Chapter 17

It had been a few hours since the two heroes rescued the stuck motorist, and were now on their way to the first fuel stop of the day in a little seaside town. Weiss had insisted they listen to her collection of classical music CD's, to which she received much pouting from the radio producer in the passenger seat.

"Classical music rots your brain!" the cheerful brunette said, refusing to allow the CD's near her aftermarket stereo.

"Rock and Roll is engaging! It lets you relax!"

This comment garnered a shocked expression from her driver.

"Rock music is hazardous to one's health! Classical actually stimulates brain grown, not brain rot! It literally exists to make you smarter, Rubes." the white-haired girl said with a smile. Ruby knew she couldn't be mad at her, for Weiss liked her too much. Obviously.

"Hey actually, can you check the map and tell me how far from the next stop we are? The fuel level's getting a little on the low side."

"Yeah, hang on just one second" Ruby said, digging around in the glovebox for the cheap map she had brought. Looking out the windshield, she waited for the next mile-marker. Checking her map again and using an old pair of compasses to gauge the distance on the paper, she was pretty certain they were about forty or so kilometres from the next exit.

"How fast are we going?" she asked.

"About ninety?"

Ruby pulled out her scroll and plugged in a quick calculation. She wasn't as quick as Weiss when it came to math or logic puzzles. The damn girl had a computer in her head, it seemed.

"Should be about forty-five minutes, give or take. Want to play a game?"

"What did you have in mind? I can't exactly play chess while I'm driving. Although I probably could still beat you"

Ruby frowned, but chuckled at this anyways.

"Yeah, because you're a nerd. But you're my nerd."

Weiss smiled at Ruby, blushing a little.

"Okay, how's this. It's a game I like to call 'Million Lien But', and Yang and I used to play it all the time. It's very simple. I offer you a million lien, but there's a catch. Something you'd have to do forever now should you choose to accept."

"Kinda like 'Would You Rather,' but with cash on the line?"

"Exactly!" Ruby beamed "So I'll start us off. You get a million lien..."

Weiss interrupted "That's a lot of money"

"BUT... Whenever someone asks for your ID..." Ruby paused, thinking for a moment "You face plant for the next five steps you take."

"That seems awfully painful. I don't know if...Wait, only five steps?"

"Yeah. Each time you get carded. Or have to show your passport. Or get asked to see your company card. The next five steps you would go face-to-concrete like clockwork."

"Hmm. Million lien, though... I feel like I need to have a presentable face more often then I ever need to show any identification, and as a person of my standing, such tomfoolery might not be appreciated."

"I'd do it. In a heartbeat! Think of all the cars I could buy!"

"No, see, I don't think I could. I have to show ID at least four times a day, and I don't think there's enough facial reconstructive surgeons in Atlas to deal with twenty face plants a day. Can't do it"

Ruby laughed at the thought of Weiss falling on her face. A good excuse to kiss her on the nose, of course.

"Alright. I think you've got the hang of this. Your turn, Weiss."

Ruby watched as Weiss's eyes narrowed, her intelligent brain working efficiently to come up with a question that would stump her.

"You get a million lien..." There was a pause. Ruby raised her eyebrow at her friend.

Do your worst, I have never lost a dime!

"But...Every time you pass a police officer, all of the food in your house spontaneously expires."

Well damn. She's good.

"Huh. I, uh, don't know if I could. I drive past a police precinct every day I go to the radio station, and there is always like two officers outside smoking. I don't know if I could afford to replace my whole food supply that often."

"But you'd have a million lien. You would never have to buy food again. Just have lunch and dinner out every day!"

Ruby's face brightened. "Hey, that's right! If there's no food in my house, there's no food to go bad!"

"You could have a different kind of food for every meal!" Weiss seemed pretty into this now. "Spicy food on Monday, Vacuan sushi on Tuesday, traditional Valean meat pies on Wednesday...The list goes on!"

"You sound like you'd want to take the money too, Weiss-Cream." Ruby said, amused at her friend's enjoyment of the game. Weiss winced a little.

"Well, see, I don't know. Having lunch and dinner out every day would be nice, especially if I could do it with you, but it would mean every time I saw a cop I'd have to call Klein and tell him to re-stock the fridges and pantries with the thousands of lien worth of food we have at the manor. We do serve international guests often enough that this might pose a problem."

What was that about lunch with me?

"So no, I'm afraid I'd have to say no to this one. Your turn!" She poked a finger into Ruby's ribs. Ruby laughed.

"Okay, million lien, but..." Oh she had a good one alright "Every time you hear someone say 'I love you', you temporarily lose one of your five senses."

Weiss frowned for a moment. "How long is temporarily?"

"Uh, five minutes. But it happens every time."

Weiss nodded, still thinking. Ruby watched as a sly smile crept across her lips.

"Ruby, I love you!"

"Fuck, now I can't see!"

"So you would take the money? You realize there's a one in five chance you'll be briefly deaf, blind, or have no taste, and that means you won't be able to hear me compliment you. Or watch me undress. Or taste cookies!"

Okay, the cookies thing I can live without, if only briefly. But not the Weiss things.

"Nope, I'm not taking the money. Not in a million years. Not if that's at stake." She winked at her driver. She silently cursed herself for letting Weiss beat her this round. The score was still two-to-one in her favour. Better to get even more ahead, she thought.

"Okay, you win. Congrats on being the first person to get me to reject the cash."

"Yay me!" Weiss said, pumping her fist a little. "My turn!"

Ruby leaned back in her seat and put her socked feet up on the dash.

"Hit me with your best shot. You ain't gonna win this time" Weiss smiled at her again.

"Watch me. You get a million lien, but whenever someone compliments you, you have to eat a child's birthday cake."

Ruby pondered this "You mean like one just appears and you have to eat it?"

"Nope. You hear a compliment, you have to stop what you are doing right then and there and search out a child's birthday party and completely consume the cake in front of everyone."

I can't be a dick to children!

"Hmm. I don't know about this one. I love cake and all, but I feel like I'd get beat up by angry parents too often. And some cakes just wouldn't be worth it."

"I know I would do it for sure!" the ice princess cheered "I'd just flash my SDC credit card and buy the snotty brat a new cake! Or I'd just hire a baker to follow me around with a van full of replacement cakes for the one I was about to steal!"

"Wait, I think I may have come up with a way around this. I could adopt three-hundred-and-sixty-five children, each one having been born on a different day, that way any time I got complimented I could just go home and eat the cake that was being served there! I wouldn't have to ever steal cake from little kids!"

Weiss laughed out loud at this. "I'm glad you said adopt, Rubes. Can you imagine what having three hundred kids would do to your body?"

Ruby winced and forced away the bad thoughts.

She doesn't know about it yet. Don't ruin the game.

"I...can't..."

have children

"...believe you beat me two times in a row!" Ruby said, forcing her trademark smile to her face.

"Maybe I should play your sister. Might knock her ego down a few pegs." came the reply. Lucky for Ruby, Weiss hadn't noticed the momentary bout of sadness. They didn't need a repeat of yesterday, she thought.

"Okay, get off your high horse. So. You get a million lien. But. Every time you laugh..."

"I'm listening"

"Like, proper laugh. From the soul. Full body workout kind of laugh. Think Nora!"

"I gotcha."

"You can only tell the truth for the rest of the day."

Weiss made a pained noise and pouted.

"You know I am the CEO of a multi-national corporation, it's in my job description to lie to people. I can't tell my competitors any secrets, I have to lie to the gate-guard when I sneak out for lunch, I lie all the time! Plus, I have never told father the truth about anything after Beacon. Especially not you."

"I'll take the money." Ruby deadpanned. She knew she could. She hadn't laughed for real in eight years. Not since him. And most certainly not since the disfiguring attack.

"I guess you win. Damn, I thought I had you. Here's our exit, number seven-thirty-five, Liebesdorf. I'll take you out for lunch because you won!"

"That's the only reason?" Ruby jested, pleased that her friend liked her enough to offer her lunch. They pulled off at the exit.

"Well, also because I like you so much. Some might call it love."

Ruby blushed. Weiss seemed to be excellently good at making her feel better. Even though 'excellently good' was not a real phrase, Ruby thought it best described her feelings toward her friend.

I need her around.

"I love you too. Obviously."

The town of Liebesdorf was a small seaside village just off the main highway. All the buildings were small, quaint little structures reminiscent of seventeenth-century Atlesian architecture. It was a cute little town, Ruby thought as they drove down the main street, watching a few vendors shovelling snow from their front walks. Weiss was going to buy her lunch here? Ruby wondered if they'd have cheeseburgers.

Weiss probably wouldn't want that, it's too pedestrian

They rounded a corner, onto a road that ran along the sea. A few boardwalk shops came in to view, and Ruby noticed a very familiar sign hanging out front of one store down the road. She nearly jumped through the windshield, she was so excited.

"Weiss! Look! Music Store!"

The seat belt held the excited girl in place. Music was Ruby's third passion, right after guns and cars, and any chance she could get to visit a music store she took. This was no different.

"Calm down, Ruby. We can go there after lunch." Weiss said, firmly yet still amused.

Ruby wanted to argue, but her stomach growled as if to agree with Weiss. Her friend smiled at the angry noise that had come from her stomach. Weiss pulled the truck into a spot along the side of the road, parallel parking behind a rather expensive-looking Atlas AG sedan.

"C'mon, Rose-Petal. I bet there's somewhere nice on the pier."

Ruby shivered at the nickname again, stepping out of her truck and onto the sidewalk. She strolled up beside her friend and they began to move towards the pier.

That name is my weakness! Damn Weiss and her use of it!

"Hey Weiss?" Ruby asked, shaking a little.

"Yeah, Ruby?"

Weiss turned her head to look at her. Such beautiful blue eyes, she had, and Ruby briefly forgot her question.

"Can I, uh...h-hold your hand?"

Weiss laughed at her, pulled her hand out on her pocket and intertwined her fingers in Ruby's hand.

"You really don't have to ask. You can always hold my hand" Weiss said, causing a flutter to come to Ruby's chest. A doctor would tell her that this was a sign of heart disease, she figured.

I want Weiss-related heart problems, damn it!

The two girls turned their stroll onto the pier, a great wooden structure that hung out over the sea by a hundred metres. The hardwood floor creaked under their boots as they walked past the few vendors that lined the pier. Snow was falling gently now, a nice break from the blizzard they had fought through this morning, and the air was not as unpleasant, either.

"Can I interest you in Poutine, Rubes?"

Ruby turned to where Weiss was pointing. A small serving cart sat at the end of the pier, attended by a thin-looking faunus man with fluffy pink earmuffs over what Ruby guessed were wolf ears. You could interest me in anything, she thought to herself. Ruby smiled and nodded, and Weiss pulled them over to the little cart.

"Guten Tag. Two, please, good sir."

Weiss ordered for them, and the cheerful-looking faunus was quick to make two small paper bowls filled with fries, gravy, and cheese. The heat from the deep-fryer was making great clouds of steam around them, acting like a little space heater in the cold winter air.

"Danke! Auf Wiedersehen!" Weiss said to the man as she took the food from him, handing over a few small bills and some coinage. Ruby took the warm paper bowl she was given and held it in her hands. It was a gravy-scented hand-warmer, and Ruby was pretty sure this is what love smelled like. They continued to the end of the pier and sat on an ornate wrought-iron bench that overlooked the sea. Picking up the green plastic fork that was sticking out of the food, Ruby took a bite of the warm fries.

This tastes like sex.

The warmth of the gravy flowed through her, and she subconsciously relaxed her shoulders and slumped down on the bench. Weiss chuckled at her, sitting upright in her seat, somehow making the action of eating the messy dish look dignified.

"I want to have this every day for every meal all the time" Ruby said, slurred. The cheese curds had melted in her mouth and were currently overwhelming her with flavour.

"This is fantastic, why have I never heard of this food?"

Weiss grinned, as if she had some well-kept secret about the mysteries of Poutine.

"Well you see, if you let me take you out on dates more often, you might have known about this sooner."

"You have to take me out on all the dates!"

Ruby nearly shouted, bolting upright on the bench. Weiss took another fork-full of poutine and ate it, smiling at her friend.

"I suppose I could schedule in a few days in-shit!"

Weiss was cut off as a splotch of gravy fell from her fork and onto her coat. Her cheerful expression turned to one of worry.

"Oh, fuck me!"

Gladly!

Ruby giggled at her friend's misfortune, pulling out a napkin to try and wipe off the offending food.

"No, no, Ruby, it's alright. I will have Klein work his magic on this when we return. Gods, this coat was like six thousand lien. I've only worn it once, and look! I spilled gravy on it!"

Weiss tried to sound upset, but her voice portrayed more of an amused annoyance. She smiled, that very same smile Ruby had become enamoured with. Weiss reached up and brushed some of her messy bangs out of her face, still somehow smiling after ruining her coat. She truly is beautiful, Ruby thought, turning away so Weiss couldn't see how giddy she looked.

Today, I fell in love.

Chapter 18

Weiss looked out over the sea, the calm blue of the water as it crashed softly against the pier's support pillars. It was truly blissful, she thought, to be here with Ruby, the girl she loved. This town must be magical.

"Hey, Ruby?"

"Yeah, Weiss?" Her companion replied, putting her head on her shoulder.

"Do you know why this town is called Liebesdorf?" asked, turning to give the soft brown hair next to her cheek a quick kiss.

"Because someone named Liebes founded it many years ago?"

Weiss chuckled at this

"No, not quite. There was a young man named Einsam, who was a solitary sailor on these seas. Legend has it he sailed a three-masted galleon named Für Immer all by himself with no crew."

Weiss paused for a second to take another bite of poutine. Ruby nuzzled up closer into the crook of her neck. Such a sight warmed her more than the massive fireplace back at the manor.

"So the story goes that one day, he came across a landmass that was covered in snow. He could not see any place to land his ship and come ashore as there was miles of sheer cliff face in each direction. He chose at random to turn his ship to the right and follow the coastline east. The cold winter air froze him and his ship so badly that he couldn't let go of the wheel."

Weiss paused again for more poutine. As good as her story was, the poutine would get cold if she didn't eat it.

"He sailed for fifty days in the freezing temperatures before stumbling across a tiny seaside house, lit only by a small fire inside. Einsam crashed his ship into the beach and found his way down onto the ground, but he could advance no further as the cold had taken it's toll on his body."

Weiss looked down at her friend, who was staring back up at her with worry in her silver eyes. Weiss smiled.

"He was awoken a week later in the little cabin he had spotted. A young maiden sat at the foot of his bed. She had seen him crash and had brought him inside to keep him warm. Her name was Sofie Retter, and she swore to the man that she would heal him and keep him safe. He would only smile at her, as she had captured his heart."

Ruby stole some poutine out of her dish, warranting her a gentle smack on the wrist.

"They fell madly in love, of course, and decided to live in her little cabin for the rest of their lives. Soon, fellow settlers landed upon the beach and a small town was born. Einsam and Sofie named the little town as Liebesdorf, because it is the place where the lonely sailor found love. You see, liebe translated into Valean means love. Liebesdorf has always been a place where people go to find their soulmates. It is considered lucky in Atlesian legend."

An arm was put around her midsection as Ruby cuddled herself closer. Weiss smiled down at her friend, and they had both abandoned the empty food bowls on the other side of the bench. For once, Weiss was sure that she was happy, and that no amount of her father telling her off could ruin this moment. Gravy-stained coat and all.

"Hey Weiss?"

"Yes, Ruby?"

There was a pause. Ruby sat up and looked her in the eye. Weiss could see that whatever Ruby was about to say was very important, because even as jumpy as her companion usually was, she never made this much sustained eye contact.

"I think I'm in love with you."

HOLY FUCK, WHAT?

Weiss's heart stopped. These words had been the ones she had been waiting for eight years, the ones she never imagined would ever be spoken, and ones she knew she wanted to say back. A solitary tear of joy came to her eye, and she refused to brush it away. Ruby was the only person she ever wanted to see her cry. She opened her mouth, and her nerves almost tried to launch her heart out of her mouth.

"I'm… I'm in love with you too."

The girl across from her on the bench smiled, seeming to need to not cry as well.

"Can I-"

Weiss cut off Ruby's obvious question by leaning over and placing her lips upon those of her friend. Fireworks erupted in her head as she kissed the girl she had always pined over. The girl who unknowingly teased her at school for four gods-damn years. The girl whose radio show she listened to more diligently than she ever paid attention in class. A girl, she loved.

A girl who loves me.

Weiss broke the kiss after a minute or so and stood up off the bench. Looking down at her friend, she could see a hint of confusion in her face, as she held out her hand to help Ruby up.

"C'mon. I promised I'd take you to the music store. You can hold my hand, if you want."

Ruby smiled, and for once in a very long time, her eyes were bright. They were happy.

Chapter 19.

I've died and gone to heaven.

Ruby was certain that there was no way she could be this happy in real life. She was with the girl she loved, in a beautiful little town, had just eaten probably the single greatest food on the face of Remnant, and was now in a freaking music store! The small store was called Cook's Music, staffed only by a middle-aged gentleman in a cardigan, who's faded name tag still read 'Wayne'. The walls were lined with shiny guitars and the floors with amplifiers, cabinet speakers and head units. She had entered a state of nirvana.

Ruby traced her fingers over one of the hanging guitars, a bright red open-body electric, and imagined herself playing it. The bronzed fretboard and pearl inserts teased her, she so wanted to take it off the wall and try it. There was nothing to say she couldn't, but the four-thousand-lien price tag made her think twice. Weiss walked up behind her and whispered in her ear.

"See something you like?"

"Yeah, actually" Ruby said, referring to the guitar she was admiring. "This one is nice. Mahogany top, open body, dual humbucking pick-ups."

"You like it because it's red."

Ruby snorted at this "Entirely!"

The quiet shop owner spoke up from his desk.

"I have patch cords back here if you wanted to try it."

Ruby gave the shop owner a pained look as if to say 'it's too expensive', but he held up the black chord and presented it to them. Ruby took the chord as he came around the desk and brought the guitar down from the wall, turning on a rather worn-looking old 'Blue' branded amplifier.

"Blaine guitars, vintage style. Got this one in about a month ago. Really nice sound."

Ruby took the guitar and sat on one of the barstools that littered the shop. The heavy wood body propped up on her right knee, she tried to remember a song her father had taught her. She played a little melody, and the sound from the old amp coursed through her. It was amazing. The sound could only be described as pure emotion, even though she was only playing a simple four chord song quietly.

"Hey Ruby?"

Ruby stopped playing for a moment.

"Yeah, Weiss?"

"Mind if I have a go?"

Ruby raised an eyebrow, confused that Weiss wanted to play the instrument, but shrugged and handed it over. She watched as her friend sat down on the stool and positioned the annoyingly right-handed instrument on her knee. She took a second to get comfortable, but when she had, there was suddenly music.

She began with a C chord, playing a slow waltz with a pick she had procured out of thin air. What followed was an E minor, an F, then a G. Weiss returned to the C, as if she had played the first little bit to warm up her hands on the unfamiliar instrument. She started to sing, quietly as if to no one.

"~I've got a girl crush..."

The words flowed from her like sweet butter, and Ruby's legs couldn't hold her anymore. This was just too perfect.

"~I hate to admit it, but..."

Weiss had been a fairly accomplished singer in her youth, with a voice that no one would ever outshine, Ruby thought. The normally whiny tone she had was transformed into this sultry, sensual sound that felt like it was embracing her whole body.

"~I've got a hard rush..."

Not to sound corny, but this was music to her ears, Ruby presumed. She was a music producer after all, and she had to spend long shifts at the station listening to music and pretending to enjoy it. But this time, she was hearing music that actually made her feel. Weiss was singing her way into her heart.

"~It ain't slowin' do-own..."

Weiss moved into the chorus, humming along to her own playing. Despite her small hands, she played even the bar chords with ease, much to Ruby's annoyance, but she stayed put. She was in a trance.

Weiss finished with her little song, not that Ruby had noticed, of course, as she was distracted by the beauty of the sound.

"Weiss..." she paused, still in her own head. "That was beautiful. Where did you learn to play?"

She watched as her companion shut off the amplifier and unplugged the guitar, smirking.

"Well, when I brought up an interest in learning, father insisted that I learn classical guitar. I convinced my instructor to teach me the basics of real music with enough classical interspersed so as to appear like I was learning. Third year at Beacon I had Blake teach me that song."

Ruby was in awe, her mouth frozen in a perpetual smile. This girl was beautiful, intelligent, witty, charming, talented, and most importantly, hers.

I'm the luckiest girl in the world.

"Shall we hit the highway, Rose-Petal?"

I love that

"I think so. Let's motor."