"Do tell your family I wish them the best." Weiss stood near Blake staring towards the ground. The faunus nodded and smiled.
"Of course. My mother's missed you since the day you left." The two chuckled at the thought.
Not too far off the sisters are sharing a hug that had gone on for a while, Ruby use her face to express concern to Yang who consistently reassured her that she was in trusted care having caught up with Blake for the past week. "I promise I'll call when I get there." It eased her little sister's nerves, enough for her to let the poor woman out her protective grasp.
Blake decided to use that as her cue to depart from the two. "I'll be a week." She wrapped her arms around the heiress. The hug was returned.
"And no longer, I'd hope." She shook her head at the thought of being left alone again, with no one to comfort her. No, she corrected herself, she had Ruby. As unconventional their relationship was Ruby was still someone that paid her emotions some mind to. Miles compared to her father. "I won't keep you any longer. You have a flight to catch after all." Blake turned to Yang as she began approaching her.
They walked deeper into the terminal waving behind them and laughing at the clear contrast between Weiss' small wave and smile compared to Ruby's over-exaggerated and animated gestures. When the two were out of view Ruby began to tug on the heiress' cardigan earning a slight hum of interest. "What is it?" The little girl giggled in response. Weiss sighed grasping at her loose cardigan and smiling to where she suspected Ruby was. "Alright, lead the way."
Their driver managed to keep quiet of their route and destination as Ruby's hand hovered over the heiress' staring out the window for the whole drive. Weiss did the best she could to try and pry her hand away from its cover, though try as she might her muscles wouldn't budge under the comfort. She left them as they were noting that resistance wasn't necessary.
As they got out the chauffeur Weiss still wasn't exactly sure of where she had been taken to. Ruby continued to lead the way through the doors of a building that brought a cool chill when passing. From the hushed volume, the heiress would have to guess a small building, though any other details were lost in the chatter.
"Heya, Ruby. Y'a made it." A cheerful voice called to the girl. The voice was high pitched, annoyingly high. The type that would annoy the heiress in an instant. It did. "Who's y'a friend?"
Ruby gently tapped Weiss' shoulder which she took as an indicator to speak sensing no explanation from the girl's actions to the stranger. "I'm Weiss." She slightly bowed her head, unsure that the stranger was even familiar with formal etiquette.
"Nice to meet'cha." She and Ruby both saluted to each other. "The name's Nora." There was a silence between the three before Ruby lightly tapped Weiss' palm which after a moment of deliberation urged her to hold her hand out. Nora's strong grip against her delicate hand shook their arms violently. When she let go Weiss could still feel the pressure on her skin. "What'd you like to order?"
Ruby tilted her head towards the heiress' shoulder, and for a split second she let it rest there. Weiss almost slapped her head up when the girl bounced out her grasp towards Nora leaving the heiress to stand in what felt like an empty space. At that moment panic began to settle in again reminding her that she belonged in her family manor with the help of others. She'd always be a burden on others, and when they abandon her she's left to panic. This is no way to live her life as a Schnee, though there's nothing she can do about it, and there's nothing she wants to do about it. "Ruby." She desperately called trying to maintain her composure and not let her unease slip through her voice.
"You two take a seat somewhere and I'll bring you y'a food." Nora gave the two a smile and bounced back behind the counter of the store. Ruby led them to the corner for a booth away from anyone to distract them.
Weiss frowned as she tapped the table they sat at with her fingernails. "You still have yet to tell me where we are." The girl had grabbed a napkin while communicating with Nora and folded it into a firm triangle that she held with her index and thumb. While she twirled it around in her hand she pulled out her scroll and typed in her thoughts before placing it in front of the heiress and pressing play.
"Bakery." It spoke.
"Why didn't you say that to begin with?" The heiress scolded the girl who only sheepishly grinned and scratched her cheek as if she would be seen. Not long later Nora came over with their pastries and set out their respective plates in front of them. Ruby was given the iconic plate of cookies she was so used to and Weiss a piece of blueberry tart.
Thankfully for the heiress their waitress had explained the pastries for them both so as to not leave the meal to be a mystery. She could already hear Ruby inhaling the cookies across from her as her giggling and squealing passed through every bite. Weiss trailed her fork across the plate pressing it against the tart and feeling around to get a general idea of the shape and the best way to eat it.
As she dug her fork into the filled middle of the tart she pondered over the girl that sat ingesting cookies like there was no tomorrow, wondering how she could even enjoy all that sugar and appreciate the taste from gulping it down so quickly. It was a mannerism that Weiss wasn't entirely used to and went against every single one of the lessons her father had taught her to stay as her sophisticated self but it wasn't something that annoyed her as much as it probably should have. Maybe at the sight of it she would scowl and turn a cold shoulder but knowing that it was Ruby had definitely played a part in her leniency. Ruby was a child after all, or at least she acted like one. Her excitement was something that Weiss envied, especially since they both lacked something regarding their communicative skills. She was a very expressive person anyways regardless of whether or not she had her voice. Not scared to show any affection or weakness, not that her sister could hide anything from the world.
After pondering over the girl a bit more she realised that she actually didn't know as much about her guest as she probably should. Briefly mentioning the realisation to her only earned a hum in return followed by a shrug that she wasn't able to notice.
As their waitress came around once again Weiss took the opportunity to see if she could strengthen whatever relationship she had with her guest. Out of respect and courtesy, she told herself. Ruby was staying in her manor for however long it would be, they couldn't remain strangers the whole time.
"How's the food? Did'ya want anything else while you're here?" Nora gathered the empty plates and gave a genuine smile to the two. They both shook their heads.
"Actually, if I were to come back here would it be indecent to ask for your assistance at all."
Nora's eyes lit up. "No, no, come whenever. Ya know Nora's got'cha back." She pumped at her chest with a proud smirk at her lips. Weiss held back the groan at the response she was given, forgetting the annoyance she felt to begin with about their waitress. Ruby raised an eyebrow to the heiress at the exchange but decided against questioning it.
The rest of the evening went by smoothly as the two returned back home to the manor. Like Weiss had expected as she had done every other day Ruby hung around the heiress a little longer in her room despite not saying much to one another. Weiss could only admit that it was nice company to hear rustling every once in a while in an otherwise silent room.
Myternaster in hand she tapped the tip of it against the tiled floors of her room as she paced back and forth hoping to familiarise herself to the new method of mobility. She had accustomed herself to simply having the aid of others or using the walls to guide her way around the manor. After a good while of repetitive walking, the action grew numbing. At this, she decided to take a seat near the window as she had always done since she was a little girl.
Ruby, laying on her stomach across the foot of the heiress' bed, flipped through a magazine she had found interest in while at a gas station, enticed by the cover with model huntress and huntresses and a variety of weapons. 'Very Ruby-esk' as her sister had put it with a cheesy grin. Every turn of the page has her shift in her posture, shuffling the covers underneath her that had been neatly tucked under the mattress. Her smile, unnoticed by herself, was wide and growing with each image she laid her eyes on.
Elegantly seated in a chair not too far off from her, one leg crossed over the other, was her host staring out the window despite her lack of vision. Absentminded strings of sighs and hums flew through Ruby's ears, drawing the urge to converse as they once had before through whatever actions they interpret. She arched her back off the comfort of the mattress to get a better look at the pale girl who seemed to glow against the sunset rays as they bled through the window. The childish girl rested her chin on her palm, elbow propped on the bed, with a smile growing with her trance. She cocked her head against her hand as she relaxed into the sight. Her eyes constantly scanned the girl over and over again, eventually ending on her face every time. The natural, golden light kissed it ever so gently, accentuating the smooth surface Ruby desired to stroke, if only for a moment.
She froze at the thought, reaching for her scroll and rushing to her sister's messages with a quickly sprawled text, 'nothings changed'. In response she was met with confusion as to what she was talking about but her mind was too rattled to even attempt putting into words what she was feeling.
Yang had talked her through her emotions and feelings the night of the party years ago after noticing Ruby opting to be near Weiss more often than she was around her sister. The idea of her ever leaving her older sisters side was a surprise, even to Yang, although she didn't exactly discourage the behaviour in any way. She found it refreshing to be left to her own adventures while her little sister travelled on her own as she had always encouraged her to. The oddity, however, came from the fact that she hung around the prestigious heiress that held herself at a much higher class than she would Ruby. Halfway through the party Ruby pulled Yang and Blake aside for some guidance regarding her emotions and explained the increased heart rate and impenetrable barrier in her throat while around the heiress. The two older girls smirked and squealed when they could identify the symptoms and encouraged her to pursue the feeling despite knowing that the heiress has as cold of a heart as her family name suggested.
Admiration, as Yang had put it. Not complete head over heels love or an ironclad crush that she had heard mentioned from her friend's back at home, but it was a step in that direction. That was what Ruby held her present feelings to. Simply an admiration that had the potential to grow into more.
"Ruby?" Weiss called out after concerning the constant shifting to any frustration or nerves the girl had. "Are you okay?" The girl hummed enthusiastically to signify her content. The heiress left it at that and turned her filtered gaze out to the window.
Ruby let her eyes fall back onto Weiss relaxing further as she became mesmerised by the woman staring into what seemed like nothing. The reflection of her eyes, pools of an emotion she couldn't pin in her head. Windows to the soul, Yang had always told her, were the most telling aspect about someone. The way they looked at someone, the genuine opinion that it held. Ruby never understood why someone's eyes meant so much, she still didn't despite wanting to stare into Weiss' forever more. She saw a mix of hues, blended into a seemingly perfect shade of confidence yet with her lack of sight, there was also a fear, almost sadness built into them. They glimmered in the light that passed the filter of the glass, reflecting with ease against her eyes. Shimmering, gleaming, Ruby's face grew tired of smiling but refused to stop. The distance between them didn't discourage her stare as she looked further to notice an emotion hidden within the heiress' eyes.
Tears. They sat still, collecting on her bottom lid. Ruby's reaction was slow, waiting moments to finally lift her head from the comfort of her palm. Her expression softened with her slow movements. Crawling off the bed shifting the sheets underneath her in the movements, she made her way towards the girl too wrapped in her own thoughts to notice the normally cheerful girl next to her.
Instead, she consumes herself in her thoughts, memories, whatever passed her mind and clogs the space usually filled with determination. As time passed, these spirals had gotten worse, as if they hadn't already started off terribly enough. What did the world look like? Is the world just forever shadows, hiding her from the light? What did her friends look like? What did Winter look like? What did she look like? How was she supposed to live her life? Would her life even be worth living anymore? Would she be left all alone? Would no one care about her? Would it be better if she just-
She tenses in her seat when she felt a hand grip on her shoulder, gentle but comforting. With the thought incomplete she turns to her side staring to nowhere in particular. "Thank you, Ruby. I'm okay. Just a little stressed." She hoped it was a good enough excuse, it worked on her father so surely it would work on her.
It hadn't. The heiress was pulled into an embrace quicker than she could testify, but now that she was being held she felt no need to push away. Having made an effort to keep her distance from everyone the thought of a hug for comfort had never crossed her mind. Compared to the one with Blake where the two had reunited after months of pain, the one in the present time was different.
Different how? A hug was a hug. She didn't hug people often, but she still found it a pleasant surprise that the hug with Ruby was so inviting, sincere. Weiss couldn't even idealise how the hug felt. It was just nice.
Intimacy such as this had always been unnatural to her. Not even her older sister could emulate so much comfort from such a simple gesture, let alone the lack of dialogue. This was coming from a mere acquaintance. Friend? Most likely. When had the barrier between the two of them been broken? Ruby probably forced her way through just to be able to communicate with the heiress which had only been allowed because of her lack of speech. Weiss' lips start to curl upwards while pondering the special exception she had made for this girl that would wag her tail if she had one. She eventually returned the hug, leaning into Ruby's shoulder and finding comfort in the embrace.
Ruby wasn't sure if what she did was okay, but she thought that giving the heiress a hug was best. She had grown a habit of being more affectionate to her as it was one the only ways she could communicate with her. Feeling lucky that there was no protest to the embrace she rest her head on Weiss' own. They stayed there for a while, neither not saying much like they had spent most of their time. The one to break the trance was Weiss asking Ruby if she wanted to do her hair again, mainly because she knew she hadn't done it properly and didn't want to leave her room until she was presentable. The girl chuckled and nodded immediately bouncing to the bathroom to find the comb she had used before.
( )
"Come in." Weiss called out to the guest at her door interpreting the patterned knocks to be Ruby's. Mimicking the other days she wanted in, which turned out to be every day maybe more than once depending on the day, she kicked the door in. Not literally but that's what it sounded like to the heiress. In the girl's hand was a tablet that was emitting a familiar sound.
"Weiss, how are you?" The heiress recognised the voice immediately. An instant relief fell over her when the voice came back firm and clear without any regret soothing through the tone.
"Blake, I see you've arrived in Menagerie safe and sound." She replied, ignoring the question as a greeting. "I assume that all is well over there."
The faunus smiled and laughed across the call. "Yes, apart from the few strays under the influence of the White Fang. Not much is happening over here."
Weiss nodded at the news. "And Yang?"
"Oh, my parents love her. Unsurprisingly if I'm honest." She gave a wink that Ruby giggled at. Waving over someone to get into the shot she looked over the contents of a letter she had received earlier in the day. "Have you seen the invitation from Pyrrha?"
Weiss cocked her head and frowned. "I haven't received one, as far as I know." Ruby grin sheepishly and looked to the side scratching her cheek. "Ruby." The heiress' stern tone made the girl rush out the room with haste as Weiss sighed.
"Did you scare my sis' off?" Yang's voice held concern yet an innocent curiosity.
"No, she knows where the invitation is and clearly didn't think to tell me." Her voice came out harsher than she intended. Blake and Yang laughed across the line. "Anyways, what am I being invited to exactly?"
The faunus had to clear her throat to get herself back into the businesswoman mindset she was already not so used to anymore after having been giggling all day. "It's her birthday. She sent the invitations out early this year since the occasion will be celebrated through a ball."
"Oh shit, prom all over again." Yang had chimed in from the background. The three of them snickered. "Hey, at least I'll be rocking a killer dress."
Blake raised an eyebrow to the image pictured. "I didn't take you as the type to wear dresses."
Yang stuck her tongue out to the faunus. "I can if I want."
"Pardon me? Yang's invited." Weiss had already lost herself in the conversation as she always did when those two were the ones talking.
"Yang's my plus one. We're granted a plus one to take with us to the party. You should take Ruby with you." Hearing this she began to worry that the girl had not yet returned and anxiety overtook her mind at the possibility of overdoing her scowl to Ruby who hadn't yet returned.
She averted her focus and pondered over the suggestion made by the faunus. It would prove to be weird to not invite her after how much time they had spent together. "I'll think it over." She finally replied as the door to her room finally swung open with the childish girl she had been expecting hacking from her lost breath.
"The celebration is still a couple of months away." Blake rested her chin on her palm. "Surely that should be enough to correct their behaviour for the event."
"Hey!" Yang exclaimed attempting to jump at the faunus. Ruby pouted and crossed her arms huffing. "What is there to correct? I'll liven up the party."
She earned an eye roll with a stare that told her the point was proven. At this she surrendered to the businesswoman who continued to plan how they would approach the occasion. "You will also need acceptable clothing. Jeans and a jacket won't cut it at a ball."
Yang groaned, "What, you want me to wear a dress to the fashion show?"
"Funny, I thought you'd be able to rock a 'killer dress'?" Blake mocked her with an obnoxious voice. Yang quickly retaliated with a comment of her own.
"Girls, focus." Weiss sighed, exasperated. "You're missing the important part." She finally had their attention after their bickering turned to pouts. "We should be celebrating Pyrrha's birthday, not your outfits."
Blake sighed as Yang jumped to her feet. "Speaking of outfits, I need some new clothes for the night." The faunus tilted her head to the screen which noted how they had already been through this routine multiple times in the month.
The call ended abruptly with Weiss holding the tablet out for Ruby to take away from her. Silence filled the air as the two pondered over what was to be done in preparation for the party. "I'd guess you also need some new clothes for the event." Ruby irked at the thought of shopping in response, though she did need some new outfits whether it be for the party or not. She had been living out of the at most 6 different outfits she could have for the past few months, each outfit including the same article of clothing from another. Weiss dismissed the clear resentment, "Tomorrow for lunch?"
Pouting she mumbled "Okay" in response. As the heiress began to consider gifts for Pyrrha Ruby lifted her spirits and ran to her, jumping into an embrace.
"Whoa, Ruby. What are you-" Ruby nuzzled her head against Weiss' and grinned into her ear with a content smile. The hug lasted a quick moment before she jumped off her host and ran to the desk with files piled over it leaving Weiss in confusion. This hadn't been a first time for the action but it was all still too new to her. Maybe it was a sign of her gratitude, maybe it was just a habit that she had slowly adopted into their friendship for Weiss' sake of comfort. Either way, Weiss had slowly warmed up to it though she still was taken aback every time she was caught in Ruby's arms.
( )
That night as Weiss lay in her bed overthinking many of the events that led up to her current moment a familiar pattern of knocks hit her bedroom door. She scrunched her face at the interruption and sat up rubbing her cheek. "Ruby, it's late, isn't it? What are you doing here?" Ruby slowly opened the door and hesitantly walked into the room. She scanned over the pre-written message she prepared to tell the heiress but wanted to immediately run out the room. When an answer wasn't given Weiss persisted for an explanation. "Ruby? Is everything alright?" She took a deep breath and hit play.
"Sorry, it is okay if I slept with you tonight? I'd normally ask Yang on these kinds of nights but since she isn't here I didn't have much else to do." Quickly retyping another message Weiss thought over the request. "I don't have to if you aren't okay with it, I just kind of need it tonight." Palm over her forehead Weiss let her thoughts run wild as she tried to maintain some level of control to the whole process.
Here she is asking to sleep with her. If Weiss had known the friendship would come this far maybe she wouldn't have agreed to begin with but there wouldn't have been a choice either way. This was bound to happen one day or another though even then she was confused as to why she would ask to begin with. The idea itself was intimidating to her since she never had the opportunity to have sleepovers let alone a friend to ask for one. It was all too new to her. She had to remind herself that this was Ruby who wanted to sleep with her, the childish innocent girl who sometimes forgot Weiss was blind despite everything that was a constant reminder of her disability shown in all the times she tried to gesture her thoughts to the heiress.
Tucking loose hair strands behind her ear she finally replied, "Sure." Ruby let the word sink in before releasing an unknowingly held in breath and reluctantly walked towards the bed surprised at the heiress' agreement. Climbing under the sheets she set aside the tablet and balled the hem of her shirt as she lay facing the ceiling. Weiss turned so her back was to her guest. Ruby glanced to consider hugging her for the night but decided she was already asking a lot of the heiress.
The clock in the room flashed passed midnight as the two girls lay content in bed. Almost.
Once the time reached 2:53 as if on cue as had happened time and time again for the many years prior Ruby began to twitch, soon building into twisting and turning, body shaking. Her arms crossed expecting to find a comfort while her face scrunched. Her eyes had no control over the spilled tears without any will to hold them back, moans of pain escaping her throat. The scene was too soft to not wake up the heiress beside her who herself was dealing with a painful night as she had most of the nights after her vision was lost.
Ruby's breathing became disorganised with no rhythm. Her arms found their way to her head, hand clawing into her hair as she grit her teeth with her breaths sharp. Every breath was accompanied by a hiccup that stole her next breath. Her moans grew louder with her words growing incomprehensible mainly consisting of 'No's and 'I'm sorry's. Weiss began to stir from the noise seeping into her own nightmare that didn't hurt as badly as the girl next to her.
Nails digging further into her scalp her shaking came about in bursts, her legs folded her into a ball while her face stained of tears. Her voice spoke more words than she had been able to in the past month while she groaned her pleas with no success. Eventually, the noise was too much for Weiss' conscious to keep away from as she awoke in annoyance fuelled by her fatigue. She had half the mind to slap the girl next to her before she identified the sound that came from her and the evidential struggle that was taking place in the girl's nightmare. Far worse than what Weiss could compare herself to. For a short moment she thought it was her own voice she was hearing before a name was shouted into her ears. "Oh God Penny, God please no." Weiss turned around and pressed her hand along the mattress until her nails hit Ruby's back. Her hand found its way to her shoulder as she scooted closer hovering over her unsure of what to do. She attempted to call out her name but found her voice was stuck in a lump.
"Penny, no." Ruby whispered eyelids slowly letting light, or whatever was kissed by the illuminated moon into her eyes. "Penny?" She hiccuped over words looking to the owner of the hand on her shoulder.
Weiss steadied her breathing momentarily. "Ruby? Are you okay?"
"Weiss." Ignoring the question she rushed to her knees letting the heiress' hand fall off her. "Weiss, she's gone." Weiss sat up crossing her legs and raised her eyebrows, partially from the confusion of the whole situation while also surprised of hearing her speak with ease. Ease wasn't really fitting for the whole scene, though comparatively to her every other day her words flowed more coherently as if she had been talking her whole life. "Penny's gone, Weiss." Her irregular breathing was catching up to her. Her heart burned of desperation for oxygen that she wasted on trying to maintain her emotions. In a burst, she sucked through her gritted teeth and leaned to grab Weiss' shoulders. "She's gone."
Startled Weiss could only say her name in response. "Ruby?" Ruby's hands moved from her shoulders to her cheeks, cupping them and darted her eyes between the heiress' own.
"She's gone." Choking on her words she leapt forward and wrapped her arms around Weiss' neck. Her legs wrapped around her waist. Instinctively Weiss wrapped her arms around the girl and began to rub her back. "Weiss." Her voice grew to a mere whisper. "Weiss." She repeated strengthening her embrace.
"I'm here." Weiss cooed to the girl continuing to rub her back. "I'm here." She let her gather her thoughts, emotions, whatever it was that brought her to this moment. The sat like that for a minute or two, however long they felt they needed to stay like that before a terrifying, confronting thought hit Ruby.
"You won't leave me too, will you?" Ruby mumbled, almost to herself but loud enough for it to be a question to the heiress' as well. It took her by surprise and she wasn't even sure she heard correctly.
"Pardon?"
Ruby's head sank into Weiss' collar. "You won't leave me, right?" She had heard correctly. "Not like them, right?" Stunned, she couldn't think of a suitable answer. Ruby nuzzled further into her neck with more tears pouring out her eyes. "Please tell me you won't." She was barely able to croak the words out before her body remembered that she was supposed to be mute again.
"I won't" Weiss replied. Ruby broke away from the embrace and stared into her eyes as if to question 'You won't?' The heiress' nodded, her hands holding her waist. "I promise I won't." Ruby closed her eyes letting more tears spill out as she leans back into the embrace.