Chapter Five: It's a Spectacle
One hour.
Ruby was officially one hour late to the single most important event in her life. She couldn't believe herself for fucking up this badly, but she did and she only had herself to blame.
The drive to the specific flower shop her family begged her not to go to was a quick seventeen minutes. Buying her lovely lady fair the best gift a future girlfriend could give was even quicker—hell, she almost got it for free; the shop desperately wanted to get rid of it for some odd reason. So despite everything going her way, how exactly did she end up this late?
Easy.
Elementary even.
Ruby Rose forgot all about rush hour. And that wasn't even the worst part. The restaurant Weiss was meeting her at was smack dab in the heart of downtown Vale—in it's highly congested left ventricle to be specific. She also had four more blocks to go before the turn off and the grimy SUV in front of her hadn't moved a single inch in five minutes. But like any girl hopelessly in love, Ruby saw the bright side to her misfortune. Instead of cursing at the kumquat in the next lane trying to cut her off, Ruby spent her time doing a little last minute research. If she was going to be stuck in traffic she might as well do something productive.
Ruby went to all the well-known restaurant review websites and skimmed through everything the foodies had to say about Fleur-de-lis before settling on her go-to website. The reviews there parroted the ones on the other sites, so it was a consistent restaurant in terms of quality. The food and atmosphere were highly praised, heralded as the best downtown Vale could offer. Even the service got raving reviews for being topnotch. Though in fairness, Ruby could attest to that being the truth because of Hamilton's friendly disposition. But after awhile the reviews all started to sound the same, only deviating here and there by a few words due to the submitter's personal nitpicking. Honestly, who complains about a restaurant using blue napkins instead of white ones? JoanDarc67, that's who.
Ruby stopped scrolling down and went back to the overall rating section that said 4.7/5 in big bold letters above the standard row of rating stars. Below the bright yellow visual marker was a list that sorted out the votes. Fifty-seven gave it four out of five, twelve gave it three out of five, and only one person gave Fleur-de-lis a shocking one out of five. Ruby was curious and the car in front of her still hadn't moved, so she clicked on the one star review to read the scathing rant… which was evidently written by a spoiled man-child. There was nothing constructive in the passage, in fact it only complained about the restaurant owner reserving the window side table. Putting that useless review aside, three hundred other people gave the small downtown café the full five stars.
Ruby was actually quite excited to eat there now. The foodies prattled on and on about the great selections and one other thing in particular. A lot of the reviewers mentioned that the head chef was a real knockout. A total babe above all babes. A spicy ten out of ten. And so on and so forth, but Ruby laughed it all off thinking how this supposed "mega-hottie" could ever hold a candle against Weiss.
One hour and twenty minutes after she left her house, Ruby finally arrived at her destination. Luckily enough for her a parking spot in front of Fleur-de-lis had opened up as she made the turn.
From one quick look outside, Ruby could see it was a full house. And seated at the table closest to the window was Weiss, blind to the comings and goings around her, tapping away on her laptop. Ruby sighed in relief when she saw her date waiting for her and proceeded to thank her lucky stars profusely. Things were finally starting to look up for her.
Ruby quickly parked her car, took the keys out of the ignition, and undid her seatbelt. Next, she reached over to her passenger side seat and undid the harness strapping Weiss' new potted pal in place. She looked at it proudly, giving herself a mental pat on the back for a job well done, and gently dragged it over to her side before getting out and slamming the door shut. Ruby fished her keys out from her pocket, careful not to jostle her leafy friend, and activated the remote locking mechanism. After hearing her locks click into place and double checking driver side door, Ruby jogged to the entrance.
As soon as she got in the hostess greeted her with a smile. Her gold plated nametag read Jeana and it definitely suited her much like the form fitting white blouse, black vest, and suit pants she wore. She had warm hazel coloured eyes with distinct splashes of green dotting her irises, a unique trait much like Ruby's rare silver eyes.
"Good evening and welcome to Fleur-de-lis," the pretty girl said with slight hesitation lacing her words. "I'm afraid all of our tables are taken at the moment, and the wait time is currently an hour to an hour and a half. If you would like, you may take a seat to the side and wait to be called or we can write you down for a reservation on a later date to avoid the hassle."
Ruby blinked and looked to the area near the hostess' podium where a family of four and two couples were waiting patiently. She almost felt bad for bypassing them in the queue—on second thought, she felt terrible since Weiss had to hold their table for over an hour.
"U-Um, there's someone waiting for me inside already." Ruby nervously gulped, hugging Weiss' gift closer to her body so she could hide from all the curious glances she garnered.
"Oh! Then may I have their name please?" Jeana asked in a more natural tone.
"Weiss. Weiss Schnee?"
The hostess' eyes practically bulged out of their sockets when Ruby dropped Weiss' name. Jeana quickly scrambled and ushered Ruby in, grabbing a menu from the podium before taking her to the table where Weiss waited.
"Ms. Schnee, your guest has arrived," the young woman said with a deep, respectful bow.
Weiss didn't bother acknowledging Jeana, her hands still furiously typing away. A couple seconds went by before she stopped, her slender fingers resting just above the keyboard.
"M-Ms. Schnee?" Jeana called out again nervously. "Your guest?"
Weiss took in a deep breath and closed her eyes, exhaling through her nose as she carefully adjusted the chic glasses she wore before speaking. "Thank you, Jeana," she said with cold familiarity. "You may return to your position."
"Yes ma'am, right away ma'am!" Jeana exclaimed with another deep respectful bow.
Ruby watched Jeana scurry away with a heavy blush and a giddy smile on her face. The young lady looked like she was about ready to fly with how elated she looked. But then again, if she got directly addressed by someone as gorgeous as Weiss, Ruby would definitely be reaching orbit by now.
"Is… Ruby, what is that?" Weiss asked Ruby, unknowingly sending her date to space.
"U-Uh," Ruby tore her attention away from Jeana and readjusted her gift to hide from Weiss' burning stare. "It's for you."
"Really now?" Weiss said as she crossed her arms and leaned back into her chair. A small smirk danced on her lips as she waited for Ruby's explanation.
Ruby nodded her head, shyly peeking over the side to look at Weiss.
"Hi, I'm Freddy the totally not fugly ficus!" Ruby said in a muffled high pitched voice. "I have just met you but I love you." A sly grin slowly crept its way onto Ruby's face as a fit of giggles made her break out of character. "Let's leaf it at that!" she said impishly.
An awkward silence fell between the two potential lovers. Ruby stood stock still waiting for Weiss' rebuke. It sounded so clever in her head that she was sure Weiss would laugh or at least giggle, just a smile would have been enough to make Ruby's embarrassment worthwhile. But no, Weiss sat there unflinchingly calm without a trace of emotion to give away her thoughts. However, her eyes were gelid and calculating, no doubt trying to decide whether Ruby was an idiot or a tall five-year-old.
Then, just as Ruby was about to excuse herself to go dig a hole to bury herself in, Weiss Schnee snorted; it was adorable. Then she laughed the most beautiful laugh Ruby had ever heard, sending her heart rocketing through the stratosphere. It was clear and crisp like the chime of a crystal bell cutting through the discord, with a refined dignity only a highborn lady could muster.
"I didn't know you were an aspiring comedian, Ruby Rose." Weiss allowed the final dregs of laughter to slip through unabashed before she reigned herself back in. "But it's good to see you branching out. Please, sit down. You've kept me waiting long enough."
Ruby's face was burning hotter than the sun and it was all because of the brumal woman she'd been pinning over. The feeling was nothing like she'd felt before and it was exhilarating. Timidly, Ruby crossed the distance over to Weiss and settled Freddy down on her right side, its gangly branches pressing up against the royal blue curtains. Weiss looked at it fondly and chuckled.
"So what made you decide on gifting me this handsome fellow?" she asked still smiling at Freddy.
"I asked my sister and her girlfriend what I should get you for our first date. It started out with flowers then they got weird and started talking about this really ugly—I mean…" Ruby looked apologetically at Freddy for her mistake. The plant seemed to droop at her lack of tact and dropped a couple of leaves. "God what was I thinking? A ficus. Really, Ruby? So much for date number two."
"Freddy wouldn't have been at fault for that," Weiss said putting on an air of sophistication. "You kept me waiting for over an hour. How do you explain that, hm?"
Ruby slunk back to her chair and plopped down unceremoniously. "Ugh, I'm the worst; I know. But the flower shop was across town and then traffic—"
"Instead of listing off excuses, you should be thanking Freddy," Weiss said with a devilish smirk and a mischievous twinkle in her eye. "He secured the second date."
"Thank you, Freddy," Ruby said with a lighthearted laugh. "I'm really sorry I kept you waiting, Weiss; it won't happen again, I promise. Also, the staff must really like you if they allowed you to sit here all this time."
"I suppose. Though they really had no choice in the matter," Weiss said dismissively as she slid her laptop into her leather designer briefcase and put it aside. Work had no place in her itinerary now that Ruby was here and she wanted Ruby to know she was one-hundred percent committed to their date.
The two women chatted aimlessly for another two minutes, perusing their menus carefully before a familiar waiter walked up and cleared his throat.
"Good evening, Ms. Schnee, Ms. Rose!" Hamilton exclaimed with a charming smile.
"Oh hey!" Ruby greeted him with the same exuberance.
Weiss nodded at the waiter, closing her menu without a word.
"Sorry for the wait, it's packed in here today." Hamilton looked over his shoulder sheepishly watching his fellow employees scrambling about trying to serve their guests. "Tell me, what can I get you two?"
"I'd like the house red wine and a Caesar salad for starters. Ruby?" Weiss looked at her date patiently.
Ruby scrambled to hold the menu up in front of her. Weiss' eyes were staring at her so intently she couldn't focus. "Uh—um, I'll take a Nuka and the Ceasar as well."
Hamilton jotted the orders down quickly. "And what can I get you for your main course?"
"I'd like the filet mignon with the Cabernet peppercorn demi-glace," Weiss said reciting her order with a fluidity Ruby could never repeat. "Rare. You know how I like it."
"That comes with garlic mashed potatoes and a perfectly seasoned broiled lobster tail, with your choice of either steamed broccoli or rainbow carrots." Hamilton chuckled merrily at the dry look Weiss sent him and said, "Steamed broccoli as usual." He switched over to Ruby and nodded at her, ready to write down her every wish.
"I'd actually like the exact same thing."
Hamilton quickly wrote it down and read it back to them, "Ms. Schnee will be having the house red wine, a Caesar salad for starters—extra croutons and light on dressing as per usual. Then for the main course, Fleur-de-lis' signature dish, the filet mignon cooked rare with Cabernet peppercorn demi-glace and steamed broccoli.
"And for Ms. Rose, a refreshing, ice-cold Nuka Cola and a Caesar salad for starters. And for the main course, the filet mignon cooked rare with Cabernet peppercorn demi-glace and steamed broccoli. Do I have everything down right?"
"Yes, Hamilton. Perfect as usual," Weiss said with that crystalline laugh Ruby was quickly growing addicted to.
"Thank you, Ms. Schnee. I strive only for excellence," he said bowing graciously. "Now, if you'll excuse me."
Ruby and Weiss watched their friendly waiter saunter off into the back. Ruby was feeling extremely happy with the way Hamilton handled the order. Most servers were usually blasé about their jobs and only did the bare minimum, but a quick look at the other servers milling about the floor told her they all carried the same professionalism Hamilton did. Fleur-de-lis was definitely a cut above the rest in terms of its hospitality.
A minute hardly went by when one of the table runners appeared with their drinks. The poor boy didn't even have a chance to take a breath before he was off clearing an empty table for the next set of guests to be seated. Weiss was already happily sipping away at her red wine, savouring its full-bodied flavour and aroma like a connoisseur. Ruby wasn't a fan of most alcohols, she preferred things sweet and wine was definitely not on her list of traditional sweet things. Though watching Weiss sigh happily after her drink was still an intoxicating treat for the eyes and ears.
"So tell me about yourself," Weiss said as she gently placed her glass down.
Ruby fidgeted with the hem of her shirt. "What would you like to know? I'm kind of plain all around."
"Anything and everything. You left such a strong impression on me when we met that I couldn't get you out of my head. I want to know why."
"Uh…" Ruby could feel herself shrinking under Weiss' intense stare. It made her feel bare and that was terrifying because no one had ever stared at her so passionately before. "Well, I'm twenty-one?"
Weiss hummed. "I'm older than you."
"By how much?"
"Try and guess," Weiss flirted.
"Two years?" Weiss shook her head. "Long shot, five?" Another shake. "Whoa, are you one of those super old people that just look really young?!"
Weiss started laughing and was quickly joined by Ruby's own hesitant chuckle.
"You were close," Weiss said. "I'm twenty-four." Ruby ooh'd in understanding. Weiss certainly did give off that sexy older woman vibe. "That isn't a problem is it?"
"No, not at all," Ruby replied comfortably. "As long as it's you, I wouldn't care if the age difference was ten or even twenty years."
"I'm flattered."
Ruby stared at Weiss, her consciousness lost to the depths of Weiss' misty ocean blue eyes. A goofy, lovesick smile was on the redhead's face, an expression Weiss would have to permanently get used to. Because after this, after all this time dreaming and waiting, Ruby wasn't ever going to let her go.
She traced and recorded every detail of Weiss face to memory, even the minute nuances that someone passing by wouldn't notice were forever engraved. Ruby remembered alluding Weiss' perfection to that of a priceless work of art, her beauty encased forever in flawless marble. But something was different about Weiss that heavily contradicted the one from her memories.
Weiss was saying something, but Ruby couldn't hear her. Her thoughts were racing a hundred miles per second trying to spot the difference. It was steadily growing into this global wide scale search, like one of those "Where's Baldo" games she used to love as a child on maximum difficulty. One by one, all the mental images Ruby painstakingly painted were being replaced by the woman sitting in front of her.
And then she found it.
It struck her like a divine epiphany. The moment they first locked eyes face to face. Everything around them had disappeared and Ruby's eyes widened, taking in everything about Weiss' visage like it was her first time seeing after a lifetime spent in the dark, blind.
Weiss stopping talking and followed Ruby's gaze. She sat stock still, frozen in place as fear gripped her entre being in a painful icy grip. Slowly, Weiss lifted her left hand up to her scarred cheek, ghosting over it with the softest of touches before inching it upwards to fully conceal her left eye. She bit her bottom lip and looked away in shame, her eyes narrowing darkly as her thoughts travelled down a well-worn path.
"Weiss," Ruby said just above a whisper, "you… you cut your hair."
Glass seemed to shatter all around Weiss when Ruby finished her sentence. She looked at the redhead, horrified beyond what mere words could describe. Then, just as suddenly as that typhoon of emotions slammed into her, a tidal wave of relief graciously drowned her and the entirety of all her fears. Weiss honestly didn't know whether she should be mad or grateful that Ruby was paying attention to her appearance.
"It really suits you!" Ruby exclaimed further with childish delight. "I could never have my hair as long as you did without snapping my neck. It must've been so heavy!"
"I…" Weiss blinked, unsure of how to respond. "Yes, it was. But you tend to get used to it. It actually did wonders for my core strength and posture, so I'm not going to complain."
"Eh?" Ruby leaned back and giggled, getting comfortable in Weiss' presence. "My sister's got great posture, too. Super long hair in the back and super big boobs out front. She says they're counter balancing each other, but that isn't really how physics work."
"Your sister sounds like a real card," Weiss said with a polite yet sombre smile.
Ruby couldn't help but grin at the merry thought of Weiss and Yang getting along. They were complete opposites. Hot and cold, tall and short, well-endowed and… not so much, the list would have been endless if Ruby could actually take the time to think of any other things that were as polarizing as Weiss was to Yang. She would have made the obvious comparison and called Weiss the winter to Yang's summer, the arctic to the desert, but the snowy woman was no where near as cold as she wanted people to believe she was. Ruby could see it flickering in her eyes like a small, dying ember begging to be stoked; Weiss was withering under her debilitating loneliness.
She noticed it first during the art competition. People were talking to each other on friendly terms, even Ruby had made a friend or two that day but not Weiss. No, everyone looked at her with contempt and that was before she even won; the looks and whisperings intensified dramatically when her victory was announced. The other instance was with Jeana and Hamilton tonight. It was clear the cheery young woman both feared and admired Weiss greatly. And while Hamilton didn't show any apprehension towards her, he did show an unwillingness to get familiar with Weiss like he did with Ruby. Or maybe she was reading too much into it and Hamilton just didn't give a flying rat's ass about the chilly atmosphere surrounding Weiss. But Jeana had definitely put the white haired woman on an unreachable pedestal. Sad.
Before Ruby could go deeper into her musings, Hamilton popped out of nowhere with a small trolley carrying an empty steel bowl and various other bowls filled with salad ingredients. He greeted them both, apologizing for the wait and promptly began preparing their Caesar salads in front of them. Ruby watched his rapid movements in awe as he prepared the dressing with practiced ease. Up until this moment, Ruby had no idea Caesar dressing had anchovies in them.
'No wonder Blake loves this stuff,' she thought to herself vividly amused.
Hamilton divided the crunchy delight evenly between two salad bowls and placed them in front of Ruby and Weiss. Then he picked up a grater and a whittled down triangular block of parmesan cheese off the trolley and looked to Weiss for approval. She nodded her head and he began grating it above the lettuce and croutons until Weiss signalled to stop, then it was Ruby's turn.
"And there we have it ladies!" Hamilton said gesturing to his tableside creations. "Enjoy."
Ruby watched Weiss squeeze her lemon slice over her salad and did the same. They set the rinds aside and eagerly dug into their food. Ruby was half expecting it to taste incredibly fishy, but to her surprise it tasted just like the stuff she had in the fridge tucked behind the three-year-old mayo—only better. Hamilton made the salads perfect by ensuring every bit of crispy lettuce was only lightly coated with the dressing instead of the disgusting sloppy goop other restaurants served. It was light, crisp, and the citrus splash left a happy little tingle in her mouth after each and every bite. Weiss seemed to be enjoying her salad too as evidenced by the telltale smile radiating on her face.
'Memo to self, make Weiss salads. Second memo to self, learn how to make salads.'
Ten minutes after, with the plates picked clean of every delicious morsel, Hamilton came back carrying a large tray topped with their main courses and a folded stand hanging off his arm. A table runner followed behind him dutifully until they neared Weiss and Ruby's table. The spry young man hastened his steps, easily overtaking Hamilton, and cleared the table.
Hamilton deftly maneuvered around his aid and set up his tray stand and the accompanying tray. Ruby's mouth watered at the tantalizing smell invading her senses like a siren's seductive song. And when the plate was placed before her, Ruby was itching to dig right in. But like a well-trained dog, she waited until Weiss had hers. The smirk playing on Weiss' face made Ruby all the more eager to please her, hoping that the reward for her patience was another smile.
"Please don't hold yourself back on my account, Ruby," Weiss said with a lilt in her tone.
Taking that as permission, Ruby grabbed her shining silver utensils and cut into the succulent meat. One bite was all it took to send her to nirvana. The way the juices flowed into her mouth, mingling delightfully with the perfected blend of spices was enough to damn past-Ruby to the pits of hell for the crime of never coming here sooner. It was that good.
A lull fell as the potential lovers ate in comfortable silence. Ruby's tableside manners weren't nearly as refined as Weiss', but thankfully the older woman paid her no mind. In fact, Weiss seemed strangely enamoured by it since she reached over every now and then just to dab her tablecloth against the smudges on Ruby's face. Had it not been for the loving smiles she received, Ruby would've been offended that some (beautiful) stranger was treating her like a child. But this was no ordinary stranger. This was Weiss Schnee. So the only thing Ruby could do was muster up a quiet thank you as her face lit up like the First of July. And after every retreat, Ruby would then sink back and continue to bask under Weiss' brilliant glory as a melted puddle of red saturated goo.
Hamilton stopped by again wearing a cheeky little grin that hinted at something harmlessly devious. Weiss quickly caught on to it and glowered at him menacingly, however, that only made his grin widen. Ruby was far less hostile than her date, but that was because she was too busying trying to see through his game. He had timed his little visit perfectly since Weiss was cutting her meat and Ruby had just finished swallowing. It must have been some sort of server magic, since every other time Ruby and her family went out to eat somewhere "fancy" they were always caught chewing or about to shovel in a disturbing amount of food into their gaping mouths—this was always Yang though; Blake had manners and Ruby couldn't open her mouth that wide.
"Were you watching us, dude?" Ruby asked him visibly freaked out.
"Huh?" Hamilton slowly shook his head in confusion. "Anyway," he said trying not to directly look at Ruby's scrutinizing gaze, "how's the food tasting? Everything's alright I hope?"
"It's great," Ruby stated honestly. "Best I've ever had."
Weiss however chuckled and said, "The steak's a tad bit salty, did Coco personally prepare this? Because I can practically taste her resentment."
"No, ma'am, I believe that would be the prep cook you turned down the other day," he replied smoothly.
"Ah," Weiss hummed playfully, "that would definitely explain the extra saltiness. But you should still notify the Head Chef that a heartbroken young man's tears are not on the menu. Not tonight's at least."
"Understandable," Hamilton agreed, laughing along with Weiss. "But funny you should mention the Head Chef, she actually requested something special for you and the lovely lady Rose."
"Oh no."
Ruby's ears perked up at the sound of her name and looked up at dashingly dressed server expectantly. Weiss groaned at the revelation and waved her hand for him to bring it on not wanting to reject the offer now that Ruby was involved.
Weiss knew what was coming, so when Hamilton signalled the runner waiting at the bar to come over she was ready. There were three drinks lined up ready to be served. The first in the line up was a simple clear cocktail in a curvaceous glass with mixed berries floating between the ice cubes. The second was a bright blue frozen drink in a tall glass and a strawberry garnish. And the third was monumental to say the least. It had to have been a joke, because no sensible bar or restaurant would ever dare serve something so deliciously gaudy. And to Ruby's excitement and Weiss' utter disgust, the runner picked that one.
The third drink was a big fishbowl filled nearly to the brim by an ocean blue liquid and large chunks of floating ice with blue candy fish frozen inside. It had a heart shaped crazy straw with two ends, the perfect tool for a loving couple to sip on their drink while comfortably gazing into the other's eyes, resting against the bowl held in place by the ice. A small, frosted tin pouring cup was latched carefully onto the rim by its half-handle filled with something possibly alcoholic. Ruby guessed that if it was, it would have been a courtesy call in case she didn't drink. Which was a nice sentiment if it was true and wholly unnecessary since she loved her sinfully sweet girly drinks.
The runner had trouble lifting the drink but with a little help from the cute bartender who made it, he managed to get it onto the tray. It was a veritable rollercoaster of emotions watching the poor guy's arm wobbling under the sheer weight of the fishbowl, but he made it and did it without having a single drop spill. A round of applause resounded throughout the entire dining area when he placed the drink onto the table with Hamilton spotting him. He looked at its recipients with a tired grin then turned around to bow at his surprise audience before rushing back to the bar.
Weiss glared at the bowl then at Hamilton then at Ruby for laughing at her. She huffed angrily and asked, "What?"
"Well you're glaring at a fishbowl for one," Ruby said still laughing away not caring for Weiss' glare. Any other person would have been scared, but not Ruby. No, definitely not Ruby. Because to her that glare was sexy as hell and if Weiss decided to keep it up, she'd have to really thank Yang for that surprisingly comfortable set of lingerie she was wearing. "What's it called?"
Hamilton's eyes sparked with excitement. "The Shark Bite," he said.
"Oh, because of all the fishies?" Ruby asked as she peeked at Weiss through the glass.
"Yes, but you forgot the bite."
Weiss gracefully picked up the frosted cup and offered it to Ruby who eagerly grabbed it for a chance to touch Weiss' hand. After their fingers grazed each other and the little cup passed between them, Weiss said, "I want you to pour the contents into that… bowl," her lip curled upward in disdain, "slowly—I said slowly, Ruby Rose!"
Ruby stopped herself from dumping the entire thing into the bowl and tilted her hand back up a bit with a grumpy defeated frown.
The white haired woman sighed in relief, briefly forgetting her own rule about repetition and repeated herself. "Remember, slowly."
Ruby gulped nervously. Weiss was watching her like a hawk; it was kind of hot.
A red viscous liquid began pouring out of the tin cup splashing into the blue drink like drops of blood. Weiss reached over and guided Ruby's hand in a slow swirling motion so the red syrup was spread evenly. Ruby was so enthralled by the mesmerizing display happening in the bowl that she didn't realize Weiss was holding her hand until she finally let go.
Ruby placed the tin down and looked to thank Hamilton, but the young man was gone helping another server clean up a table. She smiled, deciding to wait for the next time he showed up to give him her gratitude. Weiss had gone back to her meal and finished off the last of her wine as did Ruby with her soda. A busboy politely asked if they'd like a refill, but they both declined and he quickly added their empty glasses to his load.
"I forgot to ask Hamilton while he was here but you seem to know what this is, does it have any alcohol in it?" Ruby asked eyeing the silly straw.
Weiss grimaced but nodded. "Not enough to get you drunk."
"Oh, well that's good," Ruby said absentmindedly as she took a bite. When the comfortable silence returned, unbeknownst by her target Ruby kept a watchful eye out for the next time Weiss swallowed. And when she did, Ruby quietly said, "But just so you know, you have my consent."
Weiss stopping cutting her steak and glared flatly at Ruby. "What?"
Ruby shrugged. "I don't have the strongest tolerance when it comes to alcohol." She tugged her end of the straw and leaned in, taking the end slowly between her lips. Her eyes widened in childish surprise when the sweet yet tangy adult beverage washed over her tongue.
"Was that your attempt at trying to seduce me?"
Weiss was slightly taken aback by Ruby's boldness but not disinterested which made the redhead mentally sigh in relief. Ruby saw her chance in Weiss' hesitation and smirked as she lightly dipped her head to the side, inviting Weiss to take part in the restaurant's gift.
"Just so you know," Weiss said coldly, "you'll have to try much harder than that if you wish to undress me tonight."
When Weiss leaned in, she delicately pulled her half of the straw and caught the tip between her teeth in a teasing nip before she drew it in and secured her lips around it like a kiss. The seductive look she gave Ruby made the younger woman wish she was the damned lucky straw. But if Weiss' earlier words were to be taken seriously, there was a good chance she'd be feeling those delectable pink lips—and maybe more than that—on hers before the night was through.
It was a difficult challenge; one with a reward greater than the risk it proposed. But Ruby could do it. She knew she could do it. Why? Because Ruby had her big girl panties on tonight. Thanks, Yang.
Bolstering her courage, Ruby decided the silence needed to go and racked her brain trying to think of something she could say. She had a giant list of cheesy one liners waiting for her to use, but Ruby wanted to hold an actual conversation with Weiss that didn't end with her laughing or pointing out the obvious in a deadpan. Weiss was probably the smartest person she'd ever spoken to, at least that was the vibe she got whenever Weiss spoke, so it was hard to keep up with her.
Ruby was starting to feel like a bumbling idiot next to Weiss. Nothing she came up with sounded right to her. The typical first date questions, while important, didn't feel engaging enough. Ruby predicted Weiss would have a slew of perfectly concise answers to match her simple queries while Ruby would take five minutes to explain hers in her nervous roundabout way. She desperately wanted to impress Weiss, though now that Ruby really thought about it those first date questions were starting to sound more appealing with each failed icebreaker. But none of Ruby's meticulous musings mattered when Weiss' eyes fluttered shut and a sinfully quiet moan escaped her lips, followed closely by a breathy sigh that sent a wave of tingles crawling down Ruby's spine.
Involuntarily, like most things involving Weiss Schnee, Ruby's body acted before her slightly more capable mind could react. Now normally that wasn't such a bad thing. It made Ruby fun and spontaneous; all the girly magazines Yang featured in had articles saying women loved that in a man—in this case another woman, but tomato toh-matoh. So why was this any different from the other times Ruby went and Rose'd it up? Well, they usually didn't involve her forgetting she was drinking through a straw. The look on Weiss' face was absolutely priceless when her half of the straw was yanked away as Ruby comically gasped for air. And even though Ruby felt like she was about to die, her focus was set solely on Weiss. Not even the hard plastic jammed halfway down her throat could make her look away.
The woman's eyes were wider than she had ever seen them and a whole veritable mishmash of emotions were on full display. Her face was still impassively stoic, locked in a moment of slow realization but her pretty blue eyes read like a children's storybook. When they first met, Weiss had this withered look in her eyes that sapped away any joy Ruby felt during their brief conversation. The second time they met, Weiss looked at her with dead unfeeling eyes. It was a little better during their date. Weiss livened up a little but her eyes stayed that same muted blue.
Surprise, shock, and a lot of regret for agreeing to come on this date were at the front of the line, but Ruby couldn't deny how alive Weiss looked. Though the freezing névé covered fields and mountains of Atlas were nothing compared to the death glare Weiss was giving her.
Weiss moved faster than a striking cobra and yanked out the straw before Ruby could make more of a scene. She waited till Ruby caught her breath to begin her verbal beat down.
"Are you insane?" Weiss asked, fuming vehemently. "You could have gotten hurt or worse! Are you always this childish?"
Ruby sunk into her chair, fighting back a whimpering sob as Weiss continued her ruthless onslaught.
"I've had it! First you leave me waiting for over an hour, your excuse being this ridiculous looking plant that I really hope you didn't pay for, and now this." She gestured to all of Ruby making the poor girl cringe. "When I met you I thought I saw a potential equal. You were so strong and confident on stage, I wanted to get to know you better. But now that I have, I think I regret my decision."
"I'm sorry, Weiss…"
"No. Don't apologize," Weiss hissed through tightly gritted teeth. "If this is who you truly are, a bumbling buffoon with nothing to offer but immature antics and terrible jokes, then it is I that should be apologizing to you for thinking we were ever compatible."
Weiss pushed her chair back and stood up, quickly retrieving her things. She turned her back to Ruby, intent on leaving her there without another word, but stopped when she heard Ruby weakly say her name. She sighed and turned to face her, but the sight of Ruby's tears made her falter and avert her eyes.
"Look, dinner is on me. Just tell Hamilton whatever you need and he'll add it to my tab."
"Weiss, I'm so sorry… please don't walk away."
Shaking her head, Weiss said, "No. I'm sorry, but this isn't going to work out as I'd hoped."
"…" Ruby sat in heartbroken silence, kneading her hands together as the woman of her dreams prepared to walk out of her life for good.
Ruby didn't dare look up from her tightly clenched hands on her lap. She knew that if she did, she'd start to cry and cause even more of a scene. So Ruby held strong and willed herself to think of happy thoughts, but all she could think about was Weiss' elegant smile and charming laugh.
"Yo, Frosty!" a boisterous woman shouted cheerily.
"Wha—Coco, unhand me this instant!" Weiss hissed angrily, pawing at her captor's ribs.
"Nu uh, I'm not about to let you walk out on your date like a total dulce de douche," Coco chided Weiss. "Why don't you go cool your head off for a bit while I chat with Ruby, how's about it?"
Ruby could hear Weiss struggle even harder against this new individual. They sounded like close acquaintances with how familiar Coco spoke to Weiss and vice versa. She wanted to look up and see what all the commotion was about, but flashes of Weiss' angry expressions throughout the evening forced her head down even lower.
"I'm seriously gunna keep you in this headlock until you agree."
"Fine if I agree to calm down and return to my seat, will you let me go?"
Coco hummed. "Yup!"
"Oh thank God, do you know how terrible that uniform smells? When was the last time you washed it?"
"Last week but cooking is messy work, cookie grumble." Coco released Weiss and commanded she turn over her briefcase and head straight to the bathroom or walk-in freezer to contemplate her actions. "Sorry about Weiss, I hope you can forgive her," Coco said directing her attention to Ruby as she claimed Weiss' spot. "Hey, c'mon, lift your head up and lemme take a gander at those silver eyes Weiss went totally gaga for."
Ruby blushed and flicked her eyes upward to meet her new dinner date. It didn't come as a surprise to Ruby that Coco was absolutely gorgeous. Everyone working in Fleur-de-lis looked like they belonged on TV or in magazines, but Coco was several steps above that. She looked like an A-list movie star with her fair skin, stylish asymmetrical hair style, and attractive facial features—even her voice managed to sound needlessly sensual despite dropping words like "douche" and "gaga". Coco was a natural, smooth talking force to be reckoned with and if Ruby wasn't so attached to weiss, she'd probably swoon.
'But Weiss is still way hotter, no doubt about that,' Ruby thought to herself in a depreciating tone.
"Yowza, you don't see that everyday!" Coco exclaimed in astonishment. She reached over and tilted Ruby's chin upwards wearing a breathtaking smile. "Pretty girl like you should never be looking down in the dumplings."
"I'm not that pretty…" Lies. Ruby knew she was quite the looker. Yang's old agency wanted her the moment she turned sixteen and still hounded her to this day.
"I can tell you're lying, but I'll ignore it." Coco settled back into her seat and stretched her arms out. "Man it feels good to finally take a break!"
"Um," Ruby said hesitantly, "who are you?"
"Oh shit, sorry!" Coco snapped back in apology. "My name's Coco Adel, Head Chef of Fleur-de-lis, and Weiss' only friend."
"Ruby—"
"Rose, I know." Coco grinned and adjusted her glasses, a similar set to Weiss'. "I've been wanting to meet you for some time now."
"Why?" Ruby asked feeling slightly frightened of the much taller woman sitting in front of her.
Coco dropped her smile and glowered at Ruby, her vibrant chocolate brown eyes darkening with predatory intent as she seethed. "Because she's mine and I won't let you take her from me."
