Chapter 41
"So take me through a day in the life of Ruby Rose."
Ruby turned her attention from a group of cows out the window back over to her white-haired driver, who was turned slightly in her seat to look over at her. She straightened her back, pushing her chest out slightly to stretch her back.
"Well..." She yawned "...it usually starts with me waking up at about eight or eight thirty, depending whether or not it's Thursday, of course. Then I'll go to the kitchen and turn on my coffee maker, which I had prepped the night before."
Ruby looked over at Weiss, who nodded back.
"Following that, I'll go get undressed, and have a shower. Usually I'll put on an episode of a TV show or something on my scroll and bring it in the shower with me."
She paused to rub her nose. The pollen-rich air from the previous town was still getting to her a little, and this gave her friend time to accuse her of being lewd.
"You mean you watch porn in the shower, right?"
Ruby whipped around.
"Weiss! No! Don't be ridiculous!"
Her face went red, which caused Weiss to laugh at her again.
"As I was saying, then I watch television in the shower, and clean my hair. Watching porn in the shower, geez, what kind of heathen do you take me for? Your brother?"
She saw Weiss shudder violently at that idea.
"No. No no no no no. NO. I do not ever want to think about that, thank you."
Ruby snickered.
"You brought this on yourself. Anyway, after shower comes breakfast, which consists of coffee and a bowl of Pumpkin Pete's or Schnee-Bites, depending on what I have in the cupboard that day."
Weiss interrupted "You actually buy Schnee-Bites? They're terrible!"
"They're alright. They have good amounts of vitamins and stuff in them. Squad Commander insists we eat healthy breakfasts, even when we're not on duty. Besides, they have your face on the box. I like seeing that in the morning"
Weiss blushed, much to Ruby's amusement.
"Yeah, sure, but Pumpkin Pete's has Pyrrha's face on it! Come on, you must like that! She's super hot!"
Ruby looked down at her hands and tried to hide her embarrassment, her face turning a vibrant shade of pink. Yes, the red-headed warrior woman who adorned every box, who was also their best friend, was spectacularly attractive, but Ruby felt like she needed to explain to Weiss that she was, in fact, superior in every way.
"Yeah, sure, but..."
Ruby paused, a little shaky.
"...You're hotter."
Weiss squeaked. Ruby couldn't believe she had just said that. There was silence for a minute. She couldn't breathe.
Did I say something wrong?
"Well...I'm pleased you think so. I think you are also the most attractive of our friends, Ruby."
Ruby frowned. That was an oddly professional way of putting it. She looked over to find her driver refusing to look over to her side of the bench. Her ears, where they were visible just around the ponytail, were vibrant red. She seemed to be shaking a little. Perhaps she was red in the face, Ruby thought. If only she knew how to get Weiss to turn around by her own accord...
"Hey Weiss, my boobs are out."
Weiss turned. Exactly as expected, her face was a vibrant shade of red. Ruby let out a loud snort. Her boobs weren't out, of course, as such an action would require unbuttoning and untucking her shirt, and that would have been too much effort for a small visual comedy gag. But oh it would have been worth it. Ruby giggled at her friend.
"Why do you do this to me? Why are you so cruel, Ruby?"
Ruby laughed.
"I'm not cruel! You did it to me, too!"
Weiss's eyes flicked over, angry but clearly aroused. Ruby was proud of herself for being able to get under her skin like this. It was self-assuring, in a way. She could feel her own cheeks begin to glow. Perhaps she could find solace in this girl?
"So. Are you gonna keep telling me about your day? Or are we going to sit here in awkward silence?"
Ruby blinked a few times, her fantasy briefly shattered.
"Yeah, of course. Where was I again?"
"Breakfast with Pyrrha."
"Right, right. So after eating breakfast, I'll go into the office at the back of my house, turn on my computer, and drink my coffee while it boots up. Then I'll read the Altas Chronicle online, check my emails, respond to my emails, play my pirated versions of Galaga or Sinistar while I wait for my boss to call me with details of the day. Want a snack?"
After an affirmative nod from her driver, she reached back behind the seat and procured a bag of chips, tearing it open and placing it on the seat between them. Weiss grabbed a few and munched them quietly. She spoke through a mouth full of ketchup-flavoured chips.
"I thought you were the boss."
Ruby shook her head, grabbing some chips for herself.
"No, I'm the sound producer and one of the show hosts. Mister Bulsara's the boss. He runs the show, I just host it and make sure it sounds good. He calls me in the morning to give me a run down of timing for the day's show, so I can prep scripts and a day plan for the station, which is how I spend my morning until about eleven."
"Do you spend the morning in your pyjamas? Because that's what I'd do if I lived alone."
"Nah, I get dressed right out of the shower. You know my style, loose jeans, band shirt. I don't have to wear a suit. Unless we're doing a studio tour, then I do. But no, at about eleven I print off my scripts and day plans and put them in a folder in my briefcase."
Weiss stopped mid-chip.
"You have a briefcase?"
"Of course! How else would I transport papers without them getting crinkled? Anyway, then I drive to work. Well, actually I sit in traffic and listen to music on my Scroll because just-before-noon traffic is the actual worst, Weiss."
She grabbed her water bottle from under the seat and took a sip, washing the rest of the chips down.
"So then I get to the studio, about quarter to noon at this point, park the truck, and go to my office. Which by the way, is actually a sound studio. Then I have to do sound management for the noon-o'clock news and Alphi's afternoon show, The Grunge Bin."
Weiss pulled the truck into the left lane to overtake a slower car. The truck's huge engine breathed deep, roaring quietly up in front of them.
"Then. Then it's time for my show, where I have to go to my sound booth with my script. That's at three-thirty, if you remember. Then I do my show for two hours, which I think it's super adorable that you listen to. Sometimes I bring guests on to talk about music history. You know once I had Gord Downie?"
"I remember that one! I have that one downloaded on my laptop! Wait, is that illegal?"
"No, not particularly. Radio's a public resource. I guess if you aren't selling it, then it's fine? Do you go back and listen to it?"
Weiss seemed uncomfortable. She shifted in her seat. Ruby's eyes perked up.
"What, do you diddle yourself to it?"
She turned away, still blushing.
"I don't want to talk to you anymore."
OH REALLY
YOU GOSH DARN PERVERT
"So I'm going to continue my day, we'll talk about that later. So at about seven in the evening, I hand the mic over to my co-host, and I get to go home! Then it's fuckin' dinner time! So I have to cook food for myself, often spaghetti. Because I like it, not because I'm a terrible cook and spaghetti is the only thing I can't screw up, obviously."
"I'm sure you're a good cook, Ruby. I just think you don't try enough different things."
"Oh trust me, I'm not. Anyway, after crappy spaghetti, I go into the spare bedroom and rifle through my record collection and spend the evening listening to them, picking out songs for the next day's show. Basically I just listen to music until I'm tired and go to bed. That's really about it, honestly."
Weiss seemed to be contemplating all of this. Ruby munched on a chip, and much of the crumbs falling into her lap.
"So what's a day in the life of Weiss look like?"
Chapter 42
"Oh my god, it's so boring. You really don't want to hear about it."
Her passenger fidgeted.
"Of course I do! C'mon!"
"Nope. Not doing it."
"Pleeeease?"
"Nuh uh."
"I'll kiss you like we did this morning!"
"So the first thing I do when I wake up is do my morning warm-up. Y'know, sit-ups, push-ups, lunges. I need to remain fit, after all. Then I'll throw on my robe over my jammies and go downstairs. This is at about four-thirty, well before either of my parents or brother is awake. Klein makes me coffee and waffles, then insists I eat some fruit as well."
"It's good for you, Weiss-Cream. Do you forget that he acts in your best interests?"
Weiss shrugged. It's true that fruit was a good part of a balanced diet. Perhaps since Ruby told her to she might listen.
"Probably. Then once I've fed myself, I have a shower, and no I do not watch porn in the shower. Unlike you."
"I do not!"
"Yeees you do. Anyway, then I have to get dressed, usually a nice business skirt and blouse. You know, the usual corporate garbage. Then I get to drive to work before anyone else is on the road, the best part being there's no one in my way on the motorway. And you know what that means, right?"
She looked over at Ruby over the top of her glasses. Her passenger sniffled.
"You get to drive fast?"
"I get to top out for the twenty-minute drive to work. Who else gets to go three-hundred kilometres per hour on their way to work? Me, that's who. Anyway, I'll usually arrive at about seven, which is actually two hours earlier than any of the other employees. This gives me time to prep my day."
Weiss yawned. Talking about the beginning of her day made her tired. She grabbed some more chips.
These are so bad yet so good!
"Best part of my day starts the. I go up to my office and answer my emails for almost two hours. Like I said, my day is super boring."
She could hear her passenger swoon a little.
"I think you're interesting..."
Aww. She likes me!
"At about ten to nine I take a short break, since the instant it strikes nine I know my phone will start ringing. So then it does, and I have to spend like three hours talking to business partners, department heads, potential investors, my mother, so you know, stressful. So I have a coffeemaker on my desk. People I have had meetings with give me weird looks very often."
These chips were getting addicting. Who knew that ketchup-flavour would actually be good. Weiss usually was one for salt and vinegar. This seemed pretty good.
"Speaking of meetings, at about twelve i have to go to a board meeting where we always talk about imports and import taxes. You have no idea how boring that gets seven days a week, for like three hours a day."
"I notice that you've reached three in the afternoon. Did you plan your entire schedule around listening to my show?"
Weiss laughed.
"Darn, you saw through my ruse! No, actually it happened that way before you had your show. At three I go back to my office to make one last phone call before lunch, when I get to grab my pre-made sandwiches and go to the break room in time for Ruby Radio with my favourite brunette. That's you, by the way."
Calm down, me. Getting a little heated up here.
"I get an hour for lunch, like all of my employees do, in our super luxurious lunch room, which is like the best room in the whole building, by the way. So once that's done, I go back to my office and sit in my chair, because at that point I've been awake for twelve hours."
Just talking about her day was making her tired.
"Then it's more short meetings, writing a few documents, signing everything that ends up in my inbox, and drinking like three more cups of coffee. Day end comes at about eight, two hours after everyone else leaves. So I drive home, go up to my room, immediately get fully naked and lie on my bed."
Ruby whipped her head around, her face red. Weiss giggled at her.
"Fully naked?"
"Oh yes, dear Ruby. Fully naked. So if I'm still conscious at that point I'll boot up my X-Station and dick about on some game, usually Foreordination. I'm really good at that game, by the way, one-v-one me in the Crucible, you peasant. But mostly I'll just fall asleep by like nine thirty or ten. That's it. That's my day. Can we do the thing you promised now?"
Yes, give me sexy Power-Ruby kissing.
"Maybe. If you let me shower with you again."
You're not allowed to shower alone anymore.
"Don't be crass, Ruby. But if you insist, of course. Can you check the map again for me? We shouldn't be too far from Winter's house at this hour."
Her passenger fiddled with the map. They probably needed a new one, as this one was faded and wrinkled. Next chance she got, Weiss assured herself she was going to buy a new one. Something crisp.
"Maybe an hour or so? Do we need gas, or something?"
Or something. Like sex.
"No, we're good. I just wanted to-"
Weiss was interrupted by her ass buzzing. She frowned, shifted in her seat, and grabbed her scroll out of her back pocket. It was ringing. She handed it to Ruby.
"Mind getting that for me?"
The scroll was taken from her hand.
"Yeah, no problem. Hey, it's your sister! Speak of the devil, eh? I'll put it on speaker."
Ruby fiddled with the screen on the scroll, and it lit up signifying that the call had connected.
"Hey, Winter, It's Ruby!"
There was a slight pause. Weiss looked over at her friend out of the corner of her eye.
"Hello, little Ruby, is my sister available at the moment?"
Ruby laughed at being called 'little'. Weiss smiled at hearing her sister's voice.
"Yeah, she's a little busy at the moment. She's tongue-deep in my pussy right now."
Weiss's face went scarlet. She whipped her hand over and snatched the scroll from Ruby, an angry expression crossing her visage.
"Ruby! What the hell! Winter, I'm so sorry!"
Winter laughed on the other end of the line.
"Worry not, dear Weiss. I can see by my GPS tracker that you are currently moving along the Number Seven highway, which would make romantic relations difficult. But alas, I do not wish to imagine my little sister in such a situation. Whitley called me earlier and told me that you revealed yourselves to him on video chat?"
Weiss laughed nervously.
"Yeah, that. I thought I pressed speaker. Turns out I missed."
"No matter, I found his blubbering quite humorous. I can see from my GPS that you are approximately one hour from my residence. I will be putting the roast in the oven now. However I will be requiring your assistance."
Ruby looked over, still giggling.
"Roast?"
Weiss turned, moving her mouth from the scroll's mic.
"We're having roast beef. Hope you don't mind. Yeah, Winter, what do you need?"
"In my haste to prepare my house for your arrival, I neglected to purchase wine, so I humbly request your assistance. I will leave the selection up to you."
"Yeah, Win, that's perfectly alright with me."
"Provided you don't purchase any Atlesian wine. You will be barred from my home."
Weiss laughed.
"Absolutely not, Winter. You forget that I have business meetings with dignitaries and socialites on the daily? I think I know a good wine from a bad one. You have nothing to fear."
"Except for the mental image of you and Ruby in a romantic encounter."
"Just keep thinking about it. I'll see you soon, Winter."
"Indeed. Good-bye."
The call ended. Weiss dropped her scroll onto the bench seat and snickered. As much as she loved her sister, it was comical to make her squirm from time to time. She sighed and looked over at Ruby, who was wearing an inquisitive expression.
"You don't tell your sister you love her?"
Weiss shrugged.
"Not usually. It's implied that we do. Like, obviously I do, we just agreed long ago that it was an unnecessary step in conversation. When she's not being overly professional, she gives very loving hugs. So I know how she really feels. Oh! Speaking of professional, we're gonna get dressed up for supper. No buts."
She could hear Ruby fidgeting in her seat. Her bag contained nothing suitable for the dinner situation, so Weiss had already prepared a potential outfit in her head for her using some of the nicer clothes in her own bag. She'd be the most presentable and adorable soldier in the world. Weiss could feel her cheeks begin to glow.
So I'm a pervert for Ruby in a skirt. I'm allowed. Right?
"But I don't wanna... What's wrong with what I'm wearing now?"
"Well for starters, a simple blouse is nice, yes, but without any flourish you look like a salary-maker. And you're wearing jeans, I will not be having you wear jeans to supper with a high-ranking Atlas military official."
"I'm a high-ranking military official, too, Weiss."
Weiss turned in her seat, frowning.
"She's your superior, Ruby. Besides, I already have an outfit prepared for you. Now, it won't have as much cleavage as when you borrowed my dress, unfortunately for me, but it will still be flattering to you rather fantastic frame. I promise you will look good."
"Weiss, my boobs are too big for any of your shirts."
And it's great!
"I understand that. I will be putting some of your own clothes to good use to ensure you look respectable. I promise."
Chapter 43
Ruby didn't feel respectable as they stood on the front steps of Winter's house. Weiss had chosen for her to wear a pleated baby-blue mini-skirt held up by a thick leather belt, the long white knee-socks from the other day, her own white blouse from the morning, and a black argyle sweater-vest over it. Ruby admitted that it was kinda cute, sure, but it didn't feel dignified. Weiss's own outfit was a little more refined, the matching skirt and blazer suited her much better. Ruby thought perhaps it was because of her much wider hips made her seems a little...
"Ruby, I don't know why you're worried. It's not like you're having dinner with my parents. It's just Winter, and she's already approved of you. C'mon, loosen up."
I look like a doll, though.
Weiss rung the doorbell. Ruby shivered in the cold air, her hands gripped tighter around the nine-hundred lien bottle of fine Mistralian wine. Why? Why did adults spend so much money just to get hammered? Ruby didn't know if she wanted to bring out drunk Ruby today, however, seeing as she was up next to drive. The sound of the lock on the other side of the door clicked. The door opened. Ruby suddenly remembered why she liked seeing Winter around Weiss's house.
I forgot how hot she is.
There stood what could be described as a six-foot-one version of Weiss, her perfect silver-white hair pulled up into it's usual bun, her sparkling blue eyes distracting her. The beautifully toned soldier's shoulders that were usually hidden under a suit or uniform were out on display today, her imposingly astonishing figure clad in an uncharacteristically flowery strapless summer dress. Ruby's heart skipped.
So this is what Weiss will look like at thirty-two? Suddenly I'm comfortable again.
The amazing woman smiled at them, inviting them inside.
"Hello, Weiss, Ruby. You two look positively dashing. May I take your coat?"
Ruby nodded and let the tall woman take her coat and place it into the walk-in closet in the foyer. Everything about this house was imposing. The huge marble arch they had just been standing under, the huge double doors, and now the overwhelming entryway. It had a polished tile floor which reflected the enormous chandelier which hung twenty feet above. She wondered what the rest of the house looked like. The warm aroma of Mistralian seasoning wafted from a far-off kitchen.
"Do come inside, my friends, make yourselves at home. Well, more at home then you already are, of course."
They followed Winter deeper into the huge mansion, through to an enormous living room which sat adjoining an equally large kitchen. Ruby handed the expensive bottle of red liquid off to the older women, before plopping herself as daintily as she could on one of the huge couches. She watched Weiss follow her sister into the kitchen the two women having a quiet conversation just out of earshot. She saw Weiss blush. Whatever Winter had said clearly had not been appropriate, judging by how the two women were giggling. Weiss called out to her.
"Hey, Ruby, can I interest you in a glass of wine?"
Ruby briefly considered it.
"Actually do you have anything non-alcoholic? I have to drive after, remember?"
"Right, sorry. Yeah, just give me a second."
More than a second later, Weiss appeared next to her on the couch, two wine glasses in hand, one filled with the red wine, and the other a sparkling yellow drink which smelled of ginger. She took a sip and was pleasantly surprised by the calm apple and ginger flavour. Winter strolled over to them, tying an apron around her midriff.
"So, supper will be ready in a few minutes, if you'd kindly have a seat at the table. And Weiss, don't drink red wine on my white couch again. You know what happens."
Ruby looked over at Weiss, who paused mid-sip, her eyes wide. She swallowed her drink quickly, a sheepish grin coming to her face.
"Sorry, I'll be good, sister. And I'm sorry in advance for whatever Drunk Weiss does."
Winter sighed at her sister, making Ruby's mouth curl up into a smile.
"You're going to be the death of me, I swear. Go to the table, child."
Weiss stood and stamped her foot.
"I'm not a child!"
"You could have fooled me."
Ruby checked her friend's glass. It was almost empty, and by Weiss's current level of balance, she was mildly inebriated. She knew Weiss was a lightweight, but this was ridiculous. She guided Weiss over to the dinner table and sat her down. Weiss whipped her hair around, smacking Ruby in the face. She sighed.
"My friends, dinner is served!"
Ruby looked down at the plate the tall woman placed in front of her. It was overflowing with steamed vegetables, gravy, and in the centre of it all was a large piece of beef, steaming and pink. It smelled fantastic. Winter placed a plate in front of the mildly-swaying Weiss, and one down at her own spot as well, before removing her apron and sitting down.
"Please begin, you didn't have to wait for me to sit down, you know. I'm glad you two wanted to join me for dinner tonight. I don't often get visits from my favourite sibling, so this is a nice change."
Ruby looked over to Weiss, who had a shit-eating grin on her face. As well as a second empty glass of wine.
"Hear that, Whitley? She loves me more than you, you dope."
"Dear Weiss, I recommend you slow down a little on the alcohol. You do tend to get tipsy very quickly."
"Maybe I should...slow down."
Weiss put down her glass, her hand wobbling a little. Did it really only take two glasses to get Weiss over the line? Ruby casually grabbed the bottle from the table and examined it. Twenty percent per volume. Holy cow. Ruby put the bottle back down. That was considerably stronger than the ten percent stuff from the other day. Ruby shrugged and took a bit of her food. It was very tender, for sure. Ruby had never had something homemade that was this good before. She savoured the flavour as it washed through her. She liked it. A glance over to Weiss shattered her tiny fantasy. Her chin was covered in gravy.
"Weiss, your chin... you know what, forget it. It's not important."
Weiss stopped eating, her drunk eyes suddenly worried.
"Iz ther' somethin' wrong?"
Even Winter chuckled. Never really before had Ruby seen the woman smile, let alone laugh, and it honestly made her a little nervous. The last time she had been around Winter was during a meeting with The General himself. She hadn't smiled then. This was weird, but somehow comforting.
"Worry not, sister, there is merely a small smudge on your face. Anyway, tell me, Ruby, I've always wondered, why did you choose to join the Atlas military instead of the Sanus army. Wouldn't staying in Vale allow you to be closer to your family?"
Ruby swallowed her mouthful, nodding.
"It would have joined, but they told me I couldn't. You remember the Fall of Beacon?"
Winter nodded solemnly.
"Well, that was at the end of fourth year for us, but technically since we didn't finish our schooling, they denied my application. Even though it was Weiss and myself who personally lead the charge against the terrorists. So I may have gone into a bit of a funk after that."
"I can understand that. Did you spend a week in your pyjamas listening to grunge music?"
Ruby looked over at the older woman.
"How did you know exactly?"
"I was once denied entry to the army. I understand the feeling, Red."
"So anyway, geez Weiss is drunk, after a week of moping I got a call at about five in the evening one day from General Ironwood himself, who insisted I visit him in Atlas. So he paid for a first-class flight to Schlachtstadt, where I got driven to his office for a personal meeting with him. He offered me a job the instant I walked through the door."
There was a moment of silence as the three of them continued eating. Ruby noticed that she was nearly done.
"Yeah, he said he was assembling a crack team to deal with the overwhelming Grimm problem in North Atlas, and he wanted the most capable soldiers. I was flattered that he chose me specifically."
"Well, you must be exceptionally good to warrant the General's attention, then, little Ruby."
"I killed four-hundred Grimm in one night."
Winter's fork fell from her fingers, her mouth frozen. Ruby blinked a few times, distracted. The night of the invasion saw an incomprehensible number of Grimm released into the City of Vale by the terrorists, and Ruby had personally been responsible for bringing their numbers down to a reasonable level. She was driven by an innate anger, caused by a monster bigger than any Grimm. It was him, again. General Ironwood liked her unbridled passion.
The one time he did something right.
"I seem to have finished before the two of you. I will remain at the table in order to keep you company."
"Hey, don't worry about it. I've about finished as well. It was fantastic, by the way."
Winter smiled and collected the plates, before returning to the kitchen. Ruby stood slowly and guided her drunk friend back over to the living room, depositing her on a couch. Ruby sat herself down on an armchair next to a small mahogany side table. She watched Winter mull about in the kitchen, making coffee and prepping a dish of brownies. This woman was going to be a perfect mother at some point, if a little strict, she figured. She absent-mindedly opened the drawer on the table. A small cardstock box caught her eye. She immediately slammed the door shut.
WAS THAT WHAT I THOUGHT IT WAS?
She gingerly opened the drawer again. Yep, it was exactly what she thought. It was a small box filled with individually foil-wrapped latex circles. Ruby was suddenly very, VERY uncomfortable. For what reason would a lady as dignified as Winter need to use such things! The only men that she knew Winter spent time with were The General, who couldn't be the one since he was married to Mrs The General, and...
Oh no...
She stood up really quickly, feeling violently sick. Weiss giggled at her.
"You figured it out, yet? Them together? Pretty nasty, right?"
Ruby shuddered in place. Why? Why did she have to be curious? If she had left the stupid drawer
"Hey Winter!"
No, shut up!
"Yes, Weiss?"
"When're you and Qrow gonna get married? I wanna be th' made of horror!"
The silence was deafening. Winter had stopped moving entirely, her pale skin going sheet white.
"I meant maid of honour. Shit, I'm far gone."
"...how..."
"His jacket is in the closet, idiot. Also there's condoms in every room and now Ruby's scarred for life and it's pretty obvious you like him and I wonder why him though because sure he's hot and roguish and handsome but like he's a drunk and all that but he raised Ruby and Yang so I guess he's a good guy."
Weiss downed the last of her glass. Her mouth had disobeyed her entirely, spewing forth a barrage of nonsense. Ruby couldn't decide whether she wanted to laugh or cry. Maybe both. Winter calmly walked over to the living room and sat down across from them.
"I suppose there is no better time to say this to the both of you. Although I cannot think of a worse time, but alas, here we are."
She reached into her pocket and procured a golden ring, encrusted with a small transparent stone. Ruby eyed the rock, her heart slowly crumbling in her chest.
Are you fucking kidding me.
"Ohmygosh Winter! Congradurations! SO proud of you! Dad's gonna be mad, though. You know 'ow he feels."
"I do, and I'd prefer if the two of you kept quiet about this engagement. Ruby, do you have anything to say about this subject? I can understand if you feel uncomfortable."
Ruby only had one thing on her mind.
"Is he happy?"
Winter paused.
"I do not underst-"
"Is he happy?"
"He has quit drinking, and he does seem to be more pleased with his own life now. Is that what you are referring to?"
Ruby let the edges of her mouth curl upwards.
"You got him to quit drinking?"
"Well, he'll have a glass of wine with dinner, but so do I. He gave up drinking constantly like he used to. He smiles more now."
"Then I approve. You have my blessing, Winter. Even though you are nine years older and fully capable of making your own choices. But since you make him happy, I'll be okay with it."
Winter smiled again. It was unnerving how honest her happiness was. Ruby, too, felt happy.
"Thank you, Ruby."
Weiss lolled her mouth open, smiling like an idiot.
"Awww you guy's're so cute, you know. I like you two. No, wait. I love you."
Winter and Ruby chuckled at the ice-princess's drunken stupor.
"I think I need to take her to the hotel now and put her to bed. Dinner was excellent, Winter. I am very proud of you as well."
She stood up and grasped Weiss's hands, guiding her back to the doorway. The girl giggled in her grasp.
There goes my plans for sex today. Shit.
Winter took their coats from the closet and dressed Weiss, as she seemed to need help standing up. Just the difficulty her friend was having figuring out how sleeves worked made her laugh as she donned her own coat. They said their goodbyes, and Ruby got an extra-long, and extra-booby hug from the tall woman.
"Thank you for not freaking out over me and your uncle, Ruby."
"He's not really my uncle. It's more of an honorary thing. But if I'm not invited to your wedding I will be severely upset."
Winter let out a genuine laugh as she assisted in depositing her sister into the passenger seat of Ruby's truck.
"You're going to be one of my bridesmaids, obviously."
Ruby smiled and blushed a little as she got a second hug from Winter. Despite her cold-sounding name, she really was warm. Ruby climbed into her truck and fired it up, looking over to her passenger, who seemed to have fallen asleep already. It made her smile as she pulled out of the driveway and back onto their journey.
"I love Drunk Weiss."