Welp, you guys broke sixty followers and 6k on the views count. I am just watching in awe right now. It's crazy. It's absolutely crazy. But there again, crazy is the first C of my name, so I suppose I shouldn't be surprised all that much in terms of craziness.

Still, its awesome that everyone's continuing to watch even after I shook things up a bit in terms of plot. Still, I'm running this train with a destination in mind, so you can be rest assured that everything I do was put in, well, normally for a reason.

I won't keep you guys waiting now. Roll onward with the next chapter!

*Update* Version 1.2 of this chapter, did a bit of grammar/spelling combing as I said in Chapter 8's A/N. Hopefully I got it all.

So this was what it was like.

Lying next to the one you loved.

Who loved you.

Not just for who you are in society, for the title you had, but for who you are as a person, what your inner self was.

Weiss gave a relaxed sigh as she stretched out. Ruby laid next to her, curled around her midsection under the covers. The starlit sky shone through the windows, painting the room with a soft light, something that almost seemed to make it almost... relaxed in a way, as if undisturbed by the hustle and bustle of the day. Nighttime was truly her favorite part of each day.

Maybe that sounded contradictory, but things didn't really have to make sense right now.

She could feel Ruby shifting around her front, two arms snaking around her, feeling a head on her chest, a nuzzle of what had to have been a nose through her silken nightie. Weiss ran the hand she knew was on Ruby's head through her hair, feeling the smoothness of it, the softness. She lifted the covers a little, to see two silver eyes on her own. Ruby was smiling happily at her, her head on Weiss' chest, her arms around the heiress' waist.

She patted Ruby's head, watching as Ruby's eyes slowly closed.

God, Ruby could practically be Zwei's sister.

If she had a tail, it would have been wagging. She had the same appetite for attention as Zwei did, even though she didn't show it. And they were both so adorable.

The sound of heavy breathing came from Ruby. Had she fallen asleep?

Weiss turned her gaze upward. Thank god that Ruby was safe.

She felt the hand not on top of Ruby's head clench as she remembered the reason Ruby'd been in danger, and the reason she'd needed healing in the first place.

Vade.

She would stay away from him, and when she next spoke to Ruby, she'd advise her to do the same. A pang of guilt sparked in her heart.

She'd lied about the charging up part of his attack. Truthfully, Weiss had no idea how his fighting style worked, or if he even had one. His personality didn't help either. She wasn't sure if he was actually trying to be creepy, or if it was all natural for him. It was even scarier when Weiss thought about how he'd found out about their relationship. Had Ruby told him?

No, she wouldn't have.

There again, if she was listening to the advice of her father, she would consider both sides of the coin. Vade had healed Ruby immediately afterwards, and made sure they were safe while in the vault of the Dark Library. She'd let go just to test his word, when the mists around them billowed in response, and Vade had swiftly retaken her hand, clearly indicating that he didn't want her to be on the receiving end of those defenses. Whatever his facial expressions had implied, he did seem to genuinely care about them, though for what reason Weiss could not fathom.

No. Even so, he was definitely not the best of men to be around. Even if his dress sense was impressive for someone like him.

Weiss put the red-eyed man out of her mind, and relaxed into her pillow once again. As she did so, she felt Ruby shift again, sliding up her body until she emerged from the duvet, lying her head next to Weiss' on her right side.

"What are you thinking about?" Ruby asked. Crap! Think of something, think of something!

"I was just thinking about how lucky I was that you accepted me, Ruby." Weiss replied calmly.

"Duh, I love you." Ruby responded, rolling her eyes. Good, she bought it. "What do you love the most about me, if you only had to pick one thing?"

One thing? Hm, that was a tough one.

She had so many things she wanted to say, damn the second part of Ruby's question. The sparkling silver eyes that watched over her, the adorable face that just made her want to pinch her cheeks (she wouldn't tell Ruby that one!), her well maintained dark hair with red highlights, hair that she fussed over in the shower as much as Crescent Rose on the workbench.

Her personality, someone who could be so mature despite being so young, with a bit of a childish innocence stirred into her, and the tying ribbon of affection she had for those she loved. The almost trademark scent of roses that Weiss could smell no matter where Ruby was, even now there was a light hint of them that Weiss' nose could detect. Even the very way she fought now, transitioning gracefully from one method of attack to the next, her toned yet still lithe body flowing with the motions.

She'd seen that last during the fight with Vade that she'd witnessed. Again and again the black objects that Vade had been manipulating approached, intent to strike plain in their motions, and Ruby had arced her body, deflecting the first with the side of the blade of her scythe and the second with the other end of the haft. And she'd done it many times, each time the pose was different, either because Ruby was going her best to confuse her opponent, or Vade had subtly altered his attacks so that no one block would work the same way twice.

"Weiss?" Ruby called out softly. She snapped back to attention, and gasped a little - Ruby was really close now, her face only about a foot from Weiss' own. "Were you spacing out?" She had a very... what did you even call that squint-eyed, half smile she had right now? Rubyesque, that worked.

"I can't answer you." Weiss quietly replied. "There's too many things I love about you for me to pick." She felt herself blush a bit at this failure, and a little move when she heard Ruby giggle.

"That is so sweet, Weiss." Ruby cooed. "Aw, I just wanna snuggle and cuddle you!"

Weiss jumped as Ruby dived on her, her cuddle much more aggressive this time, her grip stronger than before.

"Ruby? Ruby!" Weiss shrieked as her lover's momentum took them straight off the bed in a tangle of limbs and blankets, and Weiss shut her eyes in fright, landing painfully on the floor, on top of the duvet. It wasn't bad, but her arms and knees are sore from having taken the brunt of the impact. Taking a moment to catch her breath, she felt it. Something was wriggling underneath her.

"Owww." Ruby whined. Weiss opened her eyes to discover that she was on her arms and knees, and underneath her laid Ruby, who was currently rubbing her backside after having clearly fallen on it again. Weiss, momentarily blinded to the situation by fright, felt anger cloud her mind, filling it with a fog that prevented much other thought.

"You dolt! What if one of us was seriously hurt!?" Weiss yelled, stopping as the volume of her voice made her ears ring. "Why did you..." she trailed off, as her mind finally registered the position they were in.

The duvet was underneath Ruby, and she laid there, arms to her side with the palms of her hands facing upward. One of Weiss' legs was in-between Ruby's, and had pinned her trouser bottoms in place. As she stared, the now frightened Ruby stared right back, and Weiss spotted a tear leak out of the corner of her eye, which ran down the side of her face, onto the duvet underneath her.

Calm down.

Weiss took a deep breath, then reached over and wiped the tear away from Ruby's face.

"I'm sorry." Weiss apologized. "I was just scared."

"I'm scared too." Ruby whispered back.

She was still scared of her? Crap.

"What can I do to make it better?" Weiss asked. Ruby's eyes left her for a moment, before she looked at Weiss again.

"Can you kiss me? Like when we..." she petered out, the words replaced by a blush. So she wanted one of those?

Well, Weiss could oblige.

She slowly lowered herself until she laid on top of Ruby, and brushed the younger girl's beautiful hair out of her face, closing her eyes, before she met her lips for what felt like the hundredth time today.

And it was still just as electric, just as exciting, as the first time they'd done it.

Her tongue shot out, past her teeth as it sought entrance to her lover's mouth. It met a fierce resistance from Ruby's lips, and Weiss felt her mouth clamp shut, before the crimsonette pulled away. Weiss caught her breath and opened her eyes, seeing an embarrassed expression on that oh so adorable face. It was the definition of the word 'sheepish'.

"Um, Weiss..." Ruby said, her voice soft and barely audible. "I don't..."

"You don't like it?" Weiss asked. Did she not enjoy kissing her? What had happened?

"No!" Ruby exclaimed. "I just don't like the tongue thing! It just..." she trailed off into a brief silence, and she turned away. "It just feels weird right now, when we're not doing anything... d-down there." She pointed down towards her lower regions, and blushed as Weiss met her eyes. So that was the reason.

Thank god it hadn't been like Weiss had thought.

"Okay then." Weiss whispered back. "No tongues."

Ruby turned her head back, and after not retreating when Weiss closed the gap again, she resumed the kiss.

She truly was sweeter and more innocent than Weiss had imagined.

Still, it was good that she was prepared to speak out if something was wrong.

She felt Ruby pull down the pillow from her bed and rest it under her head, before pushing Weiss to the side, allowing them to lie side by side in the twilight sparkle of the stars, lips still locked. Understanding Ruby's intent when the duvet wrapped around them, she broke the kiss as Ruby embraced her within the duvet now binding them close together, and Weiss felt a head on her chest as she laid flat, her legs entwining with Ruby's own smooth, shaven legs.

"Night, Weiss." Ruby softly spoke.

"Goodnight, Ruby." Weiss replied. "I love you."

"Love you too." came the voice below her chin, just before the weight increased on her chest, and the heiress heard the same heavy breathing sound that indicated her lover was fast asleep.

Weiss did not take long to join her in sleep.

"So how far?"

"Mercury, shut it."

"Seriously. How far?"

"Mercury... now's not the time to push me."

"How far? Just tell me."

"UGH! Just shut up already!"

Emerald stormed out of an alleyway in Vale, the place a shortcut between two streets in Vale. The shining metropolis of lit shop windows, street lights and the dazzling stars above her created a conflagration of light that momentarily stunned her after the darkness of the alley. She was leaning against a wall, rubbing her eyes as Mercury Black wandered out, the telltale click of his weaponised boots proof of his presence.

"Listen, when I asked you how far you'd trust the 'wick, you said 'as far as I could throw him'." Mercury chided, his voice cutting across the bustle of the town. "That doesn't tell me anything specific, Em."

Emerald opened her eyes just in time to see him flash a smirk that would have come off as 'cool' if Emerald hadn't known him for as long as she had. She turned away, back towards the alleyway.

The jerk.

"Going to pick something up. And quit calling me Em. People'll think we're together." Emerald shot back, before walking back the way she'd came. She walked for about five paces before she heard it.

Click-clack, click-clack.

So he was going to follow her again?

After what happened last time?

Well, he'd have to catch her first!

Emerald ripped out her weapons and fired downward, jumping onto the wall before beginning to run up it, reaching the roof of the stubby building before climbing onto it and racing away, hearing the sound of Mercury as he gave chase.