. Thought it was reaaal funny."

"Well I do consider myself a funny man," the game runner said, winking at Weiss. "And your girl's probably got a great sense of humour if she's dating a joke like you. Say, sweet cheeks," he said to Weiss with a sleazy smile that made her skin crawl, "what's she got that makes you stay? It ain't money, so good lovin? 'cause I can give that to you too."

The bottles behind the man shattered, scaring him off his chair.

"The fuck?" he muttered, staring at the broken glass with wide bewildered eyes. "How'd you—"

"Talk shit about me all you want, creep, but do not ever talk her like that," Ruby hissed. "Now give me the catfish. I won it fair and square." The game runner ripped the toy from the line and threw it at Ruby. "Thank you."

Ruby wrapped her arm around Weiss' waist and handed her hard won prize over to her intended. They left the fuming game runner behind and moved to a quieter part of the pier to talk.

"You had me worried," Weiss said, looking out into the sea. Ruby was holding her from behind with her chin resting comfortably against Weiss' head.

"Yang taught me that violence solves nothing," Ruby answered. "I'm sorry I scared you though. I couldn't let him get away with saying those things to you."

"It's okay," Weiss said, rubbing Ruby's arm to comfort her. "And word of advice if we're going to continue whatever this is? Just ignore them. They aren't worth getting angry over." She turned around in Ruby's arms and cupped her face with her free hand. "But I am flattered."

Ruby smiled and crinkled her nose. "I can't believe people actually think saying crap like that is sexy."

"The sexiest thing said was calling me your girl," Weiss replied, nuzzling Ruby's nose.

"Would you be cool with that?" Ruby asked.

"With?"

"Bein' my girl, for real?"

"Let's take things one step at a time, Ruby," Weiss said, her lips and breath ghosting over Ruby's with every sensual word. "We are taking it slow after all."

"Can't we skip a few steps?" Ruby impatiently asked.

"Only if you want to skip them all," Weiss replied. "Let's enjoy what we have the way it is for just"—she traced the outline of Ruby's jaw with a finger, the tip of her nail just barely grazing the skin—"a little… longer." Weiss looked deep into Ruby's eyes and smiled. "Kiss me?"

A loud, deafening boom echoed across the pier, drawing almost everyone's attention to the dazzling display painted across the night sky. Weiss was among the many who didn't look up. Instead, her attention was focused on Ruby.

The young woman was staring up at the sky with wide, eager eyes and her mouth hanging partially open. She didn't seem aware of the jealous blue eyes trained on her, but her arms did tighten around Weiss.

"Ruby," Weiss whispered, hoping to god her voice didn't give away how upset she was to have Ruby's attention ripped away at such an unfortunate time.

"Yeah, Weiss?" Ruby answered, her eyes still glued to the fireworks.

Weiss considered pulling Ruby down for the kiss she'd been robbed of but hesitated when she realized how selfish that would be. Ruby had brought her to the pier for these fireworks, yet Weiss hadn't glanced at them once. She could see them explode and fall in the corner of her eye, but she wasn't truly experiencing it like Ruby was.

Weiss furrowed her brows together and thought of all the things she'd only seen through the periphery of her eye. Chrys' early childhood was the big one that came to mind, her marriage was another—how many signs did she miss when she had her head turned towards a goal that could wait? How many moments were lost?

"Whoa…" Ruby whispered, her eyes growing wider than saucers when blue and white fire lit up the sky. "It's beautiful. You seein' this, Weiss?"

Weiss turned her head and gasped, "Incredible."

"Thanks for coming to see this with me," Ruby said with a shy, serene smile.

"No, thank you for taking me." Weiss turned her full body to appreciate the fireworks. "It's beautiful," she whispered, leaning into Ruby's warm embrace.

"Not as beautiful as you though," Ruby replied, pressing a kiss onto Weiss' left temple.

Weiss quietly smiled to herself as she watched the next wave of rockets soar into the sky. It was time to stop and enjoy the little things.

Ruby wasn't in a rush, and for once, neither was Weiss.

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