"YAAAANG!" Ruby yelled, causing her older sister to nearly fall out of bed.
"Holy Oum Rubes!" Yang exclaimed, catching her breath. "I- you- don't do that!"
"But it's my birthday!" Ruby whined. "And you told me I'd get my present this morning."
Yang rubbed her eyes, trying to take in her bedroom. "Yeah, I did, but I have to make sure it's ready first."
Ruby's face fell instantly, causing Yang to panic.
"Don't worry, Rubes, it'll be within the next few hours. I just have to make a quick phone call, okay?"
Ruby nodded. "Okay, okay." She stood there, next to Yang's bed, watching and waiting as Yang unlocked her scroll.
"You can't listen to the call!" Yang chided, giving her sister a gentle push away. "Go on, go wait outside. And no listening through the door!"
Ruby huffed, sticking her tongue out before leaving the room.
Yang unlocked her scroll, staring at the screen for a few more moments. 8:00am.
Ruby really knew how to be prompt when it came to presents, huh?
She picked Blake's number out of her contacts and sent her a text.
Hey, you awake? Can I call?
There was a solid ten seconds before a message came back through.
Yeah, go ahead.
It took Yang only a second to place the call and pull her scroll up to her face.
"Hello?" Blake answered.
"Hi Blake, sorry for calling so early."
"Not a problem, I've been awake for an hour already."
"Seven? On a Saturday?"
"I try to get up every day at the week at a consistent time. It does wonders for my depression."
Yang was not expecting that.
"Oh, okay."
"I assume you didn't call me just to see if I was awake…?"
"Oh, sorry!" Yang exclaimed, flustered. "Ruby already woke me up for her present. I was wondering when things would be ready so I could bring her over."
"Oh, well, hmm…" Blake thought for a few more moments. "My parents usually don't open the rescue till 9 on weekends. I'm going down for feeding soon, and I can start setting up the stuff at 9 when they come down too. I'm thinking at least 10, but I can text you when we're ready. Think you can keep her busy till then?"
"Oh, for sure," Yang replied. "I'll keep my scroll on vibrate."
"Good. See you later."
"See ya!" Yang hung up the call, slipping her scroll back into her pocket.
Yang stood up from her bed, stretching out her arms far above her head and letting out a big yawn.
"Yaaang!" Ruby called from outside the room. "I know you're done with your call!"
"Calm down, squirt, I'm coming," Yang replied, strolling over to her closet. "I gotta get dressed, hold your horses."
"There are horses involved?" Ruby exclaimed.
Yang let out a long laugh, picking out an outfit and throwing it on before slipping out of her room to find a bouncing Ruby in the tiny "hallway".
"Soooo?" she asked, still bouncing up and down.
"We have to wait," Yang replied, ruffling her sister's hair. "For right now, you're just going to have to settle for a big, classic, Yang-style breakfast."
"Pancakes?" Ruby asked, silver eyes going wide.
"Yes, pancakes. With whatever you want."
"But we don't have anything to go inside pancakes!"
"Which is why I'm sending you to the store to go get whatever toppings you'd like," Yang replied with a smirk, pulling the twenty lien she had gotten the night before from her back pocket.
Ruby's eyes grew wide. "Why do you have lien on you?"
"I got it as a tip last night."
"A twenty lien tip?"
"I know," Yang smirked. "I was shocked too. But it was from someone special."
"Someone special?" Ruby gave a sly grin towards her older sister. "Is there a new girl in your life you haven't told me about?"
Yang blinked, thrown off by the question. "What? No!"
"Mmhmm," Ruby hummed, slipping the lien into her pocket. "Sure, Yang, sure."
"Go get your toppings," Yang instructed, her face still getting redder by the moment. "The pancakes will be almost ready by the time you're back."
"On it!" Ruby said with a tiny giggle, bursting out the front door at a speed that Yang had long come to accept as not a human speed, but instead a Ruby speed. She stared at the door, waiting another few seconds, before it burst back open.
"Forgot my keys!" Ruby yelled, snatching them off the tiny table next to the door, darting back out into the hallway and shutting the door behind her.
Yang let out a laugh, shaking her head at her sister's predictable antics. She headed over to the kitchenette, pulling out the ingredients for pancakes, a somewhat rare treat nowadays. Pancakes with toppings were saved for extra special occasions, like Christmas or… Ruby's birthday.
She'd have to thank Kali again later, for making today extra special. She wouldn't have time to go get toppings last night, and they rarely carried cash on them. Most college students ordered online from University Pizzeria, and rarely used cash to pay. They were too drunk to remember cash. Cards were just easier. The twenty lien was just all that more special to the two girls.
Yang smiled as she began mixing the ingredients together in a big bowl. She had a feeling that the smile she'd seen on Ruby's face when she realized she could spend twenty lien on toppings was going to be a regular occurance today.
Yang's scroll had gone off at 10:15am. She grabbed it and unlocked it instantly, looking at the message on her screen.
We're ready when you are. Let me know when you're leaving your apartment.
Yang replied at once.
On our way!
"That's the cue," Yang said to a very excited Ruby, who had jumped up from her spot on the futon the moment Yang's scroll had buzzed. "It's ready!"
"Finally!" Ruby exclaimed, practically bouncing up and down. "It feels like it's been forever!"
"It's been two hours." Yang smiled as she rolled her eyes. "And you spent the first hour gathering toppings, and then most of the second hour eating an obscene amount of pancakes."
"You were the one that made that many!" Ruby protested.
Yang smiled wider, ruffling her sister's hair before heading over to the door, deliberately picking up Ruby's keys.
"We're not taking Bumblebee?" Ruby asked, trying to fix her hair again.
Yang shook her head. "We'll need the space in your car. I'm still driving though."
This sliver of information about the present that Yang had released had caused Ruby to start bouncing again, which she continued to do the entire way down to the car. Yang knew there was no stopping her. She might as well get this energy out now before she scared a poor cat.
Oh, who was she kidding? Ruby would still be just as excited once she realized that was happening.
Yang couldn't wait either.
"The Faunus District?" Ruby asked as they turned onto Menagerie Avenue.
"Yup," Yang replied, not offering any more information.
Ruby's face was practically glued to the window as they passed by shops.
"This isn't where we're going, but see that bookstore to the right?"
"Tukson's?" Ruby asked.
"Yeah," Yang replied. "They advertise for every book under the sun. You should check them out for textbooks next semester. Definitely cheaper prices that in the University District."
"I'll keep it in mind," Ruby replied, glancing anxiously between the store signs.
Yang waited till the last moment to hit her turn signal, causing Ruby to be even more confused.
"Pool supplies?" Ruby asked.
"Nope," Yang said, popping the p.
"Then what… no way."
In the front window of Belladonna's Cat Rescue was a giant red banner.
Yang's heart skipped a beat and her smile grew as Ruby's jaw dropped.
Happy Birthday Ruby!
"No way!" Ruby exclaimed again as they entered the cat rescue. "Yang, you didn't!"
"I did," Yang replied with a wide smile, giving a nod to the family smiling in front of the counter. "Ruby, I'd like you to meet the Belladonnas."
"Hello," Ghira said with a large smile. "I'm Ghira Belladonna."
"Kali Belladonna," Kali greeted with a soft smile, giving a quick wink to Yang.
"And I'm Blake Belladonna."
Yang's eyes fell on Blake, her heart beating faster and faster. The entire rescue had been decorated with red birthday decorations, complete with a large stack of "wrapped" items with birthday bows all over them on the counter. It was the supplies Yang had bought at the pet store two days ago.
"Blake's the one who has been helping me set all this up," Yang told her sister. "We've been working together for nearly two weeks now."
"I… you got me a cat?" Ruby asked, still in shock.
"Yep," Yang replied. Before she could say another word, she had no choice to let out a small "oof" as all of the wind got knocked out of her as Ruby crashed into her for a huge hug.
"Thank you," Ruby whispered.
Yang returned the hug, cupping the back of Ruby's head with her right hand. "You're welcome, Rubes. It was about time you got your cat."
After a few more moments, Yang released the hug and Ghira let out a small cough, gaining the attention of the sisters.
"There's still a bit more to do before you get to go home with a cat," he said gently. "We've got to find the perfect cat for you."
Ruby's eyes widened as she nodded. "How do we do that?"
"A cat personality test," Kali responded with a smile, holding out two clipboards in each of her hands.
Ruby took it immediately, beginning to fill it out at once. Yang took a few extra moments before taking the clipboard, glancing at all the decorations around the room and giving a warm smile and nod to the family that had done so much for them today. A silent sign of thanks, to which they all returned.
They'd done more for them both today then Yang thought they'd ever really know.
Ten minutes later, Kali had brought them all waters as Ghira was reviewing their personality test results and matching them to the cats that he thought would fit them best. Ruby was busy gushing over the cats, asking Kali about all of their names and backstories.
Yang and Blake were sitting down on the chairs surrounding the coffee table near the counter.
"I really can't thank you enough," Yang repeated for what felt like the fiftieth time that morning. "This is just, incredible."
"It was really not a problem, I promise," Blake repeated again. "I had a lot of fun making everything and setting it up. The reaction on her face-" and yours, she thought, "was absolutely worth it."
"You certainly made this her most memorable birthday ever," Yang replied, leaning back in her chair. "That really means a lot, for the both of us."
Blake smiled wide. Before she could respond, Ghira entered the room again through the door marked Employees Only.
"So!" Ghira exclaimed, holding the papers in hand. "After going over your tests, I have determined your cat personality types."
Ruby spun around on her heel, turning her full attention from a still smiling Kali to Ghira. Yang stood up, Blake following suit a moment later.
"Ruby, you'd fit best with a cuddle bug cat," Ghira said, causing Yang to burst out into a fit of giggles.
Everyone turned and looked at her for a moment. She waved her hand, trying to regain her composure.
"Sorry, sorry. You're just such a… masculine man, I did not expect the words cuddle bug to come out of your mouth."
Ghira returned the laughter, causing everyone else to follow suit. "I suppose you're correct. Which brings me to your results, Yang, which is a sassy cat."
Yang gave a nod, smiling wide. "That sounds about right."
"Now, normally, we'd pick out three cats that fit your personality types well, and let you pick between them. However, we actually have a cat here that I think is the perfect blend of your personality types."
"Don't you mean the purr-fect blend?" Yang offered with a smirk, causing Ruby to groan her name in protest and Blake to roll her eyes with a smile.
Ghira shook his head, trying to hide his smile. "If you don't like that cat, we can look at others, but I have a feeling you will."
"Let's see it!" Ruby exclaimed, practically bouncing again.
Ghira turned back into the back room, leaving the girls waiting in the main room of the rescue.
"Do you know which cat he's talking about?" Yang asked Blake.
"I have an idea," Blake said with a smile.
The door opened again, Ghira coming out with a black cat in his arms this time.
"This sweetheart," he said, "is named Mezzaluna. She loves cuddles and pets, but is a queen and refuses to be treated like anything less than one."
"Oh… my… Oum!" Ruby exclaimed, dashing up to the cat in his arms, gushing over how adorable the cat was. Mezzaluna looked at Ruby with curious eyes, letting out little coos until Ruby began to pet the top of her head. The moment the petting began, the cat broke out into very loud purrs.
"I think she's the one," Yang said with a smile, watching as Ghira handed the cat over to Ruby. Mezzaluna climbed up on Ruby's shoulder at once, causing the girl to giggle.
"I think so too," Blake added, stepping up to stand next to Yang.
Yang felt the girl's presence near her, causing her heart to beat ten times faster than it had been. She didn't know why Blake had this effect on her, but she certainly had it.
"We'll dress up the crate," Kali said with a smile and a nod, looking back at the pile of supplies behind them. "Fill it with a blanket that smells familiar so she's comfortable on the ride home."
Ruby's eyes widened as she suddenly noticed all the supplies. "All of that's for Mezzaluna?"
"Yep," Yang answered. "It's the rest of my gift to you. The first part being the adoption fee for the cat."
"Actually," Blake interjected, "we've decided to waive your adoption fee. And we added some extra food and litter to that pile, at least enough for another two months."
Yang's jaw dropped at the same time as Ruby's.
"You… didn't have to do that," Yang said in a half-whisper.
"I wanted to," Blake said with a smile, "as a friend."
Yang's heart was beating faster again.
"Thank you," Ruby stammered, still petting the cat on her shoulder. "This is… the best birthday ever!"
"That's the goal," Yang and Blake said at the same time, exchanging glances and laughing when they realized their synchronization.
"You know," Ruby said thirty minutes later, when all of their supplies and Mezzaluna had been packed into the car, "I think I was right this morning after all."
"About what?" Yang asked, raising her eyebrow as she pulled the car out of the parking lot and back onto Menagerie Avenue.
"About there being a special girl in your life."
Yang blinked, unable to come up with a response, other than, "What? No! I-"
Ruby let out a string of giggles. "Stay in denial all you want, but the sooner you admit your feelings, the better off you are!"
There was no response other than the soft meowing of Mezzaluna, tucked safely away in the crate in Ruby's lap.
AN: Sorry for the late upload tonight y'all! Duty calls! (Quite literally, I'm an RA and stuck on duty on this cold and bitter Saturday night).
Not sure if I'll be able to keep up the daily uploads next week, because I have a few large assignments due, but I'm going to try! (This means that despite this warning, I'm probably going to anyways, because I'll end up procastinating my schoolwork with fanfiction writing, which really isn't all that bad.)
If you'd like updates on this work, as well as others, you can follow me on tumblr at SuperbBirbFics , or my main for spicy rwby memes and other various content at PancakesWithKetchup . And, if you'd like to help support me and my writing more, you can buy me a ko-fi ! My username there, as with most places (except for tumblr, because the url is taken rip) is SuperbBirb ! Thank you all so much for your continued support in my works, I endlessly appreciate it and love you all!