Prompt - Cuddles

The time between 5:30 and 6:30 am was Weiss's favourite time of any day. For one, she was fast asleep. It was that single hour between the long night of rest and starting a brand-new day. And each and every minute of that hour, whether she was awake to know about it or not, was always spent with her body curled around her single body pillow. It was a little longer than she was, about her partner Ruby's height, and always smelled faintly like roses and lilac laundry detergent. Very much like Ruby and Ruby's freshly laundered clothing.

Alright, it was because Weiss had explicitly gone out and purchased said pillow after discovering Ruby's dimensions, then spent the next while cleaning it with Ruby's soap and some of the flower petals she gave off whenever running around in excitement. It wasn't Weiss's fault that Ruby left her petals around their dorm room. Or the hallways. Or city streets. Or classrooms. Or the sparring grounds. Or the…

You know what? You get the point.

But what else was Weiss going to do with them? Throw them all away? When they smelled so much like her, and felt so soft between her fingers? Thank you very much, but Weiss was no idiot. Those petals would be used for something important. Maybe not all of them, because there were too many, but as many as she could find. A sniff here, a soft rub there. Maybe a quick kiss if she had the time and nobody else was around to see it. Each of them was just so "Ruby". Holding them made Weiss feel like she was holding her partner. She imagined that Ruby's lips tasted and felt like her signature rose petals. She imagined her signature rose petals were like Ruby's other petals-

And that was about when Weiss's alarm went off, signalling that her favourite hour of the day was over, and she had to face the real world. The world that most assuredly did not involve her and her dolt being together. The one where she had to open her eyes and see that her body pillow had not magically transformed into her partner like she so often desperately wished it did.

Just another long day filled with classes and schoolwork and training and that incredible voice of that incredible girl. The voice of her partner constantly talking about what she and Jaune were doing after classes. How they were going to the "movies" or eating at "that new restaurant I always wanted to try", or, or, or "kissing under the fireworks show". Okay, she might have imagined that last one, but it was bound to happen if it had not happened already.

The second alarm rang out, clearly having been delayed by a few minutes by an unconscious movement on her part. She groaned tiredly, snuggling in deeper into her Ruby-pillow, trying to block out the incoming light as someone opened the blinds to their room.

"Weiss… time to wake up," came a gently soothing voice and a soft hand lightly stroking up and down her back.

"Nnngn," Weiss whined, clutching her Ruby-pillow tighter. "Five more minutes. Wanna snuggle…."

The rest of what Weiss was trying to say was blocked out by the fabric of her pillow as she somehow squeezed in closer to it. The hand on her back, paused for a moment, placing soothing pressure onto her spine, exuding a wonderful warmth through her.

"Weiss, let's get ready for class. You don't want Yang to get the shower first, do you?"

Weiss's eyes blinked open and in an instant she was up, trying to look elegant with a strand of hair clinging to her lips. Ruby giggled at the sight, her eyes closed, yet still looking so joyful. It gave Weiss the perfect few seconds to stare without her realizing. Oh how she wished she could wake up to the sight of Ruby every morning.

As Ruby went into the washroom to begin her morning routine, Weiss sighed, watching her happily skip off until the bathroom door blocked her view of the younger girl's bouncing… hair. Weiss was totally watching Ruby's hair at that moment.

Cursing herself for her inability to properly think so early in the morning, or anytime that Ruby was in her presence, she got her things ready for her turn in the washroom.

"Just another great day," she told her reflection. "Today you'll tell everybody you're lesbian. Today you'll ask Ruby out."

She knew she was lying to herself. Those were the same words she had said yesterday and the day before and the day before that. Likely, they would be the same words she told herself tomorrow. Somehow, those words had changed from meaningful goals for the day into a sort of tedious mantra of what she was too scared to say in public.

Showered and changed, the four girls of Team RWBY made their way to morning classes, of which Weiss and Ruby only had a single one together. Weiss was fairly sure the class was about something related to safe plants to eat while hiking… somewhere, but Ruby was sitting beside her so she could only catch every third or fourth word of Professor Peach.

In her defence, Ruby had forgotten to fully button up her shirt, and she was really concentrating hard in that class, leaning forward, taking notes, a little sliver of tongue between her lips. Her silver eyes shining with delight when she answered a question correctly. The way she fiddled with her pencil, bouncing it off her arm, her cheek, her chest. Yes, there was no way that Weiss was going to be able to pay attention in that class. She was fairly sure she was going to explode. The entire time all she could hear was the sound of her own heartbeat and the heat that was pooling in her ears, her stomach and lower.

At lunch she lay out on the table, her food pushed away from her, grumbling. "Why am I so useless?" she asked to nobody in particular.

"You're not useless Weiss, you're perfect!" Ruby said, happily placing her tray of food down next to her partner, while Yang, Blake and JNPR took up the rest of the spots around their table.

Turning towards Ruby, her near smile at having Ruby call her perfect quickly turned into a scowl when she saw Jaune sitting on Ruby's other side. They were sitting close. They usually sat close, but now it was just annoying Weiss a little more.

Instead of sitting up straight like she had always been taught to do in company, she turned back onto the table, grumbling more in mumbled words only she could understand. "I just wanna go back to bed and cuddle with my Ruby-pillow. Or Ruby. Ugh, why do I have to be such a useless lesbian?"

"Well anyways, Ruby, do you want to join me for a midnight stroll?" Jaune asked while munching on his ketchup and mustard covered hot dog.

Ruby hummed, "ya! That sounds like so much fun."

Weiss nearly shouted in anger. They were planning a date. Right then and there. In front of her. Well, in front of everyone, but especially in front of her! And Yang was just there, eating her own burger, stealing an onion ring from Blake as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening. Did Jaune had Yang's support in dating her sister? Weiss couldn't believe that Yang would trust anybody to date her, much less go out for a "midnight stroll."

Weiss was no fool! She knew all the movies, read all the books. She was 'hip' and 'cool' and totally understood regular, normal, modern lingo. She knew that midnight strolls were for kissing or making out or possibly even- A blush engulfed Weiss's face. A mixture of jealousy and envy, more so than embarrassment. Though she was sure that embarrassment was there too.

"Cool, then I'll see you there, GBFF."

"Yay! Besties!" Ruby shouted back, joining Jaune for a massive high five. As was normal for two utter dolts. Oh how she wished she was Jaune just then.

Her throat constricted. Jaune had called Ruby his "GBFF". That was like a better version of BFF, right? If BFF stood for "best friend forever", did GBFF stand for… "greatest best friend forever"?

Was Ruby that much closer with Jaune that they had to rub it in her face?

"I'm not feeling too hungry," Weiss said, picking up her salad and lunch tray.

"Weiss, are you okay?" Ruby asked with genuine sadness.

She gave the young reaper a small smile, trying to throw as much romantic emotion she could into her sorrowful eyes. Knowing that only her expressions could share the feelings she was too scared to admit to out loud. "That's alright Ruby, I L-, I'll see you after classes."

"Alright, bye Wiess. Fell better!" Ruby shouted, waving off her friend. But not greatest best friend.

Weiss had a few classes before her final period spare. She usually spent that time studying in the library, or studying in the dorm, or hanging out with Ruby and studying, if their spare periods lines up. But that day, she spent it in bed. Her arms and legs curled around her pillow, face buried deep into the soft cloth, inhaling the smells that made Ruby, Ruby. Even with such delightful smells, smells that usually brought out her happiest imaginations full force, all she could think about was what Jaune called Ruby.

"GBFF."

"Greatest best friend forever."

"Midnight stroll."

"Kissing under the stars," okay, her imagination was starting to annoy her more than it usually did.

She almost wished she could cry. It was awful to feel this way. Life would have been so much easier for her if she had just fallen in love with someone else. Someone not straight. Someone not so perfect.

"Weiss?" Came that perfectly pitched voice from the slowly opening door. "Are you doing alright?"

"Mmph!" Weiss said into her body pillow. She dug her face further into the pillow, making sure her voice would come out as nothing more than loud mumbles. "What does Jaune have that I don't?"

"I'm sorry Weiss, but I can't understand what you're trying to say."

"Is it because Jaune's taller? Because he's a guy? He's not even a cute guy!"

"Well, he is a little… if you like that sort of thing." But Weiss was too busy spouting out half-mumbled questions to realize what Ruby was saying, let alone hearing.

"I thought I was your best friend. Your-your 'bestie better than the restie'!"

Ruby placed a hand on Weiss's head, stroking her long hair and running her fingers through it.

"Weiss, you are! You're my bestie better than the restie! There's nobody closer than me and you."

Weiss sat up, staring angrily at her best friend who she loved a little too much. "Then what of Jaune, huh? He's closer to you. He's your GBFF!"

Ruby quirked her head, slightly confused. "He's not my GBFF, I'm his GBFF."

Weiss threw up her hands, "why are you his GBFF if he's not yours?! Don't you think you deserve to have your GBFF treat you the same way?"

"I… I don't think I understand Weiss. Are you sure you know what GBFF means?"

Weiss scowled, "of course I do. I'm not an idiot. I know all the modern lingo people use. Jaune's your GBFF. Your greatest best friend forever. Unlike me," Weiss slumped forward, "just your ordinary best friend forever."

Weiss could feel Ruby stop stroking her hair. She couldn't feel Ruby move at all. Here it comes. Ruby was going to tell Weiss that it was true. That she and her could and would never be as close as the two of them.

Then Ruby laughed. A full, belly aching, heart clenching laugh that shook her entire body.

"Weiss, heh-heh, Weiss!" She tried to respond between chuckles. "Tha-that's not what GBFF means. Not even little."

"Glorious best friend forever?"

"Nope."

"Grandest best friend forever?"

"Nobody says grand, Weiss."

"Then what could it be?"

"Gay best friend forever."

"Wha-" Weiss wasn't quite sure what to say to that. "But… but you're not gay?"

"I… I am though?" Ruby gave Weiss a confused look. "Did you not know? I've never really kept it a big secret. Everyone knew."

"Everyone?"

"Well ya, don't you remember Yang making fun of me staring at Pyrrha's butt? But to be fair, have you seen her butt? It's really cute."

Weiss giggled, "ya, she does have a nice butt."

"Weiss, are you gay?"

"Eep! I-I mean… yes, so what?" Weiss crossed her arms and tried to exude her snooty, stuck-up attitude she had at the start of their first year to no avail. It was obvious to both of them that she was beyond scared.

Ruby resumed comforting Weiss, stroking her fingers through her hair. "that's alright. See? Easy peesy lemon squeezy."

"But how can you be gay? What about all the dates with Jaune?!"

"I haven't gone on any dates with him."

"The movies? Or restaurants? Or kissing under fireworks?"

"We do that as friends! And I don't think I've ever seen fireworks, let alone kiss a boy under them."

"Ya, that last one might have just been my imagination. Then… then! Then, what about your 'midnight stroll?' I know what that means. You're planning to kiss him tonight aren't you!" Weiss said in her best "ah-ha! Got you!" voice.

"Jaune's teaching me to cook pancakes," Ruby said, rolling her eyes. "If we even mentioned the word pancakes, Nora would have been all over us. So we've got to wait until she's asleep to do it. Hence midnight. My god Weiss, I didn't know you were so jealous about me and Jaune hanging out!"

Ruby giggled as she all but jumped onto Weiss, the two falling back onto Weiss's bed, Ruby's face into Weiss's body-pillow.

"Hmm, did you notice it smells like roses. And lilac. Like me!" Ruby described. "Weiss? Weiss?"

Ruby turned her head to look at Weiss, seeing her face aflame with colour.

"Heh, funny story?"

Ruby stared down her best friend, unamused by the reaction. "Wess, I'm not dumb. I'm younger than you, but not dumb. Oblivious, yes. But not dumb. Maybe a bit of a chatterbox, but not-"

"-I get it! You're not dumb. Alright? Ruby Rose? M-meet Ruby-pillow."

"Ruby-pillow?" Ruby giggled. "Aww! How cute. It's like you're snuggling me every night!"

A deeper crimson formed on her cheeks, her heart thumping wildly, only then just realizing how close she was to Ruby, their arms wrapped around each other while laying together on the bed. It was like they were snuggling. They were cuddling!

"Coincidence?"

"I think not!" Ruby shouted triumphantly. Scooting her hips in closer to Weiss, Ruby tightened her hold around the girl. "If you wanted cuddles, all you had to do was ask!"

Weiss sighed dreamily.

"Weiss? Weeiiss? You gotta say it!"

"Can you stay tonight with me?" Weiss squeaked out when Ruby pinched her.

"You betcha! I always wanted to cuddle with my perfect bestie."

Perfect. Ruby had called her perfect. Weiss sighed happily, snuggling in a little closer to her partner and closing her eyes. Everything finally felt perfect. She had her arms wrapped around the girl she loved and the girl she loved had her arms around her as well.

There was still much that needed to be done. She still had to come out to the rest of her friends, and then finally muster up the courage to ask Ruby out on a date. But for that moment? It was perfect enough.

With one last breath of relief, she snuggled up closer, curling her head underneath her Ruby-pillow's chin. "I love you Ruby," she mumbled sleepily to her pillow. "I want to kiss you under fireworks."

Her pillow's arms tightened their hold around her as it's body shook with silent laughter. Oh right. Weiss was cuddling with Ruby, not her Ruby-sized and Ruby-smelling body pillow. Before Weiss could scream at herself, or flee in embarrassment, Ruby responded.

"Sound like a date, Weiss."

The time between 5:30 and 6:30 am was Weiss's favourite time of any day. But for the last month, it had less to do with any body pillow, rather the beautiful girl she had the pleasure in cuddling with every night. Once, she had thought that life could not get better than her pillow and her morning mantra. Now, curled up tight into Ruby, she knew how truly wrong she was.

I wanted to try my hand at a useless-lesbian Weiss story. I'm pretty pleased with the results.