Chapter Fifteen: Outsiders
Nora was chatting up a storm while Ren quietly sat beside her in the passenger seat, nodding his head. She was talking about how one of her students, most likely Chrys from the description she used, walked to the board for a presentation this afternoon in a business suit. The topic was about how important math was in daily life. But instead of going for something simple like knowing how much candy they have in a bag or how much money they need for chicken nuggets, Chrys pulled out a legitimate financing chart and talked about how important paying employees a higher wage increased morale and employment retention. Nora struggled not to laugh throughout the whole thing because it was so painfully obvious that Chrys lived in a whole other world from everyone else. Ren started laughing along with her, and Ruby watched them with rapt attention, mentally taking notes on how they interacted.
Dating Weiss had changed Ruby's perception of life entirely. The woman was so smart and worldly, Ruby felt like a child learning to talk for the first time whenever they got to talking. Words never came out right or they just wouldn't come out at all, but Weiss would still laugh and smile that breathtaking smile of hers like Ruby had cracked the meaning of life.
On one of their impromptu lunch dates, Weiss gave Ruby a tour of Nobility Inc. She showed her the future site of the in-building daycare and asked Ruby for her opinion since she worked with "children." Ruby argued that some of the children she worked with had children of their own which made Weiss laugh out loud, scaring some of the employees nearby. But at the end of the tour, she did take Ruby's input seriously even if it did make the distance between them grow even wider—in the sense of maturity, not intimacy. Things in that department were good. Better than good. They were fantastic.
Ruby sunk into her shoulders, the collar of her jacket rising up to hide her fierce blush.
Weiss was… experienced. She had kept her promise to take things slow and left their pace up to Ruby, but that was proving to be their undoing because Ruby was getting addicted to Weiss' touch, her kiss—everything. She'd gotten Ruby to cum on more than one occasion without directly touching or even seeing Crescent Rose which was surprising to the both of them, though it was more mortifying to Ruby than it was for Weiss.
It was a real eye-opener for Ruby though and something she routinely thought about when she had the time. She was naïve to think that she'd get the adorable, innocent movie magic relationship with Weiss. That woman was far too sexy for her own good. Ruby couldn't keep her hands off of Weiss even if she was in sweatpants and a sweater too large to be hers; however, they were both consenting adults so there was nothing wrong with things getting a little hot and heavy so quickly. But god damn it wasn't fair! Ruby wanted to stare down at Weiss all smug like after getting her to—
"Hey, Zoomies, you okay back there?" Nora asked, glancing back at her through the rear-view mirror.
"Y-Yeah!" Ruby replied, sitting up right. "I was just feeling a little nervous."
"About what?" Penny asked from Ruby's right.
Yang slung her arm around Ruby's shoulders and pulled her in, pinching her cheek. "Rubyn's got a date for tonight," she proudly announced, tightening the choke hold. "Real sexy mama."
"Yang!" Ruby yelped in embarrassment as she struggled to escape her sister's iron grasp.
"Oh… a date?" Penny said quietly.
Looking at her best friend's face, Ruby started to feel guilty for not telling her about Weiss. Granted, the only people who knew about her was Yang, Reese, Ciel, Neptune, and Chrys. No one else was privy to that information, and that probably still wouldn't change tonight.
They decided, as an official couple, to keep things quiet for now. Ruby was certain they'd be together for the long haul, but Weiss was hesitant and wanted to feel things out for the foreseeable future. Ruby understood and accepted their secret romance without complaint.
"Oh, a date?" Nora asked, her fingers fanning out excitedly on the steering wheel. "Did you finally ask Weiss out?"
"Weiss?" Penny repeated, her eyes growing wide.
"She's the sexiest mama I know," Nora replied without remorse. "Long white hair, bod like a god and a face to match, and richer than all of us combined times a million? That Weiss."
"I-I didn't—we're just friends!" Ruby shouted, her face growing redder than her namesake.
"Yeah, so are me and Ren," Nora laughed, flashing Ruby her wedding ring. "Ain't that right, hubby?"
"The best of friends," Ren smiled, taking her hand and kissing it.
Penny wrung her hands together and awkwardly laughed along. "Just friends, yeah… you'd tell us if you were seeing someone, right?"
"Penny…" Ruby said with a pained expression, the guilt worse than ever. Damn it, Yang.
"Sorry, I only meant it as a friend date thing," Yang said, badly lying. "You know how much I like messing with Ruby." Nora gave her a knowing look. "What?"
"Nothing, nothing," Nora said with a shrug. "We're here by the way."
After Nora parked the car, everyone made a beeline towards the restaurant front doors. Ruby had spotted Weiss' car on the way and picked up her pace, getting to the large double doors before anyone else.
Yang had picked the venue tonight with a bit of Weiss' help so Ruby expected something great, but what she didn't expect was to see one of her oldest friends touching her girlfriend's shoulder without permission.
"I'm not interested," Weiss stated, worming away Jaune's unwanted touch.
"C'mon, just one drink?" he insisted, reaching for her again.
"The lady said no," Neptune said, swatting his hand. "Didn't your mama teach you not to grab women?"
"Ow! What the hell man?!" Jaune yelped. "I was just—"
"Harassing a woman with no interest in you?" Ciel sharply cut in, her eyes narrowed dangerously at Jaune. "I'd say something more, but it appears you have a worse fate approaching."
"Huh?"
"Jaune!" Ruby roared, marching up to him. "What the hell, man?!"
"Ruby! Uh," Jaune nervously watched Yang and everyone else step into the waiting room, "just inviting a pretty lady to grab a drink before you guys got here. You know how us lady killers do, eh?"
"I saw you touching her," Ruby hissed.
"Just a friendly—"
"Okay, okay, enough," Weiss said impatiently, getting in between the two before fists could fly. She put a hand Ruby's chest and pushed her to take a step back, the look in eyes sending a warning to Ruby to let it go. "It appears we have some introductions to do."
"Right," Ruby said, still glaring at Jaune. "Jaune, that's Neptune."
"Not charmed," Neptune grumbled, flipping his hair.
"Ciel."
"Hmph," Ciel shunned Jaune as she walked past him to greet Penny and Yang. She gave them a much warmer reception, especially Penny who blushed under her attention.
"And this is Weiss," Ruby said, laying a hand on the small of Weiss' back, "my, uh… other friend."
"Ruby, we've been dating for a month, you can call me your girlfriend," Weiss said, laughing at Ruby's pathetic attempt to hide their relationship.
"You sure?"
"Positive," Weiss said, kissing Ruby's cheek.
"I fucking called it!" Nora cheered from the door. "Ren, you owe me snuggles tonight!"
"I don't remember this bet," he murmured.
Weiss looked over Ruby's shoulder and waved at Yang and Nora, eager to see some friendly faces. She slipped away from Ruby and greeted them both, exchanging hugs and pleasantries. Nora introduced her husband to Weiss, and he charmed her with a friendly smile.
Ruby watched with pride as Weiss seamlessly blended in with three of the most important people in her life.
"You're seeing someone?" Jaune quietly asked with a pained expression. He looked like he wanted to touch her, but Ruby's glare froze him in place.
"Yeah," Ruby replied coldly. "Apologize to her, Jaune. She isn't someone you want to mess with."
"You're talking like she's some sorta mob boss," he awkwardly laughed. Neptune snorted. "What?"
"Boy, you have no idea," Neptune said, sashaying towards Ruby. He gave her a quick hug and turned his eyes back to Jaune. "Ever hear of Nobility Incorporated?"
"Yeah," Jaune said, "my dad works there. Why?"
"In the Vale branch?" Neptune asked, his eyes growing wide. Ruby rolled her eyes at him but didn't say a word, trusting Neptune enough to not completely embarrass the other man.
"Yeah…?"
"Oh, honey," Neptune laughed, "you should ask him who his new boss is."
"What?"
The restaurant doors flew open and a loud "Ey, sexy lady!" rang through the waiting room. Several heads turned as Reese strode in dressed like she was going to a rock concert and not a fancy dinner with friends.
"Hello, Reese," Weiss said, holding a hand out to greet her.
"Ew, no," Reese said, brushing away Weiss' hand so she could hug her instead. "Handshakes aren't bro, bro."
"Right, bro," Weiss replied awkwardly, returning the hug. "It's good to see you."
"Ditto. And that is one killer red dress you got on," Reese said, checking Weiss out. "Mhm, mhm, you look great! Oh, hey, Zoomies! Your wife's lookin' totally hot."
"She's not—" Ruby face palmed as she went to go save Weiss from her overly excited bro. But she apparently didn't have to because Weiss was having fun and genuinely laughing at Reese's antics.
"I appreciate the compliment, Reese," Weiss said, slipping back into Ruby's arms. "No date?"
"No date," Reese sighed, stuffing her hands into her pockets.
"You'll get her someday," Weiss said.
Ruby quirked an eyebrow, watching the two supposed strangers talk like they'd been friends for years.
"When did you two get so chummy?" she asked as she embraced Weiss from behind. Her girlfriend felt so small in her arms thanks to the bulky jacket Ruby wore.
"Oh, I needed to get Chrys some new violin strings shortly after we met so I went back," Weiss explained.
"I was on shift and we started talkin'," Reese grin as she unzipped her coat. "Lady knows her stuff."
"Thank you," Weiss smiled.
Ruby grinned, happy to see them getting along so well after such a disastrous first meeting.
"Ahem." A pretty young woman in a slinky black dress cleared her throat as she approached Ruby's party. "Table for ten under Yang Xiao Long?"
"Don't got a table under me," Yang laughed as she sauntered up to the hostess, "but yeah, that's us." She winked and flashed her the famous Xiao Long smile, but the hostess' frown soured even further. "Okaaay… you're fun."
"Right. Well, your table is ready," the hostess said curtly. "If everyone is here, then please follow your server."
A dashing, well-groomed man stepped up to them and smiled. "Hello ladies and gents, my name is Sky Lark and I'll be your server for this evening."
"Hello, handsome," Neptune purred.
Sky forced a smile and focused on Weiss instead. She gave him a passing glance but largely ignored him in favour of Ruby's freshly cut hair; Neptune had done an amazing job.
"Um," Sky cleared his throat, "right this way."
Ruby made sure to keep Jaune as far away from Weiss as possible. The two were mixing about as well as oil and fire and they hadn't even said a word to each other since Ruby came in, but the tension was clear.
When they reached their table, Ruby pulled out Weiss' chair and helped pushed her in when she sat down. She also laid Weiss' coat on the back of her chair, earning Weiss' gratitude and a small compliant about why the restaurant didn't have a secure place for coats.
"Ew, that's gross," Yang jeered from the seat facing Ruby's. Reese echoed the sentiment beside her and they fist bumped to prove their single solidarity.
"Like you losers wouldn't have pulled B-Train's or Arslan's chair out for them," Ruby shot back defensively. Then both women stuck their tongue out at her, Ruby flipped them both off.
Jaune took the seat on Yang's left, directly in front of Weiss. His expression was hard and unreadable, but Weiss met him with one of her own. Though it was more of a passing glance on her way to look at someone more worthwhile.
"Now I'm glad Chrys had a sleepover planned this evening," she said to Ruby with a warm, brilliant smile.
"Yeah, she would've been the most mature one at the table next to you and Ciel," Ruby laughed, resting an arm on top of Weiss' backrest.
"Which reminds me," Weiss said, leaning on her left to get a little closer to Ruby, "Chrys and her friends made you a little something. Neptune?"
"On it, boss!" Neptune pulled a handmade card from his purse and handed it to Weiss who offered it to Ruby. "The little lady sends her regards."
"Ohh." Ruby flipped the card open and eagerly read it out loud, "Happy birthday, Ruby, sorry it's late. You should've told us it was your birthday, we would've shared more candy with you. From Chrys, Briar, and Heizell. P.s.: Thank you for spending your birthday with us… aw, I think I'm gunna cry."
Weiss let out a soft chuckle as she kissed Ruby's cheek. "She wanted to put glitter on it, but I had to stop her because the last time she got within ten feet of the stuff, Nicole and I were sparkling for weeks."
"Oh, I remember that fondly," Ciel chimed in from her seat next to Penny. "It was hard to take you seriously."
"I know right?" Weiss laughed.
"I was finding glitter in your hair for weeks," Neptune grumbled. "You looked amazing, but god damn did it bother me."
"Speaking of hair, Nep, you did an amazing job with Ruby's," Weiss said, running her fingers through Ruby's much shorter hair. She'd been playing with it nonstop since they met in the waiting room. "I love it, look at her! So clean and handsome," Weiss scratched Ruby's chin and kissed her cheek, "it's like I'm meeting you for the first time."
"Hah, told you the surprise would be worth it," Neptune said to Ruby.
"Yeah, yeah, you win," Ruby laughed, blushing from the attention.
Nora snorted out a laugh and asked, "Are you guys always this disgustingly cute? Ruby I sort of expected, but you, Weiss? Not in a million years."
"Oh, it's awful," Yang said. "Weiss and Chrys joined us for a movie last week and those two," she pointed to Ruby and Weiss, "wouldn't stop flirting. Like, please, there was a child present—me! I did not need to see that."
"We were not flirting!" Weiss shouted with a deep blush.
"We kind of were," Ruby snickered.
"What do you mean?"
"All the popcorn throwing and feeding me chips?" Ruby said, recounting the most obvious things.
"I did the same to Chrys," Weiss countered.
"You didn't feed me," Yang pouted.
"You were sitting on the opposite end of the couch!" Weiss scoffed. "I have short arms."
"Excuses, Ice Queen!"
"Are you guys ready to order?" Sky interrupted.
Yang looked at him with a nasty glare, ready to give him shit, but Weiss got to him first with one of her patented "Boss Bitch" stared downs.
"Skylar, was it? Tell me, how can we order if we never received any menus?" Weiss asked in a calm, even tone with one perfectly sculpted eyebrow raised in question. She smiled at him and waited for an answer, but after one second too many passed, her friendly demeanor shifted. "We chose this restaurant because I happen to be acquainted with the chef who owns this fine establishment. He boasted about how professional his employees were but—excuse me, eyes up here," she said, gesturing to her eyes with two fingers.
"M-Ma'am, I apologize for the mistake, I assumed—"
"Assumed what, exactly?"
"I—"
"Are you ever going to get us our menus or should I give Monsieur Étienne a call?" Weiss said, not giving Sky any quarter. "Neptune, my scroll."
"Yes, ma'am," Neptune said, digging into his purse for Weiss' scroll.
"N-No, please!" Sky squeaked. "I'll be back with your menus soon."
"Good," Weiss said, narrowing her eyes at him. She watched him run off and waited until he was out of ear shot to start laughing. "Mon dieu, Étienne is going to give me hell for scaring that poor boy!"
"Oh man, you cannot whip that out on us so suddenly, Ice Queen!" Yang howled in laughter. "I thought he was going to shit his pants!"
"Was he even staring at your tits?" Reese asked.
"I sure hope not!" Weiss laughed.
"Weiss, would you like me to inform Monsieur Étienne of this?" Ciel asked with her scroll in hand.
"No, no," Weiss said, waving her off. "I'll give Étienne a call later tonight and tell him myself. He's looking forward to hearing how his newest hire handles the situation."
"Wait, was this rigged?" Ruby asked.
Weiss nodded. "When Yang asked for suggestions on where to host your party, I pulled a few strings to get us this table."
"Executive privilege," Neptune said with a happy sigh.
"I'll toast to that," Ciel agreed. "If we ever get a drink menu."
"So you never did tell me how you know Étienne Beaumont," Yang said, leaning on the table.
"He was my wife's friend and a fan of her work before she retired from the industry," Weiss explained. "He catered a few of her shoots before moving to Vale and opening this restaurant."
"Oh, neat," Yang said. "And say... about that offer of yours, any word yet?"
"Unfortunately, no. My lawyers are still writing up that contract," Weiss replied with a frown, though it wasn't directed at Yang. "Can I help you with something?" she asked Jaune.
"Yeah," he said, sitting straighter now that he had Weiss' full attention. "Why don't you explain the fact you're married?"
"Excuse me?"
"You just said you had a wife."
"Jaune, stop," Yang said, gripping his shoulder.
"No, Yang, aren't you worried?" Jaune asked, shrugging her hand off. "Why isn't anyone else talking about this? Reese? Nora? Penny? Surely you're just as shocked as me, right?!"
Penny looked at Ruby and then at Jaune. "I already knew," she confessed quietly. "They weren't subtle about it."
"What?" Weiss blushed. "We only started seeing each other this month."
"Maybe so, but I saw the way you looked at her the last time you stopped in for your morning coffee personally," Penny said, leaning forward on the table so she could see Weiss. "I could tell because I used to look at her the same way… the only difference is she gave you the same look."
"Penny," Ruby said, "I didn't want to keep it a secret from you. I—"
"It was my fault," Weiss cut in. "I told her I wanted to keep it quiet."
"So you could hide it from your wife?" Jaune said, crossing his arms.
"I…"
"Speechless now that you've been caught?"
Sighing, Weiss shook her head, eyes downcast.
Ruby looked at her girlfriend with worry and held her hand. Weiss offered her a smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. She looked angry and horribly embarrassed based on the red tinting her cheeks. Why wasn't she saying anything?
Gritting her teeth, Ruby kissed Weiss' forehead. She knew why without having to ask. Jaune was her friend, plain and simple. If it had been anyone else, Weiss would've put him in his place without a second thought.
"That isn't fair, Jaune," Penny said sternly. "You don't know a thing about Weiss."
Ruby looked at her best friend with a grateful smile.
"She's married!" Jaune hissed. Weiss flinched, her eyes wide. "Ruby doesn't deserve this."
"And what do you know about what my sister wants?" Yang asked.
"She wants someone nice, thoughtful, sweet—"
"Like you?" Ciel scoffed.
"Yeah, like me," he said proudly, not seeing the shocked expressions on all of his friends faces. "Ruby deserves someone that can give her everything."
"Is this boy for real?" Neptune asked in bewilderment. "Honey, do you want him removed?"
"No," Weiss said, shaking her head, "this Ruby's party and these are her friends… the one that should leave is me."
"What?!" Ruby whipped her head to look at Weiss. "Baby, no."
"Ruby, it's okay," Weiss said, patting her hand. "You've been looking forward to this party for weeks. I'm not going to let my presence ruin it for you. Plus, we already knew we'd face opposition eventually."
"Weiss…"
"Reese, Penny, it was nice seeing you all again," Weiss said as she stood and gathered her things.
"Weiss, wait," Yang said with her hand stretched out, "you can't leave! You helped plan this thing!"
"I only gave you access to my connections, Yang, you did everything yourself," Weiss said, slipping on her jacket. She bent down and kissed Ruby's cheek, whispering, "Call me later, okay?"
Weiss' voice was low and playful. And as she spoke, her lips brushed against Ruby's ear, her breath hot and tingly. Ruby shivered in anticipation. She knew what that voice meant for her, but that was beside the point. Weiss was purposely trying to distract her.
It took Ruby half a second to snap out of her stupor and chase after her girlfriend, but before she did, she snapped at Jaune, pointing a finger at him. "This isn't over," she said angrily. "You and I going to have some words when I get back."
For a woman in five inch heels and a dress so tight she could hardly breath in it, Weiss was fast. By the time Ruby caught up to her, she was already at the front doors.
"Baby, wait!" Ruby shouted, grabbing her elbow gently. "Please, come back to the table. They're your friends too."
"Except for one," Weiss pointed out. She looked past Ruby's shoulder and sneered, "You've got a tail, darling."
"What?" When Ruby looked back, Weiss took that opportunity to slip away and exit the building. "Damn it!"
"Ruby, wait!" Jaune pleaded.
"Not now!" Ruby huffed as she chased after her girlfriend—again.
The weather had taken a turn for the worst, just like the night, almost as if it was sympathizing with Weiss' mood. The wind howled angrily and the flurry scratched against Ruby's skin like sandpaper.
"Weiss!" Ruby called with an arm over her face to shield her eyes. She looked around the parking lot frantically, trying to remember where she'd seen Weiss' car.
"Ruby, just let her go!" Jaune called from behind her.
"let her—?! Ugh, Jaune, what the fuck is your problem?!" Ruby spun around and found him standing behind her. She pushed him away and warned him not to come any closer, but he caught her hand and held it tight. "Let go of me!"
"Ruby, please, I—"
"Let go of her!" Weiss shouted, coming to Ruby's rescue. She marched up to Jaune and yanked his ear, twisting it until he let go of Ruby. "I can understand you hating me," she said, "but do not ever lay your hands on my girlfriend again if you value your life."
"You don't know her like I do!" Jaune countered, clutching his ear.
Weiss scoffed at him and shook her head. "Knowing someone for longer doesn't entitle them to you!"
"You're married!"
"I'm a widow, you absolute ignoramus!"
"I…" Jaune paled in realization.
"Everyone at that table knew except for you," Weiss continued. "They tried to warn you to stop several times, but you just kept pushing and pushing. Well, are you happy now? You got my big, tragic secret out of the way."
Jaune looked down at Weiss, speechless. He took a step back and muttered a few nonsensical words trying to apologize, but neither Ruby nor Weiss were having any of it.
"For someone who supposedly cares for Ruby, you sure jumped at the chance to call her stupid by saying she'd ever settle on being the other woman," Weiss said. "I do, however, have to agree with you when you said that Ruby deserves someone that can give her everything. And I'll be sure to do just that and more. I'll give her the world and the universe if she so much as asks for it."
"I'm sorry…"
"Apology not accepted," Weiss said. "Ruby, you should go back in, it's cold and your friends are waiting."
"You really won't stay?" Ruby asked with a sad puppy dog pout.
Weiss cupped her cheek and gingerly kissed her on the lips. "Non, ma chérie, je suis tellement désolée," she said, kissing her again. "I just want to go home, drink some wine, and watch a little TV before bed… which you are more than welcome to help keep warm."
"I-I'll… I'll keep that in mind," Ruby blushed, thinking back to the few times she'd shared Weiss' bed.
"I'll be waiting then," Weiss smiled, "ma chérie."
After escorting Weiss to her car and stealing a few more kisses, Ruby found Jaune shivering like an idiot in the spot she'd left him.
"Jaune, what are you still doing out here?" she asked with exasperation lacing every word.
"I-I need t-to ta—hatchoo—talk to you." Jaune wrapped his arms tightly around his body, shaking like a leaf. Snot dribbled down from his nose, but he snorted it right back up making Ruby cringe. "I-I should've told you sooner."
"Why don't you tell me inside," Ruby said. "Where it's warm?"
"No, it has to be now or never."
"I'd prefer never."
"Please," he pleaded.
"Fine," Ruby sighed. "Fine! Just get this over with so I can go inside and enjoy my awkward as hell birthday party."
Jaune breathed in deep and exhaled. "I'm in love with you," he confessed, standing tall for a few seconds before crumpling back into himself from the cold. "I've been in love with you for years. Ever since Pyrrha… you've been my best friend and I—" Jaune a hand through his hair and groaned in frustration. He took a step towards Ruby and pulled her into a rough hug that tightened with every passing second. "Ruby Rose, I love you every fibre of my being! Please, give me—"
"No! No, no, no, ew!" Ruby shouted, doing her best to push him away. "I have a girlfriend!"
"That you barely know!"
"She knows me better than you do!" Ruby shouted angrily. "Where the hell is this all coming from?! You've never once shown an interest in me, but now that I have Weiss, you're suddenly all over me? Seriously, what the hell, Jaune?!"
"I was planning on telling you tonight since Penny's giving up on you."
Ruby scoffed at him. "Is that why I caught you hitting on my girlfriend?"
"I didn't know she was your—look, can you really even call what you guys have a relationship?"
"Are you for real right now?" Ruby asked him. When he nodded his head, Ruby threw her hands out in frustration. "You cannot be fucking serious right now! Weiss is literally the best thing that's ever happened to me. And what does Penny have to do with this? You keep bringing her up."
"We were competing for you," Jaune said. "But then she asked you out and you said yes, so I backed out."
"Penny? Competing?" Ruby struggled not to laugh at the notion. "Penny would never do that!"
"Ask her then."
"Fine, I will."
Ruby stormed past Jaune and reentered the restaurant. She walked back to her table and found everyone talking amongst themselves anxiously, waiting for Ruby and Weiss to return. Though, on the bright side, everyone had menus now.
"Penny," Ruby called, "I need to ask you something." Penny nodded her head patiently. "Were you and Jaune competing over me?"
"Why would I do that?" Penny said with an eyebrow quirked. "I mean, I talked to him about my feelings, but that was because he was your oldest friend."
"So it was never a competition?"
"No, never! Ruby, I would never do that to you," Penny said, offended. "God, is that what he thought it was?"
Nodding her head, Ruby sighed and said, "I know, Pen. I know you wouldn't."
"Ruby," Jaune called.
"Enough, Jaune," Ruby said, turning on her heel to face him. "I think you should go home."
"But I—"
"Now, Jaune," Ruby said. "I won't repeat myself again."
Jaune held his hand out trying to come up with something to dissuade her, but when Yang and Nora got up from their seats, he backed down and turned away.
Letting out the breath she'd been holding, Ruby fell into her chair and leaned against Penny for support. Tonight was going horrendously awful and they hadn't even gotten to order yet.
Penny gave Ruby a one-armed hug and said, "You should look at the menu. The food looks super good and they have your favourite steak."
"They do?" Ruby asked tiredly.
"Yeah, though it might be a little fancier than you're used to," Penny giggled. "But then again, fancy might be more your style."
"Maybe."
"Weiss… she probably picked this restaurant specifically for your favourite," Penny added hesitantly.
"Oh, she definitely did," Neptune chimed in, taking Weiss' empty seat. "Had me and Ciel looking all over the city for the best peppercorn steak."
"Yeah, thanks for dragging me with you losers," Yang laughed. "Never thought I'd ever get tired of steak but here we are."
Ruby let out a quiet giggle and opened the menu. She immediately closed it and sat upright. "Why is this place so expensive?" she blurted out, drawing everyone's attention.
"It's high class," Reese said as she stole Jaune's old spot to sit better Yang and Nora.
"You're dressed in grunge," Ruby replied with a snort.
"Power to the people!"
"Yeah, eat the rich!" Nora added.
"You hear that, Rubyn?" Yang snickered. She waggled her eyebrows and winked, "Eat the rich."
"Funny, Yang," Ruby grumbled. "But for real, why didn't you warn me about these prices? Can we even afford the appetizers?"
"We don't have to," Yang said. "The bill's already been taken care of."
"What?"
"Her Royal Majesty the Queen of Ice has kindly offered to foot the bill."
"What?!" Ruby looked to Neptune. "Is she serious?"
"Mhm," Neptune said. "Tonight we feast!"
"Fuck yeah!" Reese and Nora cheered, high-fiving each other.
"I am going to eat so much, Weiss is gunna hate me," Yang snickered. "Oh, and I'm totally gunna order a bunch of those drinks with the little umbrellas."
"I wouldn't mind having one of those," Penny added.
"I could use a classic rum and coke," Ciel said, looking through the menu. "Oh, look, Pen, they have your favourite daiquiri."
"They do?" Penny asked excitedly.
Ignoring the fact Ciel knew Penny's favourite drink, Ruby flipped through the menu trying to find something cheap. But after reaching the last page and learning the only thing she could reasonably afford was the sparkling water, Ruby closed the menu unsure of what to feel.
Neptune seemed to sense her distraught though and nudged her with his shoulder. "Hey, gorgeous, I know you're probably feeling all sorts of weird right now, but Weiss wants you to order whatever you want."
"It's all so expensive though," Ruby said, pushing the menu away. "I feel bad."
"Don't," Neptune said. "This is nothing for Weiss. For my last birthday, her and Coco sent me on a weeklong vacation to Vacuo. And Ciel got a fat bonus to help plan it."
"But…"
"No buts, boss' orders," Neptune said.
Penny nudged Ruby's shoulder and showed her Ciel's scroll with her text conversation with Weiss open.
"Tell Ruby to… thank me later," Ruby quietly read. "Fine, if that's the game she wants to play, I'm gunna order that steak and feel no remorse!"
"Okaaaay," Penny said, carefully handing Ciel back her scroll. "Who knew you'd be so weird in a relationship."
"You dodged a bullet, Penny," Yang laughed.
"Haha… okay, for real," Neptune awkwardly interrupted, "where is that shitty ass waiter?"
"Cowering in the corner waiting for Weiss to show up," Ciel said just as stiffly. She pointed to Sky hanging around another table, sending them furtive glances. "I'm beginning to think we should pack up and leave."
"All in favour of ditching this place and going to a burger join say 'aye,'" Ruby said. "Aye."
Without a moment of hesitation, seven voices echoed out in unison, "Aye."
"Let's go to that place on Shade Avenue," Reese suggested, all packed up and ready to go.
"Oh, I love that place!" Nora cheered.
"Me and Ciel are gunna need to call a cab," Neptune said, following after Ruby. "Weiss was our ride."
"It's G, Nep-dawg," Reese said. "You can ride with me."
"You sure?"
"Yup."
Ruby glanced over at Penny and saw the way she smiled Ciel. It was subtle and shy, like Penny didn't know what was happening. But as Penny's best friend, Ruby decided to give her a helpful little push in the right direction.
"Mind if I catch a ride with you too, Reese?" Ruby asked. "It's been ages since we last talked."
"The more the merrier," Reese grinned, giving Ruby a thumbs up. "Hey Nep, hope you like singing in the car."
"Honey, you're talking to a three time show choir national champion," Neptune said with pride, "I was born to sing in a car with lesbians."
"I think I just found mah soulmate," Reese laughed as she dramatically threw her arms around Neptune. They hugged and said "bitch" in perfect harmony.
"I'm guessing Ciel's riding with us then?" Nora said, glancing back at Penny who blushed and silently nodded.
"If you don't mind," Ciel chimed in, looking up from her scroll long enough to catch Sky running towards them. "Neptune, heads up."
"Hm? Oh…" Neptune's face immediately when Sky finally caught up to them.
"W-Where are you guys going?" Sky asked in a panic.
Ruby looked at him then at Ciel and Neptune. They all silently agreed and Ruby stepped forward. "The service here sucks," she said plain and simple. "We waited forever to get our menus and even longer to have you come back and take our orders."
"I-I was just getting things ready!"
"We saw you watching us from the corner," Ciel pointed out.
"I've taken the liberty of informing our employer of what transpired this evening," Neptune said with his bad ramrod straight to tower over the bumbling young man. "Expect a word from one angry head chef soon, Skylar," he added with a smile before turning on his heel to walk away.
They left the restaurant and climbed into their respective rides. Neptune took the front passenger seat leaving Ruby to her lonesome in the back. She listened to Reese and Neptune talk about music but didn't have much to say. And when a song they all knew came on the radio, Ruby didn't join in. She didn't have the energy to even pretend she was interested. Thankfully, Reese and Neptune understood and left Ruby to her thoughts.
The night had dragged on much longer than she anticipated with the weight of what transpired weighing on her heavily. She wished Weiss was with her to offer some advice. Ruby considered texting her but couldn't bring herself to do it. Weiss probably had a lot on her mind too because she was a thinker just like Ruby.
I wonder what she's doing right now, Ruby thought to herself. She stared at the last conversation she had with Weiss and smiled.
They were talking about blackberries and how strange it was that all the little things that made it up were each considered a berry. Then Weiss brought up the fact bananas were berries and that raspberries technically weren't. She went into further detail about how most "berries" weren't really berries, and it was here that Ruby learned her whole life was a lie. Strawberries weren't berries. They were called aggregate accessory fruits, but to Ruby they might as well have been accessories to crime. They broke her heart and left her with the knowledge that she'd been eating flower ovaries. Weiss had apologized profusely but the damage had been done. If she ever finds a pile of tiny strawberry seeds in her apartment, she'll know what happened. Some things are better left unsaid, especially if they involved your new girlfriend's favourite fruit.
Thinking about Weiss and their silly random conversation helped lift Ruby's mood enough to enjoy her party. She was surrounded by good friends and delicious but affordable food that Neptune still insisted Weiss pay for. Ruby didn't fight him on it since the bill totaled to something even she could afford.
Halfway through her meal with a massive bite of burger and fries in her mouth, Ruby got a text from Weiss. It was a picture of her hand holding a glass of what Ruby assumed as rosé wine in front of her TV. Ruby's favourite show was on, paused at a hilarious moment just before the main character sneezed. There wasn't any text, just an unsolicited picture to show what she was up to.
Grinning, Ruby pilled the pickle out of her burger and pinched it between her lips, leaving most of it out in the open. She quickly snapped a picture of herself and sent it to Weiss, giggling to herself like an idiot as she waited for the response.
Weiss didn't keep her waiting long. A minute after Ruby sent her picture, Weiss one of her staring at the camera unamusedly.
Ruby almost choked. Weiss was wearing her t-shirt, the one Ruby left the last time they got a little frisky in the kitchen.
"You okay, Rubyn?" Yang asked with her mouth full.
Nodding her head, Ruby swallowed her food and chased it down with some ice-cold soda. "Y-Yeah," she replied shakily. "Just, uh…"
"Did the Ice Queen send you a dirty picture during dinner?"
"What?! No!" Ruby shouted a little too loudly.
"Hm, she's wearing your shirt," Neptune said, stealing a peek at the picture.
"No!" Ruby tried to deny.
Neptune quirked an eyebrow. "Gorgeous, I've personally bought most of Weiss' clothes and that shirt is way too big to be hers and much too small to be Coco's." He squinted his eyes and smirked, stealing a fry off Ruby's plate as he hammered the final nail into Ruby's coffin. "She's also never heard of Mega Deth Party."
Ruby froze.
"Ohh, busted," Yang snorted.
"Okay, fine! It's my shirt," Ruby admitted with a fierce blush. "I got it dirty in the kitchen."
"I bet you did," Ciel muttered boredly.
"It's not—"
"Ruby, can you hear me?" Nora asked.
"Yeah?"
"Oh, good," Nora smiled. "I was worried you wouldn't be able to in that deep ass hole you dug yourself into."
Reese snorted out a laugh, "Good one, Nor."
"Thank you," Nora beamed.
Rolling her eyes, Ruby bit into her sandwich, smartly deciding to keep quiet for the remainder of dinner. She didn't want to be the butt of anymore jokes, but it did feel nice to know that her friends and family all approved of Weiss.
After the bill was paid, Reese called the group together for a photo the waitress gladly took. It must've been a strange sight seeing so many people dressed for fine dining eat at a diner, except for Reese.
"Anyone wanna join me for a couple drinks?" Reese asked.
"You really are my soulmate!" Neptune cried as he wrapped his arms around her.
"That's one person," Reese laughed. "Anyone else?"
"I could use a drink," Ciel said, standing next to Reese. "Penny?"
Penny flashed Ruby a hesitant smile before walking up to the bar trio. "Why not," she said. "Let's party!"
"Woo, let's get turnt!" Neptune cheered.
"Guess that's the fun car," Nora laughed, snuggling against Ren's side.
"Your car is fun enough for me," he said, leaning down to kiss the top of his wife's head.
Yang shrugged at Ruby, looking to her to decide which car they got into. Ruby walked over to Nora and patted her shoulder, showing which side she picked. She was tired and missing Weiss, plus Penny deserved to let loose without her around.
"Guess that's that," Yang said, stretching her arms. "Man, I am totally gunna crash the moment we get home."
"Yeah," Ruby replied just as tiredly.
They climbed into Nora's car, taking opposite ends of the back seat so they each had a window. Nora drove past the party people for one last goodbye before finally hitting the road.
Yang was on her scroll, smiling softly as she probably texted Blake. The mysterious woman was supposed to be her plus one this evening, but the life of a nurse in Vale's busiest hospital didn't leave much room for a social life. Still, it was nice to see Yang giving someone a chance. After Pyrrha, Ruby was worried her sister would never try dating again.
"You gunna invite her over?" Ruby asked.
"Who?" Yang replied absentmindedly.
"Blake."
"Oh, uh," Yang looked at Ruby sheepishly, "nah. She actually invited me to go grab a late dinner with her after her shift."
"So bar food?" Ruby laughed.
"Yeah."
"You should go," Ruby said encouragingly. "Plus, you're always hungry so even more reason to see her."
"I guess… yeah, yeah, I'll go."
When they entered the downtown area, Ruby's tired eyes looked for Nobility Inc. in the passing scenery. She hadn't really thought about Weiss' offer until now, but with Yang going off to meet Blake, it was growing more tempting by the second. By the time they passed Weiss' office building, Ruby realized they were getting close to the point where if she didn't make a choice, she'd lose the chance completely.
Ruby gulped. Was she ready to spend the night with Weiss?
Four more streets.
To sleep. And maybe fool around a little.
Three more streets.
Gripping her seat belt strap, Ruby looked at Nora in the rear view mirror.
"Something up, Rubyn?" Nora asked perceptively.
Two more streets. This was it. Ruby had to say something now.
Ruby swallowed the stubborn lump in her throat and asked, "Can you drop me off at Weiss'? It's the next right."
"Sure thing!" Nora smiled.
"Thanks."
Ruby kept her gaze locked outside her window, avoiding Yang's worried gaze. She could feel her sister's eyes burrowing into the back of her head, and from the brief glance Ruby caught in the window's reflection, she knew the question on Yang's mind was "are you sure?" Ruby wasn't sure, but she desperately wanted to find out because what better way was there to learn how to swim than to dive in head first?
When Nora pulled up in front of Weiss' apartment, Ruby took some extra time telling her family goodnight. She thanked Nora and Ren for picking them up and driving them around and told Yang to say hi to B-Train for her. Yang bought her a little extra time by telling Ruby she would and that there plans was for a few drinks and maybe a movie. And when they hugged, Yang held Ruby just a little tighter than she normally would before sending her off. The "take care of yourself" went unspoken.
Ruby greeted the young man sitting sleepily in the front desk, but he ignored her completely which was against protocol; she should know, Gertrude told her so.
"Don't I have to sign in?" Ruby asked, approaching him warily. He shrugged and tossed a clipboard and pen her way. "Okaaay," she said, jotting her name down. "Have a good night, I guess."
The grumpy young man didn't respond.
The elevator ride up to Weiss' penthouse was nerve-wracking. Ruby was shaking worse than a leaf caught in a hurricane. She rubbed her sweaty palms on her jeans and checked her breath, pickles and onions, here's hoping Weiss liked her enough to ignore it.
The elevator dinged as the doors slid open. It was now or never.
Ruby robotically walked up to Weiss' door and knocked on it twice. When a minute passed and the door didn't open, Ruby tried again but harder. When Weiss still didn't come to the door, Ruby gathered her strength for one last go but that was when the door opened and Ruby smacked her girlfriend square on the forehead with her knuckles.
"Ow, what the hell, Ruby!" Weiss shouted, rubbing her forehead.
Ruby blanched. What had she done?
"You couldn't have texted you were on your way?" Weiss asked with a slight pout and a few tears pricking her eyes.
"It's later!" Ruby awkwardly blurted out, her face redder than her namesake.
"I can see that," Weiss smirked.
"Um," Ruby rubbed the back of her neck as she stared down at Weiss, appreciating how comfortable she looked without her murder heels and killer dress.
"Are you okay?" Weiss asked.
"I'm good. Great. Fantastic!" Ruby yelped, her voice cracking from the nerves.
Weiss rolled her eyes and moved off to the side so Ruby could step into her apartment. All the lights were off except for the TV which lit the living room up with a dull glow. Ruby's favourite show was still playing, the witty dialogue and banter practically taunting Ruby to woman up.
"I'm glad you came by, Ruby," Weiss said, tucking some of her fluffy, freshly showered hair behind her ear. She looked radiant; Ruby was lucky. "I wasn't sure you'd actually come."
"You said I could help keep your bed warm tonight, right?"
"I did," Weiss smiled, "but only if I bought you dinner. So did I?"
"You did, it was great," Ruby said. "And it's later, so I'm here to thank you."
"In what way?" Weiss asked with a flirty smirk.
"Any way you want, Wild Thing," Ruby said, getting a little closer to Weiss.
Weiss sized her up with a knowing look on her face, expecting Ruby to pull the rug out from under at any second. "So if I asked you to kiss me and take me to my bedroom, what will you say?" she asked, tracing Ruby's jacket zipper with a perfectly manicured finger.
"I don't have any condoms on me," Ruby blurted out, realizing the immediate folly in her plan.
Weiss' flirty smile dropped in disappointment, her brows furrowing together. "We really need to do something about that," she said. "There's a convenience store down the street you can run to."
"Nah, not tonight."
"Aw…" Weiss pouted.
"We don't need to go all the way to get off and have a good time," Ruby said, coming in for a quick save. "You taught me that."
"Accidentally," Weiss laughed, her voice light and breathy.
"Yeah," Ruby shrugged, still trying to live down the embarrassment. "Anyway, I still haven't returned the favour."
"Oh?"
"So what do you say, Weiss, care to give me my next lesson?"
Weiss gave Ruby a thoughtful look and nodded her head. She wordlessly wrapped her arms around Ruby's neck and pulled her down for a kiss. Ruby eagerly returned it, pushing back against Weiss more forcefully. There was a second where Weiss cringed at the taste entering her mouth, but her need for Ruby's loving kisses outweighed her disgust.
Ruby eagerly ran her hands over Weiss' body, mapping every inch of the smaller woman's back. Weiss was so slim and slender, Ruby was still worried she'd snap her in half if she hugged her too tight. But time and time again, Weiss proved her wrong by pushing Ruby harder than her workout regimen.
"I want this off," Weiss said as her deft hands made quick work of Ruby's jacket. She hastily pulled it off Ruby's body and tossed it aside, not caring where it landed.
Ruby broke the kiss for some much needed air, but she was pulled back down almost immediately. Weiss wasn't giving her any time to think. It was sink or swim.
Weiss began walking backwards through her living room, leading Ruby by the lips. She refused to break the kiss and any attempt to was thwarted by an even fiercer one, so Ruby put her faith in Weiss.
"Don't let me do all the work," Weiss whispered, nipping at Ruby's ear.
Thinking fast, Ruby picked Weiss up. But the sudden weight shift sent them crashing into the nearest wall. The picture frames rattled noisily from the force with the closest one falling to the floor.
"Ow!" Weiss cried when her back hit the wall.
"Sorry!"
"No, do it again!" Weiss excitedly laughed, her chest heaving from the excitement.
Ruby rolled her eyes and sighed in exasperation. "I am not slamming you into the wall again," she said, but Weiss clicked her tongue and pouted. "Seriously, Weiss, I could've hurt you just now."
"But you didn't and I had fun," Weiss laughed. "I told you before and I'll tell you again," she leaned forward and whispered into Ruby's ear, "I like it rough." Weiss wrapped her legs tight around Ruby's waist, pressing Ruby flush against her. "You said any way I wanted, right?"
Ruby numbly nodded her head, highly aware of the fact that Weiss was on Crescent Rose.
"I won't break," Weiss purred seductively. "If and when you're ready though."
"Oh thank god," Ruby breathed a sigh of relief. "You," she said, chuckling slightly as she nipped at Weiss' nose, "are crazy sexy, y'know?"
"So I've been told," Weiss said. "Now where were we?"
"I think I know," Ruby whispered, slipping hand under Weiss' shirt.
"Oh yes, you'll like this part," Weiss purred, lifting her arms up so Ruby could get rid of her shirt.
"Whoa…" Ruby stared down at Weiss, her lips forming a thin line as she stared down at Weiss' bare chest. She gulped and tentatively traced the valley between Weiss' breasts before cupping one in her hand.
"Kiss me," Weiss whispered as she gently Ruby down, her hands burying themselves in Ruby's hair.
All thought left Ruby's mind in that instant, and any hesitation she felt was thrown out the window. They left a messy trail of clothes leading up to the bedroom. And when the door closed behind them, they fell into bed and didn't sleep until the sun came up.
"I really like you, Ruby," Weiss whispered dreamily as she laid in Ruby's bare arms. She was asleep before Ruby could reply, but they'd spent all night confirming their feelings for one another so Ruby gave her a pass.
Gently kissing the scar over Weiss' eye, Ruby drew the blanket up higher so it covered Weiss up to her chin.
"Nicole…" Weiss whispered, her brows furrowing together as she snuggled deeper into Ruby's warm embrace.
Ruby stared up at the ceiling and breathed in deep. She felt like she'd been punched in the gut and had the wind knocked out of her, but it was a sobering sensation. Hearing Weiss call her wife's name made Ruby remember what Weiss had lost and so recently too. Ruby wasn't angry or jealous, she was humbled yet again because Weiss was choosing to let Ruby care for her broken heart and tend to her needs. The amount of trust being offered here—to see Weiss so vulnerable—was astronomical.
Steeling her resolve, Ruby vowed right then and there to Coco's photograph on the nightstand that she'd do everything in her power to be worthy of that trust.
Ruby yawned and settled in. She drifted off to sleep not long after and dreamed of something strangely familiar.
"You want see what a real princess looks like, kiddo?"
Penny went home with Ciel.
Don't forget to leave a review if you've enjoyed the story so far.